…out of a wide range of potential choices, is Rep Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). I first became aware of this reprehensible individual after seeing the incredibly arrogant letter that she wrote to Kathleen Fasanella (of the blog Fashion Incubator) in response to Kathleen’s attempts to call attention to the harm being done to many small manufacturers by the ill-thought-out CPSIA legislation.
There are lots of reasons to dislike Schakowsky (see this, for example)—another such reason made its appearance Wednesday with her assertion, in an attempt to defend Obama’s suppression of the Keystone Pipeline project, that “Twenty thousand jobs is really not that many jobs, and investing in green technologies will produce that and more.”
Twenty thousand jobs is really not that many jobs?
There is of course a huge difference between a project funded with private money that will act to reduce America’s energy costs and increase its industrial competitiveness, and one funded with taxpayer money (much of it undoubtedly going to politically-well-connected corporations) which would quite likely act to increase America’s energy costs and thereby reduce its industrial competitivness. Perusal of Schakowsky’s bio reveals no experience at all working in the private sector, of course.
Whatever one thinks of the Pipeline and of various “alternative energy” options, surely it should be obvious to all that this CongressCreature’s cavalier dismissal of twenty thousand jobs should be considered unacceptable arrogance on the part of any American officeholder. It is a level of arrogance that, unfortunately, has become far too common among the government classes.
At least she represents Illinois where incompetent officials are no rarity. California is blessed with Henry Waxman. At least she is powerless. Waxman did a lot of harm when his party was in the majority.
Reminds me of the comment by Jane Lubchenco, the head of NOAA (and formerly at the Environment Defense Fund), when asked about Gloucester fishermen going out of business because of her agency’s new catch-share regulations, who said that they were “marginal jobs where people are squeaking by.”
http://www.nysun.com/national/obama-is-played-for-a-fool-by-macarthur-genius/87537/
“Twenty thousand jobs is really not that many jobs, and investing in green technologies will produce that and more.”
If the current trend of government “investing in green technologies” continues, she is right – the jobs produced, however, will be limited to those directly and indirectly supporting the burgeoning bankruptcy industry…just think of the number of paper-clerks, admins, and janitors that will be needed to support the endless loop of theft, investment and liquidation in the tax-payer funded, and government administered “green” future.
Wow…what a knucklehead. The ability to say the most ridiculous things with a straight face is a must for a public office holder.
As a former constituent I agree with David.
Can anyone point to a government effort that created jobs in a new industry? Other than the space race of almost 50 years ago – and that was simply pouring money into aerospace companies.
I guess it is arrogance to think you can do it when it has never been done.
Maybe she is feeling feisty, now that her husband, lobbyist Robert Creamer, is out of prison. As David Foster probably knows, but the rest of you may not, Creamer served time for bank fraud. (He was trying to redistribute money a little too directly. See the Wikipedia article on Schakowsky for some of the details.)
According to news accounts — which may even be true — she didn’t know about his criminal activities. Which might lead some to question her attention to detail.
Story has it that Jan’s husband, Robert Creamer, was diverting funds from a not-for-profit he ran. This included paying the mortgage on their Evanston home. So, the question as to whether or not she knew what he was doing might be addressed by this hypothetical conversation.
JAN; Honey? I’m looking over the check book for this month and I see we didn’t send a check to the bank for the mortgage.
BOB: Oh, don’t worry about that. I took care of it.
JAN: Oh, you did? That’s great. I won’t worry about it, then. Back to the business of the American people!
BOB: You go, girl! there’s no justice like social justice!