Playing Along, to Get Along?

I just can't imagine the good after all, in pretending BPA and Energy Trust of Oregon have an intention other than the destruction of HB2626, in the way Portland's Clean Energy Works is now implemented. Who will pay $900 to play? In the hopeful previous post, I offered that living with programs as-implemented could bring progress. Now I have tested my advice, proceeding to the offending page.


What does a bank have to do with it anyway, hauling away $300? I don't want to help Alan Lebovitz get rich slowly by cutting down big trees on steep slopes. How does he know that a hacked slope is resilient? 


A home performance test is almost always wasted at the outset of a weatherization project. Problems are found and solved by-sight. While I owned a blower door, home owners played along with mild disinterest in a useless show, where I never earned a penny or a point of goodwill. Home performance contractors don't even employ infrared thermography, where exaggerated conditions might reveal truly hidden problems. This further taking of $300 is an awful attempt to further value the wrong-headed investment some contractors have made to be both general contractor, and home inspector,  in  forced establishment of conflicts of interest.


Where I was involved with an Energy Trust pilot program, the testing just confused the home owner, to inaction. When I finally served that home owner and criticized Energy Trust, I was treated by Energy Trust, as incompetent. The improved conditions that relate to home valuation remain untested. I ask for independent judgement of where incompetence comes, in the piling on of tests, for no expected result or good. Isn't the piling on of tests much of the problem in run amuck healthcare, too?


The final $300 is to cover your Energy Advocate and administrative services; both of these assessment fees are generally covered by cash incentives made available through the Energy Trust of Oregon. I don't understand this statement, but see it as class warfare. "If you need a loan we don't want to serve you."  There is never a fee for handling give-away of public purpose funds, in rebates. The fee makes no sense at all.


 How can pilot programs exclude people with oil heat, or wood, or none?

Moving S.1574, Hyperlinked Explanation

I support an email campaign to bring S.1574 out of the US Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The following then, will be edited reference material.


People of Portland's Inner Eastside Legislative House District 42 have an involved and energetic State Representative, Jules Kopel Bailey. He has chosen to begin a political career living in and representing a neighborhood where residents can often choose a car-free lifestyle Portland is proud of. Here, there are streams of fairly-safe bicycle commuters. It is Hummer Hell. With this, you already know Jules politics.


I have noticed Jules because of his sponsorship of an alternative to regressive handout of Oregon's Public Purpose Fund. We have the common 3% "tax" in electric and gas utility bills "that goes for energy conservation, renewable resource, and low income energy programs." Many people are left out in the distribution of this money, notably renters in a drafty home whose owner is not inspired, or simply awakened, to do right. Anyone, regardless of income, can find difficulty in setting aside cash-up-front to pay that good contractor of weatherization, or even to buy materials for competent DIY. The work not happening as a result, is huge. The continuing waste of energy is shameful. Catastrophic? I think so.


The highly experienced and wannabe, qualified workers are not seeing jobs bragged-of with "recovery" funds already in the hundreds of billions. What is wrong? Why does my rebate organization see a downturn in consumer action following a free energy audit? I think Jules knows.


Jules has regular coffee shop meetings with constituents, unlike most of our representatives. I attended one six months ago, and properly stayed out of the busy conversation.


Here in Jules' own words is the inspiration of legislation that surely is more important to Oregon, than our first-state Bottle Bill. The new bill to be proud of as Oregonians, is HB2626, the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (EEAST) Act of 2009. 


Did you listen to the podcast? If you live in Portland, and "can't afford" that weatherization investment that would be repaid in five years, why wouldn't you now apply to be part of the measly-so-far implementation, Portland's Clean Energy Works? If you live somewhere else, will you do your part to move forward corresponding national law? That law is drafted so far as S.1574, Clean Energy for Homes Act of 2009, introduced by my former state representative, and now US Senator, Jeff Merkley.


Oregon needs to act quickly to rescue public investment funds from the sure hazards of Wall Street.All such Oregon Treasury funds should be turned over, as incrementally drawn, to weatherization funding.


All Oregonians, and people everywhere, should do their part to advance up-front weatherization funding, by employing and improving HB2626 programs, and by getting involved with S.1574.


Oregonians should message their senators, asking for return of S.1574 from committee.
Senator Merkley
Senator Wyden


The people of Portland first, and then quickly all of us, should take part in and critique programs as they emerge.

Blogging vs. Professional Conduct

I allow personal needs and emotions to drive blog entries, yet feel serious restraint of professionalism as I speak through my business web page. I think the difference is in seeking of conversation through Comments. If I provoke, I may be poked back, and I want that exchange. I will try to be constructive and kind. Sometimes I will not want an exchange, because comments are indelible except by deleting a blog post. The blog author has rights and obligations in letting a topic stand, and in editing the basic post from comments.

An example of the difference is in a just-entered web site post on respirators for insulation workers. I made a similar entry in this blog more than a year ago. Someone preferred his brand. I made an embarrassing typo in a comment to the comment. And, I was off the air for that year-plus. Respirators seem to be a sensitive issue, and I may want new comments here.