Business

What is the Administration‘s Definition of ‘Green’ Job?

Republicans on a House oversight panel grilled Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Keith Hall over whether the Obama administration has been inflating the number of jobs in the “clean” energy industry. The exchange occurred after it was revealed members of the administration have been using a very broad definition for the term “green job.”

The current definition is any job that “provides goods or services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources,” according to a recent report.  The BLS also counts jobs where workers’ duties “involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly.”

The BLS admitted it is currently trying to come up with a workable definition and formula to track “green” jobs employment. The bureau expects to have its first estimate out early next year.

In a report titled “How Obama’s Green Energy Agenda is Killing Jobs,“ the committee majority claims taxpayers have received ”little return” from President Obama’s investment. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, believes taxpayers are not getting their money’s worth.

“Three years and billions of taxpayer dollars later, the American people have received very little return on the president’s signature investment,” Rep. Issa said.

Defending the administration’s position, Labor Secretary Hilda Soliscited a separate study that claims that 2.7 million Americans are in “clean economy” positions. But Republicans are saying the definition being used by the government is using is far too broad, suggesting officials were trying to pad the figures, according to FOX.

“It’s offensive,” Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) said, arguing that just because a bus driver drives a hybrid bus, it does‘t mean it’s a “green” job.

“Yes it is,” Solis responded.

“It‘s only a ’green’ job if it fits into your sales pitch,” Rep. Mack replied.

Rep. Issa reiterated his position, saying the BLS relies on bad numbers. ”If I put LEDs in my office, apparently my staff becomes a ‘green’ staff,” he said. While addressing BLS Commissioner Keith Hall, Rep. Issa said the “green jobs” numbers were “wrong” because it would mean some bus drivers are included in the “green” jobs report.

“Our green jobs include mass transit, so actually any bus service,” Hall said.

“Oh, OK,” Issa said. “So let me understand this . . .You’re counting everyone that drives a bus as a green job.”

“Mass transit is a green service,” Hall responded.

“Oh my goodness. I didn’t know that.”

Hall later argued, “Every single bus may replace dozens of cars,“ therefore making mass transit part of the ”green” initiative.

Watch the exchange below:

Comments (78)

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  • Bill Rowland
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:36pm

    There math here is as fuzzy as the math about Buffer and his secretary and the tax rates.
    It‘s all BS to make Obumbler look good to those who don’t pay attention to anythng except the MSM.
    Lets see , Solyndra fired over 1100 people when it lost a $500,000 govt loan. Were those green jobs?Issa has to many irons in the fire. Needs to order the DOJ to appoint special prosecutors on some of these.

    OMG – Psalm 109:8

    Report Post »  
  • Carlinpa
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:05pm

    Gotta love the no nonsense of Rep. Darrell Issa he knows how to dissect these bovine peddlers refuse..

    Report Post »  
    • uneedmorekoolaid
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:41pm

      I use a LED flashlight as a tow truck driver is that a green job now. Actually if I am towing your car that saves that car from using gas so I guess that would make towing cars a “green initiative”.

      Ever wonder why the democrats chose an a$$ as their party symbol.

      Report Post » uneedmorekoolaid  
    • Thevoice
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 2:19am

      My wife got me ..Didn’t want to go ..Grocery shopping ..So I guess we carpooled ..Does that count as a green thing … and can I get a government grant or tax break for it…

      Report Post » Thevoice  
    • mwhaley
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 8:23am

      Ok.. I get it. I line my walkway of my coal fired power plant with solar out door lamps, Now we can say we are green. Wow I now have “green job” employees, Brilliant, just freaking brilliant. Thanks Obama, I just love you! I am going to call my buddy down the street that has a coal mine and tell him we are going in the “green job” business.

      Report Post »  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 8:57am

      I just bought a small LED flashlight at Harbor Freight to keep in my desk at work. I am green!!!!

      Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
    • kraphtsman
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 10:00am

      Ever notice how, under the Obama regime, the federal bureaucracy invariably resorts to Soviet-like statistical methodology and self-serving propaganda, whenever confronted or made to “explain” why their centrally planned, socialist economic policy has TOTALLY FAILED ?

