New plan called 'ambitious,' 'hodgepodge'
By Kelly House (Last updated: 08/04/08 11:42pm)By 7 a.m. Monday, a crowd of about a hundred people had formed outside the Lansing Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, to hear Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama speak.
The event wasn’t scheduled to start until 11 a.m., but DeWitt resident Mary Allen said it was worth the wait.
“The first time I heard him speak at the national democratic convention, I was wowed,” she said. “He’s my candidate.”
Obama chose his first visit to the Lansing area to unveil his national energy plan, New Energy for America, which he says will revitalize manufacturing states like Michigan.
More than a thousand people listened while Obama highlighted the plan, which calls for drastic changes to U.S. energy policy, including producing 10 percent of the country’s energy from renewable sources by 2012.
Michigan’s weakened auto industry was at the forefront of Obama’s plan. Obama said the industry needs to make changes to compete with foreign automakers, and the government should help.
“We’re not going to ask (automakers) to beg and plead to get the attention of the White House,” he said.
Obama proposed a $4 billion economic aid package to help auto manufacturers re-equip factories to produce hybrid vehicles. By 2015, he hopes to have a million U.S.-made hybrid vehicles on the nation’s roads.
Obama said the plan would create 5 million new jobs, many of them in Michigan.
“All of us will need to buy more fuel-efficient cars built by this state of Michigan,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to bring … jobs that pay well, jobs that can’t be outsourced, good union jobs, which is what we need here in Michigan.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the plan’s proposed revitalization of the state’s economy could keep graduates from leaving the state to look for jobs unavailable in Michigan.
“It’s about students being able to stay here and be a part in developing this new energy economy,” she said.
The plan would include a cap-and-trade system to make companies pay for each ton of greenhouse gases they emit. The money they pay would be used to invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to build clean energy infrastructures.
Obama said universities like MSU would be the leaders in researching and developing the renewable energy technology.
“To meet these goals, we will invest more in our research and development and support the (projects) of researchers in universities all across America and right here at MSU,” he said.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Obama’s plan is in line with recent state initiatives to foster green businesses.
“Everything we are doing to transform Michigan is what Senator Obama was talking about,” she said.
During a conference call following Obama’s visit, Republican party representatives criticized the plan, saying it would ultimately lead to extra costs for the middle class.
“It is a tax and punish approach to try to get us to a better place in America,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton.
McCain spokeswoman Nancy Pfotenhauer called the plan hodgepodge and accused Obama of copying ideas McCain highlighted in his Lexington Project energy plan, which he unveiled in late June.
But for Lansing resident Taryn Owens, the day was as much about witnessing a historic moment as it was about hearing the issues.
“I wanted my children to see history,” she said. “I’m not sure how I’m going to vote and I’m waiting on him to say something that will make me feel good about voting for him.”
Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, who initially endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton, said he thought Obama’s plan is ambitious but necessary to turn Michigan’s economy around.
“We have the plants that were formerly used for manufacturing purposes that can be converted very inexpensively to produce things like wind turbines,” he said.
“There will be very good economic benefits to the state.”
Originally Published: 08/04/08 11:14pm
HA
08/05/08 7:05amBlah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…
SoCal Spartan
08/05/08 9:25amWell, the person proceeding this obviously is a Republican and believes in dissing. My woes go to you, due to the fact you can make such comments and it’s George Bush and the Republican Congress which broke America’s back in EVERY way!
Cut military budget a bit and that would pay for Obama’s Plan of Action with Energy, no tax change needed. So Go Obama! I believe there is hope and change on the horizon!
Rise above the fear induced propaganda of the Republican’s and listen to our leader!
HA
08/05/08 10:24am“Well, the person proceeding this obviously is a Republican and believes in dissing. My woes go to you, due to the fact you can make such comments and it’s George Bush and the Republican Congress which broke America’s back in EVERY way!”
Not a Republican; guess again…
Townsend
08/05/08 10:41amI’m with you, SoCal Spartan. There is a disturbing number of ditto-head/air head Republican and or right-wing wingnuts on the SN board. Nice to hear a more progressive POV here for a change.
SoCal Spartan
08/05/08 10:41amWell not a Republican whatever. No need to post such comments on a little blog. Out of curiosity alone, does that make you a Clintonite Libertarian, Green Party? What blah blah blah do you prescribe/subscribe to?
Peter
08/05/08 10:54amI subscribe to Playboy.
