As part of a hearing by the Federal Education and Labor Committee, local UMass Professor Robert Pollin recently testified on the need for investments in 'green' retrofitting of public sector buildings to put unemployed construction workers back to work. Pollin is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at UMass, Amherst.
Pollin and other economists who testified at the hearing said the initiatives discussed would allow the country to prepare for post-recession growth, as well as create interim jobs for the estimated 800,000 construction workers left unemployed after the downturn in the housing market.
Speaker Pelosi raised the idea of a $150 billion stimulus package earlier this month, a proposal that Democratic leaders have insisted focus in large part on expanding initiatives geared toward employing and otherwise assisting average Americans.
The Democrats may take up such a package in a lame duck session after the election. But the White House and congressional Republicans have been cool to the idea, questioning whether the proposals discussed by the Democrats would do much to stimulate the economy in the short term.
Here's Professor Pollin's testimony:
http://edlabor.house.gov/testimony/2008-10-24-RobertPollin.pdf
Pollin and other economists who testified at the hearing said the initiatives discussed would allow the country to prepare for post-recession growth, as well as create interim jobs for the estimated 800,000 construction workers left unemployed after the downturn in the housing market.
Speaker Pelosi raised the idea of a $150 billion stimulus package earlier this month, a proposal that Democratic leaders have insisted focus in large part on expanding initiatives geared toward employing and otherwise assisting average Americans.
The Democrats may take up such a package in a lame duck session after the election. But the White House and congressional Republicans have been cool to the idea, questioning whether the proposals discussed by the Democrats would do much to stimulate the economy in the short term.
Here's Professor Pollin's testimony:
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