      And ever notice the striking similarities between the Democrat House and Senate to the old Soviet Politboro ?

      And finally, how nearly all parts of the dominant “mainstream ” media have morphed themselves into one giant, modern version of Pravda ?

      None of these comparisons should come as a surprise… the lying, communist-inspired “progressives” who currently occupy and control most of our federal institutions and the “mainstream” media can (and SHOULD) be labelled as TRAITORS. As such, they deserve to be eliminated by THE VOTERS from office, TUNED OUT into financial oblivion, and systematically prosecuted for the crimes against this nation they’re ALL guilty of !

      Report Post »  
    • Cat
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 10:56am

      The green the government speaks of is the green in our wallets.
      They steal it, devalue it, steal more of it, then devalue it even more.
      The game plan is to make our green worthless, then they’ll introduce a global currency.
      Remember MAD?
      Here’s how that math works … 0+0=(4÷7)+(x-y)\2Σ∆

      Report Post » Cat  
  • preppymom
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 9:05pm

    I’m upset that we are paying government employees to come up with all these statistics. What a waste of money.

    Unfair, Unbalanced…but amazingly accurate
    http://www.crackingthemalecode.com/

    Report Post » preppymom  
  • milkah
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:55pm

    A green job is one that cost more to create than the employee will ever earn from it.

    Report Post »  
  • BubbaT
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:54pm

    Green job = enriches corrupt Washington politicians and their “handlers.”

    Report Post » BubbaT  
    • Miguelito
      Posted on September 23, 2011 at 7:52am

      I agree. Liberals us others like the green nuts to money laundry to the dem. party for power. They are using the poor as a voting block and they will say anything to get a vote. There are users and givers, liberals are users and I hope and pray the people being used will wake up or they will go down with the ship!

      Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:10pm

    A green job is anything that wastes billions of dollars and causes energy to be more costly than it should.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • TSUNAMI-22
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:56pm

    Like Mark Levin says, “green is the new RED”.

    Report Post »  
  • The next to last american president
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:50pm

    A green job is one that Obama and his friends get a kickback.

    Report Post »  
  • timel0rd
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:46pm

    Hypothetical: There were a 1,000 bus drivers driving busses that ran on diesel. If you start running the busses off bio-diesel subsidized with government money, the administration can claim to have ‘created’ a thousand green jobs without actually creating a new job.

    *face palm*

    Report Post »  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:16pm

      And don’t forget all those “new” jobs go into the fuzzy math the progressives use to calculate un-employment numbers, growth in the economy & the jobs sector. etc etc etc

      Report Post »  
  • axel@25
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:44pm

    so…“The US is behind” in the green energy “investment” racket? GOOD !! Maybe we’ll have an opportunity for another WWII “industrial miracle” folowing the ruin of the Euro economies.

    Just wait until the EU collapses and they start burning furniture to cook and keep from freezing this winter after they’ve run out of trees…can’t by nasty old oil from the Middle East with no money, But hey!! they’re ahead on the Green thing……for now.

    Report Post »  
  • Dodsfall
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:42pm

    What is a green job?

    A temporary position with a union company who’s owners are heavy Democratic campaign financiers. The job is temporary because the company’s ownership will strip all the grants and loans from the federal government into offshore accounts as fast as they can and then declare bankruptcy.

    Report Post » Dodsfall  
  • 1casawizard
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:23pm

    The administrations’ definition of green jobs. Green=little green men=aliens=illegal aliens. My math works out. signed, B.O.

    Report Post » 1casawizard  
    • OneBuckeye
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:39pm

      A Green job is one that is given to a highly qualified person capable of steal large quantities of Green Backs!

      Report Post »  
  • wianno94
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:23pm

    Hey, once we get rid of incandescent lightbulb, every job will be a “green job”. At least on the night shift.

    Report Post »  
    • OneBuckeye
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:42pm

      Once they get all of our GREEN our lawns will turn brown and the only thing GREEN will be our cash sitting in cold dark places never to be seen again!

