Funds restored to energy lab before Bush visit

[liberal N proud]

CNN:
Employees question timing of quick reversal in budget plans

Tuesday, February 21, 2006; Posted: 9:18 a.m. EST (14:18 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On the eve of a presidential visit to a renewable energy lab in Colorado, the Department of Energy said it has transferred $5 million to the operation, which had funding cut and employees laid off this month due to budget shortfalls.

U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman transferred the money over the weekend to restore jobs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, according to a department news release.

"The programs at NREL are critically important to realizing the president's vision to diversify and strengthen our nation's energy mix," Bodman said in the statement. "The action we are taking today will allow the dedicated employees at NREL to continue their work that will bring us great innovation in renewable energy technologies."

President Bush is scheduled to visit the lab Tuesday morning. On Monday, Bush touted hybrid cars, nuclear energy, ethanol and solar power during visits to energy research facilities in Michigan and Wisconsin. (Full story)

According to The Associated Press, 32 workers, including eight researchers, were laid off two weeks ago at the Colorado lab.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/21/bush.energyfunding/index.html

[Frank Cannon]

1. President Photo-Op will take it away again...

just as soon as he walks out the door and the cameras are off.

This guy has a Potemkin Village that follows him around.

[Dr. Jones]

2. Mark my WORDS...

The next headline you see will be "FUNDS RESCINDED FROM ENERGY LAB AFTER BUSH VISIT"

Reminds me of how Bush had housing built on the Gulf Coast for his photo ops, and then after he left, they tore it down. It's all a Hollywoodized PR stunt set, everywhere that idiot goes.

[Crazy Dave]

3. Maybe he should visit some Ford and GM plants as well

The foreign automakers are subsidized by their governments and they don't have to pay employee health care costs as that's supplied by the government too. It puts American automakers at a huge disadvantage.

[murray hill farm]

4. that 5mil was a little less than a fifth of the cuts in funds

for this year to the lab..all that 5mil will do is keep the workers going for another few weeks...until the "visit" is over and done with...8 more employes were scheduled for lay off by summer at the facility....does he really think that no one notices his promo act in funding this facility for just his visit goes unoticed.