Efficiency First

What’s Being Said About Home Star
“Adapting houses to use less energy may be the best hope for the 3.3 million small businesses and solo contractors who dominate America’s construction industry, a sector that has lost 2.1 million jobs since the peak of the housing bubble. The unemployment rate in the construction industry was 24.9% in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with 9.7% overall. The cash for caulkers plan, formally known as the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.R.5019:>, is expected to create 168,000 jobs, according to sponsor Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), citing a McKinsey study.”

-          May 5, 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek, “Small Contractors Await ‘Cash for Caulkers.”

“Many Americans look with frustration at the acrimonious disputes in Congress between Democrats and Republicans, asking themselves: Can these people agree on anything?

Substantive policy disagreements are at the heart of many of these disputes, and we do not minimize them. But when the opportunity for bipartisan cooperation presents itself, members of Congress would do well by their constituents to take advantage.”

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“Support for jobs, homes and energy efficiency naturally crosses party lines. If Home Star can bring a few moments of bipartisan peace along with its immense economic benefits, then all the better.”

-          May 5, 2010, The Hill, By Spence Abraham and John Engler, “Home Star builds bipartisanship, energy savings.”  Abraham is the former Secretary of Energy and a former U.S. Senator from Michigan. Engler is President of the National Association of Manufacturers and the former governor of Michigan.

“My organization works around the world to promote energy efficiency and, in recent years, we have seen foreign businesses pick up speed as their countries have taken the lead in developing clean energy manufacturing and in promoting smart energy use. Home Star will bring efficiency jobs and manufacturing back to our shores and drive innovation and development in energy efficiency for years to come.”

“I urge you to set aside partisan politics and vote for this important short and long-term economic recovery and jobs legislation.”

-          May 5th, 2010, Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy, Letter to Members of House of Representatives

“HOME STAR is an essential step to help Americans save on their energy bills while spurring the creation of good jobs and new industries that drive economic recovery and help our country achieve energy independence,”
-    Kevin Pranis, Director of Home Performance of Change to Win.

“We write to you as people of faith, on behalf of the communities, members, and volunteers we represent. Our traditions teach us that we each have a responsibility to the well-being of our society and to every person in our society. During these tough economic times, too many Americans are only one job or foreclosure away from poverty. The proposed Home Star program would strengthen the American economy by creating green jobs, saving working families money, and reducing our impact on the environment.”