Government Shutdown-Courtesy Roy Blunt-MO Sen

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 12:31 PM, Roy Blunt <roy_blunt@blunt.senate.gov> wrote:

Dear Friend,

 

As you've probably seen on television or read in your local paper, Washington is facing a potential government shutdown this week. What's at stake is funding our government for the short-term while making much-needed cuts to our budget. But what is lost in the news coverage is what the American people really care about: drastically reducing the size of government, reducing spending over the long-term, balancing the budget, and ensuring that America remains a prosperous nation.

 

I believe that a government shutdown is not the answer. But we have a responsibility to ensure Washington is living within its means, just like every family and job creator in Missouri and across America. On Monday night, House Republicans posted a bill that would keep the government open for a week after Friday's deadline, while cutting $12 billion over the seven days. Yet Senate Democrats and President Obama failed to reach an agreement, raising the risk for our federal government to close at the end of this week.

 

Make no mistake - we're in this predicament because Senate Democrats abdicated their duties and failed to pass a budget last year. The Senate Democrats' unwillingness to come to the table to make real budget cuts is not a responsible solution, and wesimply cannot continue spending money that we don't have.

 

This is a critical debate, which is why I wanted to give you a quick update today. I hope you'll join me on Twitter or Facebook to stay connected and share your thoughts online.  

 

Sincere regards,

Here is my reply to the email I received from Mr Roy Blunt, Missouri Senator for the St Louis Area.

Dear Mr Blunt,

It would seem to me that the fastest way out of the current Economic situation that the Politicians in Washington have caused would be to Create Jobs and remove the Tax Advantages that the top percentile are not being required to pay- Remove the Government Sponsored Welfare. 

With more people paying taxes from their wages it will ad to the Governments Coffers / Piggy Banks.

I encourage you and your fellow Republicans to Drop the we can't deal with the Tea Party or Democrats and get these problems solved.  There has to be a middle ground that each Party will support.

If all else fails: I say to cut the Politicians Pay Roll.  How can you and your Partners in Crime justify your high salaries on the Backs of Joe Constituents?  When our Salaries remain low from the Actions and In-Actions caused by the Regulations in Place.

Respectfully Submitted,

Scotty

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

Sustainably Designed Apartments

Green Over Granite?

Young apartment dwellers want sustainability but won’t pay extra for it, developers say.

By:Jennifer Caterino

 

Multifamily developers say Echo Boomers are focused on carbon footprint, but hesitant to pay more for green apartments.

While granite countertops, flat-screen televisions, and stainless steel appliances will make their way into many market-rate multifamily residential projects, the level of finishes will vary from developer to developer.

“It’s more important to be urban and cool than high-end and grand,” says Manny Gonzalez, AIA, a principal of KTGY Group based in the firm’s Santa Monica, Calif., office. “For example, instead of a sliding shower door, you can do a rounded bar with a curtain and create a W Hotel kind of feel.”

Sustainability looks to be the wild card when it comes to the Echo Boomers’ apartment wish list. “This generation is more focused on the impact of its carbon footprint,” according to Michael D. Binette, AIA, vice president and principal in charge of construction for the Architectural Team in Chelsea, Mass. “They won’t pay more for it, but if they have the choice of two buildings with the same rent, they’ll pick the more sustainable one.”

KTGY principal Rohit Anand, AIA, in the Tysons Corner, Va., office, and Gonzalez agree that Echo Boomers are hesitant to pay substantial rent increases for a green apartment, but sustainability efforts have garnered different levels of success in different markets.
In Phoenix, for example, where spaces for social interaction are a key tenant amenity, Jack Hannum, vice president in Transwestern’s Phoenix Investment Services Group, doesn’t currently see a building’s carbon footprint playing a primary role in attracting tenants.

But Deven Morganstern, a marketing agent for Cyan/PDX in downtown Portland, Ore., says sustainability has been a draw for the LEED Gold–certified Cyan/PDX. Even with rents that exceed downtown Portland’s average, he reports that 65% to 75% of residents are renewing leases compared with the industry average of 35%.

In addition to a green roof and various energy-saving measures, the building offers residents access to bikes and is sited near transit.

This is part of a story that was first published in Architect, a sister publication of EcoHome.

Kansas City weatherization efforts exceed goals

cross posted from:

Submitted by Stephen Graff on July 23, 2010 - 11:43am

• City poised to receive additional Recovery Act funds to weatherize low-income homes
• First round of federal funds increased contractor pool by more than 50 percent
• Kansas City has weatherized over 450 homes with Recovery Act funds

Kansas City has weatherized more than 450 homes by the month of June, exceeding its target of 390.

