Energy

After electing the President to office young people haven't exactly been the bastions of recipients of bills passed this past year, nor has there been a whole heck of a lot of outreach from the White House. But tonight the President outlined a few things we have reason to be excited about.

First was a little shout out to clean energy and creating jobs for those who are being good stewards of our land.

"We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities, and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it's time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs in the United States of America."

The Energy Bill is coming up in the next few weeks, and this is the end all be all bill for our generation. It will be because of this bill that we curb hazardous waste, stop despicable practices in creating electricity, and forever mandate that our country lead the way in clean technology to save our planet for Millennials and our children. If, at the same time, we create a ton of jobs for Generation Unemployed, then I say bring it on and lets pass this Energy Bill NOW.

Second, is a little help with the cost of college tuition, better schools, better education, and maybe... just maybe some hope for employment.

" The idea here is simple: instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform - reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to inner-cities. In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty programs is a world-class education. In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than their potential.

When we renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we will work with Congress to expand these reforms to all fifty states. Still, in this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job. I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families. To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer-subsidies that go to banks for student loans. Instead, let's take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants. And let's tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only ten percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after twenty years - and forgiven after ten years if they choose a career in public service. Because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college. And it's time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs - because they too have a responsibility to help solve this problem."

Associate Rich Williams from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Higher Education issued a statement on the higher education issues addressed in President Obama’s State of the Union address, saying

"We are thrilled that the President renewed his commitment to a greater investment in higher education, even as he proposed a three-year freeze on many other funding areas.

Time and again, America has seen the college educated strengthen the nation’s social and economic fabric. Investment in education is proven to strengthen the economy. We applaud the President for reaffirming that investment in the education of our young adults is essential to the country’s recovery and long-term strength.”

I will say, however, one of the best comments I saw came from Natasha Chart who said on twitter in response to the "best anti-poverty program was education" that perhaps a better one would be "supporting living wages for high school graduates." I couldn't agree more.

While the President championed higher education from four year to community college level, there must be an increased focus on helping youth who do not go to any institutions of higher learning and instead rely on their public high school education to prepare them with basic skills necessary in today's entry level jobs. Further, lets help these young people who want to work full time but still seek training at trade schools and technology institutes without being overburdened by out of touch FAFSA requirements like parental tax records for youth that are on their own (just to name one).

The comment from the president recognizing the plight of rural youth and their often sub-par education was also notable. So many children in rural areas lack adequate education, because school districts can't compete with good salaries, sexy locations, or other things to entice new teachers. If "the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than their potential" then its time for our government, specifically the Secretary of Education to understand the differences between rural youth and inner city Chicago youth.

Pay-Go made an appearance:

"So I will issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason why we had record surpluses in the 1990s."

This has recently been stalled in the Senate so the President called them out. Here's the thing about pay as you go... when you have distribution of federal dollars that only goes to those with the biggest and best lobbyist or the elected official who has the most power - it rarely makes it down to the little projects.

While the President mentions specifically entitlement programs and the "Fiscal Commission" modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad I can promise you that not a dime of Social Security will be touched. If other entitlement programs like Pell Grants and the GI Bill have to be slashed completely on the "pay-go" model they will be to accommodate for things like Social Security and Medicare... simply because young people don't have the lobbying power to ensure otherwise. Pardon my cynicism, but its true, the lobbying force of seniors is just too strong.

In a response in the Federal Times Gregg Carlstorm says of the spending freeze

"Experts say the spending freeze is unlikely to have a significant impact on resources at most agencies. But John Palguta, vice president for policy at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, said it could lead to some cuts in staffing and training.

"There's a psychological impact," he said. "As soon as you tell federal agencies their budgets are frozen, they go into worst-case planning mode. They stop paying for training. They say, ‘Let's see how many jobs we can get away with not filling.' ''

Palguta said federal managers should also be concerned about one big unknown: pay increases. Agencies with frozen budgets might still have to accommodate federal pay raises over the next three years — which means they'll have to find cuts in other areas."

If the purpose is to create jobs in the upcoming year, cutting federal jobs with agency funding freezes and forcing people into the private sector might not be the best strategy. That said, I'm not an economist, so what do I know. I personally believe in curbing spending, considerably, but I think there are better places to do that while preserving people's existing jobs.

