KIRO FM in Seattle reports that the city, which received $20 million in the 2009 stimulus package for a weatherization program, is struggling to create jobs:
Nearly two years ago, the City of Seattle received $20 million in stimulus money to fund a green jobs program that promised to create 2,000 jobs. The program now admits its jobs estimate will likely never be met.
Only 16 jobs have been created by Community Power Works so far, though the city says paychecks have gone out to 226 people for work done on the project. The program offers home energy audits to make homes more efficient and it offers weatherization.
It promised 2,000 homes would be upgraded over the three years it was receiving money. So far, only 71 homes have been improved.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes that the city has spent $5.4 million on the program so far, which works out to a rate of about $338,000 per job, or $76,000 per home.