SoCal Spartan
08/05/08 11:11amI subscribe to Macworld, Maxim, Harvard Business Review, and Money. Wife won’t allow for me to subscribe to Playboy :(
rg
08/05/08 11:29am“Ambitious, hodgepodge”?
You took your headline from predictable, back-of-the-story comments made by 2 politicians? That’s the best you can do?
If one had called it “stupid” and the other had called it an “idea,” would you then combine those comments into a headline and think that you had done a good job as a journalist?
You didn’t think that something like “Obama reveals national energy plan in Lansing” would have made a more honest and accurate headline?
sparty10
08/05/08 2:53pmObama’s plan is all blah. He provides no real solutions to any of the problems that we are facing today. Anyone who has been to the gas station knows that it is taking a huge monetary toll on basically everyone. Just throwing tons of money into R&D is not going to solve this problem. All of us would like to break our addiction to oil, mostly to stop sending so much of our money to the Middle East. But him saying that we will no longer need foreign oil in ten years, without drilling more here at home, is crazy. He is out of touch with what real citizens and business is dealing with. Oil is not the enemy!
rb
08/05/08 3:00pm“it’s George Bush and the Republican Congress which broke America’s back in EVERY way!”
So when Nancy Pelosi shuts down congress early (our tax dollars hard at work) and won’t even debate offshore drilling or begin a bipartisan energy plan before recess how is this George Bush’s fault? Obviously she does not care what is in the best interest of this country. There is no way that offshore drilling is the big picture answer, but SOMETHING needs to be done, and now is the time to act. If congress keeps up their partisan bullshit 8-10 years from now we will really be in trouble.
SoCal Spartan
08/05/08 3:23pmRB,
All we need is a change. When I spoke of Bush I speak of war, tax cuts for the wealthy which exceeded those to the other classes, increase in size of government, letting 9/11 go down, seeing the mortgage crap go down, etc. The Republican congress was as evil as Bush. The Democrats are frozen and have things they stand by, which is understandable to say the least. The Republican’s are to blame, in my eyes.
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Stephen
08/05/08 4:33pmPresidents are thought of as kings nowadays, need to have all power to solve all problems. I would never expect a single politicians/lawyer to solve an energy crisis, chemists,engineers, and generally smarter people need to. Let the markets run their course.
SoCal Spartan
08/05/08 5:29pmStephen, I agree whole heartedly. We have developed into royalty of the days gone by, it’s sad. When the power is gotten, it’s never released. These people get so out of touch that they don’t genuinley care. This is a reason why I like Barack, he’s still new and wet behind the ears!
spary10
08/05/08 5:41pmSoCal,
...First, the tax cuts Bush put in saved this country from a serious long term economic slowdown. Second, the lower and middle class had a larger percentage decrease in tax rate than the upper class. The top 1% in this country pay 65% of the income taxes so just because the actual value is larger for upper class doesn’t translate to a tax cut only for the wealthy. Also, to say Bush, “let 9/11 go down” is absolutely crazy.
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SoCal Spartan
08/06/08 10:14amspary10,
...The tax cuts were a temporary fix to a long term problem. Typically speaking it’s a bad idea to provide a tax cut AND go to war at the same time. With which you spread tons of lies and fool the American people into believing your bs. That is unless you’re a doubter. So is it better to temporarily fix the economy and help increase national debt to the highest points it will ever achieve.
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sparty10
08/06/08 11:14amSoCal,
...The one issue that I have had with Bush is that he hasn’t cut spending like he needed to. I’m far from “blindly faithful”. I can think for myself. But with that being said, I’m positive I don’t need an economics lesson and guarantee I’ve had more economics classes than you have. I know this because you say we’re in a recession, which proves you really don’t even know what a recession is and are just repeating bs you hear from the left wing.
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SoCal Spartan
08/06/08 9:47pmI lose control with the issues, no we’re not in a recession…but we’re getting there. At least the weakening of the dollar combined with the high oil prices make produces in America more possible, and efficient with costs.
George Bush is an evil man or simply a puppet for people on similar terms to Hitler. There’s such a spirit of hate for Muslim’s around the world, and the 9/11 is a perfect catalyst for that.
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Laziness
08/13/08 6:43pmIt’s easy to sit in your chair and discredit every thing without the slightest of thought. That is essentially the main plan and action of this cancer we call the Neo-Cons. “It’s all hodgebodge, hopeful naivety.” As opposed to mindless action or more like – inaction. All politicians do is give you hope and promises, McCain doesn’t do it any less, the only difference is.
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