Perhaps we could sell that Bridge to Nowhere up in Alaska, or export some of our Reality TV, maybe the President could call on Conan to start a new national TV channel and the advertising dollars go to pay for agency budgets, heck reducing the number of troops in Iraq alone could seriously curb spending...

Another thing that our generation should be happy about is a renewed sense of inclusion from Washington that finally ... FINALLY ... we value all people equally ... or, at least, we're going to try to, or... maybe just ask people to try to.

"We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; that if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else. . .

This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. We are going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws - so that women get equal pay for an equal day's work."

One key way that we can help create more jobs in this country - or preserve the living wage - is by guaranteeing that all Americans that want to can serve in the US Military and that all women will earn equal pay for equal work. Both of these issues are ones that Millennials support overwhelmingly and it is high time that we set an example of civil rights to the rest of the world.

So, on the whole, a little good, a little iffy, nothing too shocking from the cheap seats. I want to be hopeful, I want to remain steadfast in my excitment for policies that impact our generation, but I'm also still crushed that I don't have a public option for my health care, so take with that what you will

State of the Union for Youth - By the words:
Youth (0)
Young (2)
Students (5)
Generation (3)
Children (or child) (5)

Bumped. --Mike

Ever wondered why young people, despite being the “Future Majority”, aren’t really asked to help imagine and build the future they’ll inherit? I’ve thought about it a lot and it’s unacceptable. That’s why I started Young People First last December. YPF is all about building systems and tools that help young people become a more future-oriented, powerful constituency. We want to push the debate out past the next election, toward what kind of world we’ll inhabit when we’re our parents’ age.

To this end, YPF is building the Future Preparedness Index. The FPI measures how well America is moving toward the type of country we need to be in 25 years. A number of great organizations, like Mobilize.org, Black Youth Vote, Roosevelt Institution, and Student Association for Voter Empowerment (a full list of partners is below), are already helping us build this tool.

Now we need your help. Let us know what issues you think are most important from a Future Preparedness perspective. Your input is important for helping us build the Future Preparedness Index into something that will help our politics address our country’s most difficult problems. Here’s the questionnaire: http://www.youngpeoplefirst.org.

Future Preparedness Index partners: Mobilize.org, Roosevelt Institution, Student Association for Voter Empowerment, Black Youth Vote, CIRCLE, Generation Engage, Concord Coalition, Youth Entitlements Summit, National Conference on Citizenship, HeadCount, Truman National Security Project, and Sierra Club.

President Barack Obama delivered a speech yesterday citing depressing numbers about employment in the US but promising hope through innovation, green technologies, and assuring Americans that each was upon the horizon.

"The job figures released this morning show that we lost 467,000 jobs last month. And while the average loss of about 4,000 jobs (sic) per month this quarter is less devastating than the 700,000 per month that we lost in the previous quarter, and while there are continuing signs that the recession is slowing, obviously this is little comfort to all those Americans who have lost their jobs. . .

"I'm absolutely confident that we can, at this period of difficulty, prove, once again, what this nation can achieve, when challenged. And I'm confident that we're not only going to recover from this recession in the short term, but we're going to prosper in the long term."

Obama spoke about the importance of the Energy Bill passed in the house, saying it was a major step forward for progress. I would argue it was a limp and sluggish step forward because each step was made difficult by those being dragged along behind them. But indeed... forward.

He also spoke of the need for CEOs, small businesses, and companies to opt for innovation that develops not merely our economy but our work force while launching our country into the 21st century. If there is one thing the US has not been keen on the past few years its innovation, and Obama's urgency to develop technologies and cutting edge businesses is a noble task we should all shoulder.

"You know, so much of the debate around health care, so much of the debate around energy has been based on this idea that somehow if we stand still and we don't do anything that we're going to be better off. And that's just not how this world works. It's certainly not how the modern economy works.

We know we're going to have to change how we use energy. We know we're going to have to change how we operate our health care system. We know that we're going to have to change how we train our young people to compete in this new global economy.

And so to make the argument that somehow we should just lock in on the status quo or perpetuate the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place and that's somehow going to solve our problems just doesn't make any sense.

And what these folks are all about is the future."

