Archive for April, 2011:
Weekly Address: Gas Prices & Energy Security
Speaking from a UPS customer center, President Obama announces a new public-private program, the Green Fleet Partnership, and discusses his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Buy Cialis Future that will help create jobs and provide America greater energy stability.
Green Fleet Initiative
The President today laid out a number of measures to help America shift to a clean energy economy, reducing our dependence on oil, protecting our planet, and spurring economic growth through cleaner and more efficient, cars, and trucks.
[O]ne of the best ways to reduce our dependence on oil is by making our cars and trucks more energy efficient, because transportation accounts for more than 70 percent of America’s oil consumption. And by the way, using energy efficient cars and trucks also makes economic sense, because transportation is one of the biggest costs for many businesses and families. So, energy-efficient cars and trucks won’t just cut our dependence on oil; they’ll save us money.
If we’re serious about making the transition from gas-guzzlers to hybrids, we need to show automakers that Order Generic Cialis Online without Prescription there’s a real market for these vehicles. We need to show them that if they manufacture fuel efficient cars and trucks, people will actually buy them. In other words, we need to put our money where our mouth is.
I’m proud to say this is one place where the government is leading by example. Right now, the government’s fleet includes more than 600,000 vehicles, making it the single largest fleet in America. That means we have considerable purchasing power, and we’re using it to boost clean energy technologies. Already, we’ve doubled the number of federal cars and trucks that are hybrids, and I’m directing our departments and agencies to make sure 100 percent of the vehicles they buy are fuel-efficient or clean energy cars and trucks by 2015. Not 50 percent, not 75 percent, but 100 percent of our vehicles.
Alongside efforts by the federal government, the President set out measures to help the private sector shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles:
That’s why we’re launching a National Clean Fleets Partnership. If you’re a business that needs to transport goods, I’m challenging you to replace your old fleet with a clean energy fleet that’s not only good for your bottom line, but good for our economy, good for our country, and good for our planet. And if you accept this challenge and join our Clean Fleets Partnership, we’ll make a number of tools available—from technical assistance to cutting-edge research and development—that will help you make the transition to a clean energy fleet.
It’s not just about fleets of vehicles there are measures for all cars and trucks on America’s roads. Last year, a national fuel-efficiency standard for cars and trucks was introduced, meaning that new cars will get better gas mileage and this year the first-ever fuel standards for heavy-duty trucks will be announced.
Earlier this week President Obama set a goal for reducing the amount of oil America imports by a third, the measures set out today will help achieve that goal.
“I will not be satisfied until every American who wants a good job can find one”
Figures released by the U.S. Labor Department, this morning, show that unemployment has fallen to 8.8%. Speaking earlier today, President Obama said:
Nearly two years after one of the worst recessions we’ve ever seen, our economy is showing signs of real strength. Today we learned that we added 230,000 private sector jobs Buy Accutane last month. That makes 1.8 million private sector jobs created in the last thirteen months. And the unemployment rate has now fallen a full point in the last four months. The last time that happened was the recovery of 1984.
Now, despite this good news, we still have plenty of work to do. There are still millions of Americans looking for a job that pays the bills. I know there’s a lot going on in the world, and the news is filled with images of the Middle East and Japan, but you should know that keeping the economy growing and making sure jobs are available is the first thing I think about when I wake up every morning. It’s the last thing I think about when I go to bed each night. And I will not be satisfied until every American who wants a good job can find one; until every family gets a shot at the American Dream. That’s our North Star. That’s what we’re fighting for.
The March Employment Situation: 216,000 Jobs Gained
Today, the U.S. Labor Department announced that our economy added 216,000 jobs in March, marking 13 consecutive months of growth and totaling more than 1.8 million jobs created over that same period. The unemployment rate also fell to 8.8 percent, which is a full percentage point drop during the past four months and the steepest decline since 1984 over that same period.
Additionally, the Labor Department revised upward the number of jobs created during the previous two months, estimating that the private sector grew by 94,000 in January (from 68,000) and by 240,000 in February (from 222,000).
This news represents a positive trend that America’s economy is growing and creating jobs, but far too many people are still out of work and the pace of the recovery remains too slow. The Buy cheap online Provigil policies enacted by President Obama over the past two years have created steady economic growth, a drastic change from the economy he inherited, which was shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs per month.
The President will continue supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, collaborating with job creators to eliminate barriers to hiring, and fighting for families struggling to make ends meet.
Watch: President Obama Delivers Speech on Energy Policy—Today at 12:20 p.m. ET
Speaking this afternoon, the President will highlight the National Clean Fleets Partnership—you can watch the speech live online here.
The National Clean Fleets Partnership is a public-private partnership that will help large companies reduce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets, by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures into their operations. Earlier this week, the President set a goal of reducing the amount of oil America imports by one-third.
You can watch today’s remarks live online at Cheap Accutane 12:20 p.m. ET.
“Making an Impact”: OFA Summer Organizer Program
For Becca Siegel, being an OFA summer organizer was so rewarding that she took part in the program two years in a row. This summer, OFA is recruiting hard working and Buy cheap Accutane Online dedicated folks like Becca to be summer organizers. You can find out more about the program here.
Q. Why did you apply to be a summer organizer?
A. As a student, deciding how to spend your summer is always a balancing act between what you want to do and what opportunity will be the best resume builder. For the past two summers I’ve found an experience that allowed me to strike that balance—as a summer organizer in Colorado.
Q. What did you do each summer?
A. I built neighborhood teams, organized volunteers, and planned events centered around issues like health reform, and in support of Democratic candidates during the 2010 midterm elections. Each day brought new opportunities and challenges: a meeting with a local activist followed by voter registration at an outdoor concert; a conference call to share best practices with other organizers from around the country followed by volunteering at a community health clinic; a morning canvass in support of a senatorial candidate followed by a rally or an organizational meeting.
Q. What did you learn?
A. During the school year, I am a student at Stanford University. My experience as a summer organizer has served me incredibly well as both a student and a public servant. I helped coordinate voter registration on my own college campus and in surrounding areas, organized workshops for young leaders, and arranged policy events.
My experiences personally empowered me in ways I never could have imagined. I learned how to interact with people of all different backgrounds, I am more focused on individual tasks yet have a better sense of the big picture, and I know how to work as a team player. Most importantly, I now understand that with a lot of hard work, patience, creativity and passion, even the biggest tasks that once seemed impossible to overcome can be accomplished.
Q. Would you recommend the Summer Organizer Program to folks thinking of applying?
A. Absolutely. While most of my friends were sweating away their summers as interns in faceless office buildings, dreading each day that they had to make coffee and file papers, I was out on the field making real connections within communities. I was working with the most talented organizers I know, and making changes that I actually cared about.
As a summer organizer with Organizing for America I had the unique opportunity to develop skills for the future while making a truly meaningful impact on my community and my country. The work was often challenging, but the results were incredibly rewarding.
To have the chance to spend your summer working with folks like Becca and making a difference in your community, apply to take part in OFA's Summer Organizer Program here.