President Obama’s White House to Main Street Tour: Savannah, Georgia

Posted by: Audiegrl

Helping Homeowners Invest in Energy-Efficient Homes

President Barack Obama speaks at Savannah Technical College in Savannah, Ga., March 2, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Earlier today, after touring Savannah Tech, President Obama announced the initiatives for HOMESTAR, a program that offers incentives for people to make their homes more energy-efficient.

The President explained that the new program will save families several hundred of dollars on utilities, make the economy less dependent on fossil fuels, create work for small businesses and contractors, and bring back construction jobs.

“Here’s one of the best things about energy efficiency – it turns out that energy-efficient windows or insulation, those things are products that are almost exclusively manufactured right here in the United States of America. It’s very hard to ship windows from China. So a lot of these materials are made right here in America.”

Through the HOMESTAR Program, homeowners who make investments for energy-efficiency in their homes will be eligible to receive:

• Direct rebates for energy-saving investments
• 50 percent rebates for the cost of each upgrade up to $1500
• Rebates up to $3000 for those who choose to retrofit their whole homes
• Guaranteed quality installations through quality assurance providers who would conduct field audits after work is completed
• Support for financing through State and local governments

President Obama explained that these short-term investments will lead to long-term savings for homeowners and consumers.

“Just like a responsible homeowner will invest in their homes in the near term to fortify their economic security in the long term, we’ve got to do the same as a country. It will have some costs on the front end — you buy a new boiler, or you get some insulation, or you get some new windows, that’s going to have an initial cost, and the same is true from a government perspective. And it’s going to be politically difficult to do some of this, but it’s what’s right to plan for our future.”
Vodpod videos no longer available.President Obama speaks with students in alternative energy programs at Savannah Technical College on today’s White House to Main Street tour. Vodpod videos no longer available.

President Barack Obama stops to greet workers as he tours the Chatham Steel Company in Savannah, Ga., March 2, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Just before giving a speech in Savannah, GA, President Obama chats with building manufacturers and local contractors about the importance of retrofitting. Around the circle are Mark Andrews of Knauf Insulation, Michael Lawrence of Insulation Systems, Howard Feldman of Coastal Green Building Solutions, Patrick Shay of Green Sweep, and Larry Laseter of MASCO Home Services.
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President Barack Obama sits down for lunch with other customers during a stop at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room in Savannah, Ga. March 2, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

During his “White House to Main Street” tour today in Savannah Georgia, President Obama made a surprise lunch stop. If there’s one thing better than meeting new folks on the road, it’s meeting new folks out on the road and having them cook you up some of the best food in the country. So it was when the President sat down with some of the regulars at the famous Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House restaurant in Savannah, Georgia today. They were polite enough to offer not to ask him any questions so he could relax, an offer he jokingly declined: “How often you gonna have lunch with the President? Might as well ask some questions.”

Please visit our friends at Obama Foodorama for details on the lunch menu and more info about this historic restaurant.

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SNL Gets It Right – Do We Get It?

Posted by Guest Contributor Hail To the Chimp

World leaders are meeting to discuss climate change, there are wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Iran is taking away Nobel Peace Prizes from its citizens, the dollar just had its two month high against the Euro, our President just received a Nobel Peace Prize, the stimulas money is making its rounds in the economy, there is a health care debate still going on, there are still federal departments/agencies under continuing resolutions because Congress has not approriated money for FY2010, the economy is in shambles, the House just passed a questionable bill on financial reform, Guantanamo detainees, energy reform, Cap and Trade is being discussed, genocide is still occurring in Darfur, more children in the US are going hungry everyday, unemployment is between 10-19%, foreclosures are still high,…..

And the list goes on, but if you turn on the tube you would think that none of those issues exist or that there are no good stories on American heroes to report………

Every “news” channel is Tiger all the time. Will his wife leave him, can he redeem himself, what about his endorsements – what about John Doe who has been unemployed for 6 months, Cobra benefits are about to expire, is getting more and more calls from collection agencies, is about to lose his home, has to go to food banks to get food to feed his 3 children, has had his car repossessed, and is about to lose his home.

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more about "Daily Kos: SNL Gets It Right – Do We …", posted with vodpod

SNL gets it right. Why is someone who has no responsibilities to the public being covered while politicians who have broken ethics laws, are hypocrites, and just purely being corrupt not covered? Ensign paid off his mistress’ family, Baucus tried to get his girlfriend to be made a US Attorney and only backed down when a reporter scooped him, several Republicans vote against bills knowing their constituents will still get funding for the earmarks they inserted in the bill, but voted against; governors cover up when they have executed innocent people, spouses’ companies get no-bid federal contracts, Congress cannot pass any bill, lets not forget that pesky lie that led to Iraq war…….

This is beyond just turning off the tv and just relying on blogs, research, and actual reporters. What exactly does the corporate media have to gain with this story, but not covering real issues that impact Americans? Why are the same lightweights on TV – David Gregory, John King do not know anything about the issues. They do not even know how to give rebuttals to the lies and spin that politicians give on their infotainment shows.

The 2008 election was about Bush and what he represented anti-intellectualism. The eight year war on science, math, and all–out critical and analytical thought. Sensationalism has always existed to some extent in the media, but there was always a difference between the National Enquirer and the NY Times. All one has to look at is the “op-ed” that someone wrote for Palin that was one of the top 10 reads for the Washington Post for 2009. Really? An “op-ed” that was a dishonest, non-fact supported rant in hope of getting attention. Surely this country can do better, but do we want to do better.