I'm excited the President understands that training is an important part of what our generation will require, but I think beyond skill training young people can be on the front lines of the very innovation the President is calling for. Like Google, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and more developing each day - young people are creating the super companies of the future that are not merely youth created but youth run by their youth employees. The old companies who continue to ignore the call for modernization are seemingly the companies faltering in innovation.

These topics and more are the major reason we are working to create a wonderful conference in the next few weeks with 80 Million Strong. Youth have a key role to play in our country's progress and the future the President speaks of. New speakers are signing on each day to attend and as a co-sponsor, FM will bring you all the details of the event.

What is it with Thomas Friedman and his insults? First, he wrote that Millennials were too quiet, too wrapped up in the internet to care about the country's direction. He then came back last December and tried to argue again that because we're not chaining ourselves to bulldozers, we're not doing anything and thus don't care about the trajectory of the country.

Yesterday, Friedman again assailed millennials, equating Facebook and other social network sites with laziness and apathy. The offending passage is in the last paragraph:

And then there is We the People. Attention all young Americans: your climate future is being decided right now in the cloakrooms of the Capitol, where the coal lobby holds huge sway. You want to make a difference? Then get out of Facebook and into somebody’s face. Get a million people on the Washington Mall calling for a price on carbon. That will get the Senate’s attention. Play hardball or don’t play at all.

Emphasis added.

The Energy Action Coalition pieced together a response it blasted to its e-mail list. I've provided it below:

As a young person, you care about global warming. You know that a clean energy economy will create millions of jobs and pathways out of poverty, reduce pollution, and save the planet. And you are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Right?

Well, Thomas L. Friedman, the popular New York Times columnist, isn't convinced. In fact, Friedman concludes his latest column* by calling us out! He writes:

"Attention all young Americans: your climate future is being decided right now in the cloakrooms of the Capitol, where the coal lobby holds huge sway…. Play hardball or don't play at all."

Does Friedman have a point? Do we need to be bigger and louder?

I think the answer is yes.

Don't get me wrong -- I know that thousands of young people across this country are working tirelessly to usher in a clean and just energy future for us all. But if we want to truly achieve our goals, we need our elected officials to know that we are watching closely as they debate the climate policy that will shape the rest of our lives.

Take the first step. Let President Obama and your Senators know that you demand bold, just, and science-based climate solutions, and ask your friends and family to do the same.

Let's send a strong message to our President and Senators that we're here, we're watching, and we're ready for action. And let's ask our friends and families to do the same. It's going to take big numbers to fight back against the thousands of letters and calls generated by the dirty energy industry (not to mention their well-paid lobbyists).

Send a message to the President and your Senators, and forward this email to everyone you know.

But we know that sending email isn't enough. In order to drown out the voice of the dirty energy industry, we're going to need to mobilize in unprecedented numbers. Tom Friedman isn't kidding when he suggests we should have a million people marching in the streets.

Ready to take a bigger step? Sign up to be a leader in your community, and to help get millions of feet in the streets for climate solutions.

We've gone big before, but now we need to go bigger. And the only way we will get there is if people like you do more. Ready to take a bigger step? Sign up today to get active in your community, to get in the faces of our elected officials, and to recruit the huge movement it will take to win.

In it to win it,

Whit Jones
Acting Field Director
Energy Action Coalition

While the e-mail was inspirational enough, the problem with Friedman's column is that he once again lacks the understanding that change can be accomplished through a variety of means. Friedman (and there are many more who think just like him) discounts activism through institutions as nothing. In doing so, he insults those youth already busting their ass for this legislation and movement. For instance did Friedman say anything when Powershift '09 brought 11,000 youth activists to DC urging the government to act? Who was quiet then?

Granted, Whit's right -- we all can be a little louder on the issue, but it doesn't have to be limited to getting in the streets. We can continue our own brand of activism by using our technological proficiency and collaborative skills to push for the bill's passage. Yes, the bill's important (even if it has been watered down); but the 1960s are over. Youth have a plethora of tools at their disposal to create the change they wish to see. Unfortunately, Friedman either doesn't understand that, or doesn't want to.

• The Politics Of Social Networks And Keeping The Youth Vote Plugged In.
• In the UK, Gordon Brown pledges £1bn on jobs for young.
• Neda, Obama and the Power of Pictures.
• Thomas Friedman (again) smacks down youth climate organizers with baseless claims.
• Aspiring Lawyer Finds Debt is Bigger Hurdle Than Bar Exam: Check out the craziest student debt story you will EVER read.