      Report Post »  
  • Prosoldier
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:22pm

    OH MY!!! The Dems have been right all along! By this standard of measure, there is almost NO unemployment in this country because even the homeless living in the street HAVE GREEN JOBS!!! Think about it, they pull out trash and reuse it, sometimes even sell some of it, rather than it having to go be put in a landfill somewhere…THAT‘S WHAT’S CONSIDERED A GREEN JOB!!! WOOHOO!!! YOU GUYS DID IT!!! Congratulations on fixing the economy so fast! With just a few words, we are suddenly out of the hole!

    IDIOTS!!! Here’s your answer to global warming…put all these oxygen thieves on a rocket ship to Mars!

    Report Post »  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:41pm

      It is unreal. he said they lumped ALL transit employees into green jobs numbers !!!
      You can not believe anything these lairs say !!!!
      I if ever go against the government in court, I will tear them apart with clips like this…. thousands of them.
      A jury of 12 peers would see who is a criminal !!!!

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:43pm

      *If I
      *Liars

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • jueta
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 8:43pm

      Hey Prosoldiers you should email that to Issa so he can use it. That is perfect, I bet he would love it. Did you see Solis get all smart arsey! I wonder if she has a Green Card?

      Report Post »  
  • Salamander
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:19pm

    Does a green job have mold on it–like bad cheese?

    Report Post »  
  • Hatchman
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:14pm

    There really is no such thing as a “green job”. Based on what we have seen so far green technology consumes far more natural resources than anyone will admit to. Every green job must be completely subsidized by tax dollars in one way or another as well and still those companies promoting themselves as being “green” still cannot turn a profit. If being green was sustainable and profitable it would not need to be subsidized with tax dollars and we would not have to be subjected to a 24 hour a day media blitz about the need to be green.

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  • jackact
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:13pm

    Organizing a national event in which ALL G.E. CF light bulbs could be publicly destroyed would create a considerable opportunity for the first ‘official’ green job(s). Saving Americans billions of dollars in the process.
    Thousands of currently unemployed (federal income tax paying) Americans would appreciate the much needed employment.
    Compensation would be generated directly from the billions in stimulus money that GE will offer up, as a national rebate, in order to correct their crony capitalism with the Obama administration and it’s savaging of free markets, trade and competitive commerce.

    Report Post »  
  • drattastic
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:05pm

    Green = RED

    Report Post » drattastic  
  • RepubliCorp
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:58pm

    The only thing green is the money they took the taxpayer for………….

    Report Post » RepubliCorp  
  • Race
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:56pm

    Fools and other people’s money are soon parted.

    Report Post » Race  
    • fizzycist
      Posted on September 22, 2011 at 7:31pm

      I think it’s time for Us, i.e. We the People, to start fighting back like we never have before….otherwize, we will be completely engulfed by these IDIOTS and their INSANITY….

      Report Post » fizzycist  
  • rickroland
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:55pm

    While they are at it, they should ask for an specific definition for a “saved” job. Particularly when you consider that it was a completely made-up term by the Obama Administration. The answer would be enlightening, to say the least.

    Report Post »  
  • USMCRETIRED2001
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:55pm

    Green is the Purple … Lets face it, the eco left will manipulate data, lie, misspeak, adjust, or do whatever they need to that furthers their agenda. The truth merely gets in their way !

    Report Post » USMCRETIRED2001  
  • Jefferson
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:52pm

    How much does it cost to create a “green job”?
    Reminds me of the “16 dollar corn muffins” from a recent Govt. meeting Judge Napolitano just talked about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KIdq-dM7c4&feature=youtu.be

    Report Post »  
  • commonsenseguy
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:51pm

    just as with anything this administration get’s into, they always seem to inflate the actual numbers while deflating our economy, i guess all that union math and harvard trigonometry is how they add things up with.either way they need to go back and start over,

    Report Post »  
  • the hawk
    Posted on September 22, 2011 at 6:50pm

    Mine is a paycheck that pays the bills and buys food ! and bullets !

    Report Post »  
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