Posted by Tina
How high on your priorities list for California government spending is education? What about hydrogen stations for the handful of cars currently on the road? Unless the plan is to force hydrogen cars on all of California by next year this expenditure is seriously out of whack:
California is spending nearly $15 million to build 10 hydrogen fueling stations, even though just 227 hydrogen-powered vehicles exist in the state today.
It’s a hefty bet on the future, given that government officials have been trying for nine years, with little success, to get automakers to build more hydrogen cars.
The project is part of a sprawling but little-known state program that packs a powerful financial punch: It spent $1.6 billion last year on a myriad of energy-efficiency and alternative-energy projects.
Even as California has scaled back education, law enforcement and assistance to the disabled in this era of financial stress, the energy program has continued unrestrained and is expected to grow significantly in coming years.
I expect silence from a couple of our critics. When Democrats are shown to be callous and unconcerned about the very things they continually pretend to champion, like kids and education or the disabled, they stay mum…the Democrat Party can do no wrong.
A better approach would be balanced and would meet the high priority needs first. Education, the disabled, and law enforcement first and when policy creates more business and therefore more revenue, then these special interest projects can be considered. Kids educations, the needs of the disabled, and the safety of our streets should not be sacrificed on the altar of the green energy lobby and their green freak political allies in government.
After attending a few local school board meetings here in Chico, I’m starting to think that we are better investing our money in hydrogen stations than giving it to school districts so they can contemplate the things on the CUSD wish list. Things like improving the aquatic facilities (I am totally serious, that is on the list) and things like adding classrooms to Chapman when that school is currently half empty. Maybe we could use the money to give teachers raises and better benefits. Ugh
I hear you Princess.
I’m thinking the serious problems in education go even a little further up the bureaucracy. It does make you wonder if the planners consider taking care of the students they have now first. That theater at PV is beautiful but that’s a lot of money when they can’t buy uniforms? How are these decisions made…and how much does politics and progressive want figure in instead of common sense?