Kansas City's rainy summer is good news for lawns but not so good news for homes in need of weatherization, since wet conditions slow down work.
But Bob Jackson isn't worried.
"We've had a significantly wet season… but we're two and half months ahead," says the manager of the city's Property Preservation Division, which oversees weatherization efforts for Kansas City and some satellite towns.
Even so, Jackson far exceeded the target number of income-eligible homes to weatherize, as set forth by the Missouri's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program. Missouri awarded the city's Housing and Community Development Department $9.5 million to help weatherize low-income homes, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"We needed to do around 390 homes by a certain date in June," says Jackson, who has been working for the division for the last 30 years. "We ended up [doing] more than 100 homes over that."
Since the Property Preservation Division exceeded its goals, they submitted a request for another $3.5 million in weatherization assistance funds to the DNR.
The minimum benchmark established by the DNR to be eligible for additional funding is to be five homes ahead of projected schedule and to have spent a minimum of 95 percent of the projected funding by June 30.
Since receiving the first round of money, Jackson's division has overseen the weatherization of almost 500 low-income homes.
A bigger workforce
While the number of homes weatherized has increased, the number of jobs has also. Recovery Act funds have allowed the division to increase its contractor pool from 15 to 35 companies, some of which are minority owned, Jackson says.
"We now have the resources to take that small contractor, train them, get them credentialed, and help them sustain their business," Jackson says. "This will help the city save energy and deal with the economic problems."
The Property Preservation Division helps improves the energy efficiency in homes of people living in Kansas City and parts of Clay, Platt and Jackson counties. The division performs the energy audits and post-work assessments, but hires and oversees the contractors using city, state, federal and private money.
The department also hired eight new people, four of which are permanent positions.
Whole house strategy
Property Preservation is spending an average of $5,000 to $6,000 on home energy improvements. The contractor teams are replacing inefficient water heaters and air conditioners, as well as installing compact fluorescent bulbs and more wall insulation.
"The stimulus funds doubled on what we could spend on a home," Jackson says. "Therefore, you are able to have a whole-house strategy. You don't have to stop insulating walls because you ran out of money. You are able to put a new refrigerator or new high efficiency furnace that you couldn't be put in before."
According to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, weatherization saves families an average of $437 in heating and cooling costs every year at current prices, with additional energy and cost savings from lighting and appliance upgrades.
"They tell me they have more disposal money," Jackson says. "And I have people that are saying that they are not only saving, but the place is quieter."
The program is available to those who earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Kansas City is well on its way to weatherize over 2,000 homes by March 2012. No target has been set if the additional funds come in, but Jackson is still pushing ahead.
The division is averaging about 65 homes a month, but "my personal goal is 80 to 90 per month," he says.

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com

Sustainable Apartments

• From: ECOHOME 2011
• Posted on: March 9, 2011 10:17:00 AM

Green Over Granite?

Young apartment dwellers want sustainability but won't pay extra for it, developers say.

By:Jennifer Caterino

Multifamily developers say Echo Boomers are focused on carbon footprint, but hesitant to pay more for green apartments.

While granite countertops, flat-screen televisions, and stainless steel appliances will make their way into many market-rate multifamily residential projects, the level of finishes will vary from developer to developer.

"It's more important to be urban and cool than high-end and grand," says Manny Gonzalez, AIA, a principal of KTGY Group based in the firm's Santa Monica, Calif., office. "For example, instead of a sliding shower door, you can do a rounded bar with a curtain and create a W Hotel kind of feel."

Sustainability looks to be the wild card when it comes to the Echo Boomers' apartment wish list. "This generation is more focused on the impact of its carbon footprint," according to Michael D. Binette, AIA, vice president and principal in charge of construction for the Architectural Team in Chelsea, Mass. "They won't pay more for it, but if they have the choice of two buildings with the same rent, they'll pick the more sustainable one."

KTGY principal Rohit Anand, AIA, in the Tysons Corner, Va., office, and Gonzalez agree that Echo Boomers are hesitant to pay substantial rent increases for a green apartment, but sustainability efforts have garnered different levels of success in different markets.

In Phoenix, for example, where spaces for social interaction are a key tenant amenity, Jack Hannum, vice president in Transwestern's Phoenix Investment Services Group, doesn't currently see a building's carbon footprint playing a primary role in attracting tenants.

But Deven Morganstern, a marketing agent for Cyan/PDX in downtown Portland, Ore., says sustainability has been a draw for the LEED Gold–certified Cyan/PDX. Even with rents that exceed downtown Portland's average, he reports that 65% to 75% of residents are renewing leases compared with the industry average of 35%. In addition to a green roof and various energy-saving measures, the building offers residents access to bikes and is sited near transit.

This is part of a story that was first published in Architect, a sister publication of EcoHome.

--
Scott's Contracting
scottscontracting@gmail.com
http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com
http://scottscontracting.wordpress.com