Shares in Denmark's Vestas -- the world's #1 wind turbine maker -- shot up 8 percent last Friday on news that the company had an order backlog worth $10.7 billion. The backlog grew 67 percent since a year ago -- a strong indication of continued robust growth.

The company also announced it was investing $120 million in a new factory in Colorado -- on top of $200 million it's already sinking into another factory -- which will bring 1350 new jobs to the state. That is going to put a total of 2450 people on the Vestas payroll in Colorado.

It's nice that this Danish company that owns a 25% market share in wind turbines globally is outsourcing clean tech jobs to the US, ain't it?

The best part, though, is that the development is playing into the volatile energy politics of the state. As renewable energy takes on a new attractive luster, incumbent oil and gas industries in Colorado are being rocked back on their heels.

Might this be the preview of a larger national drama?

My Last Day of Work
By David Glenn Cox

How could this happen to me? My sector, my department, had always been the best in our employee evaluations. In every category we scored in the highest possible percentile; efficiency, timeliness, loyalty, patriotism, and yes, even in dogma, we were number one. So how could this happen? It must be a mistake, that’s it! A mistake, I’ll send them an Email, requesting an evaluation of pending efficiency and productivity improvement.

Demos is hosting a great conference this week that will address some of the economic concerns that new workers are facing in this unpredictable, unstable, and darn near frighting economy.

A Better Deal: Reclaiming Economic Security for a New Generation will be May 8-9th, 2008, at The Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington DC. While this is a schlep for many folks there are scholarships and stipends available for need based folks interested in this topic. It would be wonderful if I could attend but ... alas... I cannot. The good news is that Mike Connery at Future Majority will be live blogging the conference and I'm sure there will be helpful multimedia available after the fact.

Ahhh tax day. The wonderful day where we all get to hear republicans justify tax breaks to the top 1% of the income bracket.

So apparently the economy is super awesome for new graduates according to ABC News.

"The entire process was intimidating," Shawn Basak a soon to be Northwestern grad said. "It was nerve-wracking, given the state of the economy, which compounded the fear and pressure."

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


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Marks, Mississippi. Marianna Arkansas. Memphis Tennessee. These are the first stops for John Edwards on a special journey that begins July 16 in New Orleans, goes up the Mississippi, across to the Rust Belt of the upper Ohio Valley states and ends in Appalachia. John Edwards is highlighting poverty in this country: The Road to One America Tour.

copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert. BeThink.org

Cross-posted to DailyKos and America in Solidarity.

Earlier this week, the Employee Free Choice Act failed to gain the 60 votes it needed for consideration by the United States Senate. While this was not unexpected, the defeat of the bill represents a failure by many of those in Washington to stand up for the rights of ordinary workers.

Cross-posted to DailyKos and America in Solidarity.

Labor issues are very important to me. That's why, a few months ago, I contacted both of my U.S. Senators to ask them to support the Employee Free Choice Act when it comes before the Senate.

It took quite some time, but I eventually heard back from U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr. The only problem is, his reply didn't address the EFCA. At all.

Cross-posted to DailyKos.

Recently, I was flipping through my copy of The American Century, by Harold Evans, and I found a story about late 19th century Romanian immigrants. This story turned my thoughts to the immigration bill that recently stalled in the United States Senate, and the impact it could have, if it ever passes, on what we stand for as nation – not only now, but, for generations in the future.

Cross-posted to DailyKos.

Imagine the following scenario: You work a decent, well paying, union job at a local brewery. The town you live in is fairly small, and the brewery provides the majority of employment for the area. You love your job, and you need to hang on to it, in order to keep your family afloat. If you were to be laid off, you likely wouldn't be able to find anything else in the area. Certainly nothing that pays as well.

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane & My Left Wing


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