July 7th of this year marked the beginning of four years that I have hosted a radio show on the Tulsa airwaves.
My guest on The Weekly Roundtable anniversary show was Diana Furchtgott-Roth, author of a book entitled, “Regulating to Disaster: How Green Job Policies are Damaging America’s Economy”.
(The Weekly Roundtable radio show airs each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. CST on AM1170 KFAQ, Tulsa, Ok. The show can also be heard on www.1170kfaq.com live feed and podcasts. Also, the show can be downloaded on App: KFAQ for free for both live feed as well as podcasts.)
Diana Furchtgott-Roth is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a former chief economist of the US Department of Labor, a MarketWatch columnist, a contributing editor of RealClearMarkets.com and a monthly columnist for Tax Notes. She served on the staffs of Presidents Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43.
Diana states that it is her opinion that few can define what truly a “green job” is. She states that the government is not even sure. She states that the current definition is unfortunately encouraging more Solyndra’s in the future.
She provides examples in her book of the term “green job”. “The 3.1 million green jobs are a matter of relabeling, not creating new opportunities for Americans to move up the career ladder.
According to Diana, if you sweep a floor in a solar powered facility, drive a hybrid bus, work at a clothing recycling center, work as a garbage man, or work as an oil lobbyist engaged in environmental advocacy, you have a “green job”.
“Because Congress and the administration are mandating and subsidizing more costly green technology, businesses and consumers are reducing some economic activity and investments. Some investments are going overseas, and some are simply not being made anywhere. The result is lost jobs. Businesses are hiring more temporary workers, but not permanent workers. Consumers are wary of spending because they are afraid of tax hikes and further shrinkage of the values of their homes and their retirement savings.”
She states that currently America should put a hold on more regulations. “They create a climate of uncertainty, damaging economic growth and employment, and inhibiting employees and investors.”
She believes that the green jobs as presently defined are going to cost Americans especially in utility costs. Many US leaders want new regulations on energy but she states that there are disadvantages.
On The Weekly Roundtable, I have also had another economist, Dr. Woodrow (Woody) Clark as a guest. He has some different views than Diana expresses in her book. His interviews along with others can be listened to on the podcasts earlier mentioned and also, on my company website www.thegtdgroup.com.
Diana believes that fossil fuels used in an environmentally friendly way can power the economy. She states that “we can move away from expensive, inefficient, green jobs policies when we find they are counter to economic growth and are a wasteful way of meeting our objectives.
One thing that Diana, Woody and I can agree on is that natural gas will play an important role in the future of America’s energy. Energy efficiency and environmental preservation can be achieved.
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