Solar City's Aspirations

I waited a week before writing this because I wanted to see what the Buffalo media would say about the Solar City Protests.

Not enough.

The background: Governor Andrew “Status Cuomo” created the “Buffalo Billion” project – basically $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to bribe corporations to set up shop in WNY.  And then give them 10 years of "tax breaks" (taxpayers footing the bill for private profits that leave the state). 

Solar City took his offer of taxpayers footing the tax bill for the building of the Riverbend “Solar City” plant.

During the announcement of the plant “Status Cuomo,'” Mayor Brown, and the project managers promised that 25% of the workers hired would be minorities and women. The audits show otherwise. Just over 16% of the workers have been minorities and barely over 5.5% of the workers have been female.

The construction firm states that by using the law of averages that they have met the 25% goal. When that explanation fell flat, the goals became “aspirational.”

That's what capitalism does – It makes it's own definitions and rules so that no matter how much it fails to meet its promises, it did because they can change the rules to suit their purposes. If you average out the number of hours worked, they “met the goal.” If you don't buy that, then, well, you know, we'll just change the definition of success behind your back.

Capitalism and its empty promises.  It aspires to full employment.  It aspires to make everyone wealthy.  It aspires to provide good benefits and safe working conditions.  It all depends upon how you define "aspires."

Take #2: From reading the articles, I noticed it was the construction bosses and the union leaders against the African-Americans and women. It's the old “divide and conquer” the working class against itself trick. Put the unions against the non-unionized and let them fight it out.

There's a simple solution to that – unions need to open their doors more to the minorities and women. Reach out to the unemployed.  Build a united front against the bosses. In an era of declining union membership, and the resulting weakness that goes with it, it only makes sense for the unions to reach out and recruit the non-unionized.

Take #3: BUILD of Buffalo is right to monitor the hiring practices. But wouldn't it be better to use the “Buffalo Billions” to start up a solar manufacturing plant that would be headquartered in Buffalo? Owned by the people of Buffalo? Right now the profits from the company are leaving NYS. If the plant were owned by the people of Buffalo, or by the workers via a co-op, the profits would stay here, be spent here, and build up the economy right here in Buffalo and Erie County.

Take #4: And the medias' coverage of this was lame, to say the least. But look at who owns the media and you'll understand why. We need a worker's media – newspaper and TV/radio programs so that people get the worker's perspective.

The more I think about this, the different I see it.