Seattle “Green Jobs” Program Tanks

It would be an accountant's nightmare in the private sector...but for government in Seattle, 20 million in Federal Funds equals 14 new jobs...

Last year Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn trumpeted that the Emerald City had won a 20 million Federal Grant to retrofit homes and business and make them more energy efficient, or "green"...and it in turn would create thousands of jobs.   One year later, the tally stands at 3 homes have been retrofitted, and 14 new jobs created.   One of the issues, according to those working inside the program, is the incredibly cumbersome process of attempting to notify people about the program, getting contracts to businesses who bid to do the work, and getting workers trained to perform the work.   Only 37 individuals or homeowners have applied for the program.  Much of the funding gets burned up in government paperwork, and by the time the program is actually up and running, the money will have run out.  The program is slated to end in 2013.   Original estimates were that it was to have created 2,000 wage living jobs.  These estimates, as well as many of those from the Stimulus program, are based upon a direct-line transfer between the amount of Federal dollars, and the jobs they will fund.  They do NOT include the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, chewed up by the processes and bureaucracy within the Federal government that is used to administer the programs.