Saturday night reading... check it out:

• Mother Jones and Campus Progress are looking for "campus hellraisers" to profile in the September-October 2009 issue of Mother Jones. Check it out (self-nominations are allowed).
• A "No on Gay Marriage" campaign is an epic fail with young people.
• Christian punk and heavy metal music is blurring the lines between young evangelicals and secularists.
• MTV has announced that TRL, having been canceled last November, will be replaced by the Alexa Chung Show. The new show reportedly will heavily emphasize Twitter through courting online reaction to its music videos and celebrity guests.
• Some good news and some bad news from a survey regarding youth (ages 13-29) attitudes toward the Green Movement:

  Good: Youth see the Green Movement as "responsible" and "cool," and they believe it to be a very worthy cause.
  
  Bad: Many youth believe the Green Movement to be too demanding on a personal level, too time-consuming and too inconvenient.

• Tens of thousands of young Americans will be educated and trained to deal with America's energy problem, thanks to President Obama.
• An article in BusinessWeek calls for more business schools to rein in Millennial entrepreneurs by focusing increasingly on problem-solving.
• Terry McAuliffe is seriously hemorrhaging some youth voters in Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

• The recession is hitting young adults the hardest with disappearing jobs, shrinking wages, vanishing benefits, massive credit card debt...need I say more?
• The National Journal profiles Joe Rospars, Obama's young new media director.
• Check out how to track social media anayltics.
• Young advocates call for a framing shift on Waxman Bill.
• Check out OpenLeft's coverage of revamping voter registration to reduce disparities in the electorate.

• Check out this interesting blog post on Whitehouse.gov about Obama's talk to students in Turkey.
• Young Moldovan students use Twitter to organize government protests.
• High school students work to put school board meetings online using Mobilize.org grant.
• Twitter traffic has exploded, but among older - NOT younger - users.
• Mike Lux on why "A New Way Forward" is important.
• 22 year old Justin Nickels is elected mayor in Manitowoc, Wisconsin by a very slim margin.
• Democratic Strategist explores the question: "Do demonstrations and protests need a narrower focus?" Interesting question considering the upcoming New Way Forward protests.
• WireTap/The Nation profile young climate activist May Boeve. Give it a read!

• Looking for an internship? Creative Commons is looking for an intern to work this summer
• Tamara Draut of Demos talks about youth and the economy in the NY Times.
• Find out how to turn your blog into a book
• Ta-Nehisi has a great take on the real meaning behind the 14 year old "wunderkind" at CPAC.
• How Huffington Posts's "Off the Bus" pro-am feature worked (and didn't) in reporting the campaign trail.
• 'Social Media is Here to Stay... Now What?': A great summary by Danah Boyd of her research on the growth and implications of social networks and social media. mandatory reading.
• NYT hires a Millennial (conservative) as their new columnist. Great day for youth voices in the media.
• Open Left and Daily Kos want to fund your grassroots project through a fellowship program.
• Power Shift outlines it's next steps coming out of it's 12,000 person conference and lobbying day on It's Getting Hot in Here.
• Metro Times reports on uninsured young people. It's a great article about the youth health care problem that focuses on the prohibitive costs of insurance.
• A youth movement has swept Indian politics as Prime Minister candidates target young people.
• Related Reading reports on the political involvement and reading lists of young people. Mike Connery has a nice quote in there. Very interesting read!

• UWIRE is hiring paid progressive and conservative opinion journalists. A great potential job for students who want to write about politics!
• Tech President looks at how Facebook plans on handling privacy concerns and incorporate user feedback into company decisions.
• Wall Stree Journal tries to teach the masses how to twitter.
• Twitter is going corporate as firms take to the 'Tweetable Business Model'.
• Jesse Jenkins wants you to look behind the numbers (and irony) found in most reporting of PowerShift '09.
• Check out another Twitter guide that explains more popular and politically relevant hash (#) tags.
• Kevin Bondelli blogs on the newly-strengthened Arizona Democratic Party and its disregard of young voices.
• Be sure to check out an awesome mini-report on Millennials. It's fascinating not only for content but for the way they embedded graphics and multimedia content into the report.
• Speaker Pelosi thanks Power Shift '09 Conference participants.