I found this photo here

A story about veterans being trained at Olympic College for “green collar” jobs got a letter in response, saying that the program is vague and there is no market for people with these skills.

One commenter noted, before calling it a “some smoke and mirror liberal junket,” that the only jobs that will be created are for the people overseeing the program. I know that sort of thing happens, and has happened to me. I’m a graduate of the University of Washington Department of Communications.

Here is the story, describing the move to create the curriculum for the program, which is a sort of Civilian Conservation Corps for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

As for the job market, here is a story I saw recently describing what these jobs are, which goes into greater depth and might answer questions about the viability of a program tagged with a buzzword like “green collar.”

I’m annoyed by buzzwords too, but just because something has an annoying name, like Andy Binion, doesn’t mean it’s entirely useless.

Also, as this article points out, the “green” movement has its share of charlatans. Think you’re doing somebody a favor by picking the product with the “green” label? You are. Although it might not be the person you want to help.

Brother Bluto Approves

As you may or may not know, Bremerton appears to be on its way to getting a college of some sort.

Not at first, of course.

But like the steps named after the babies that take them, these steps are becoming strong, Michael Jordan-type steps. As this story indicates, state government is bending to the will of Kitsatopia.

Lawmakers are expected to vote tomorrow on a supplemental budget that includes $212,000 to study the feasibility of offering advanced college courses here and offering four-year degrees as well. Baccalaureates, if you want to get fancy, and you will. But get used to being derided as “college boy/girl.”

Read the story here.

“It’s less of a study and more of a plan,” said a spokesman for the state Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Bringing advanced college courses to Kitsap, and thus the rest of the North Olympic Peninsula (Lawmakers included Clallam and Jefferson counties as well as Mason County) has long been in the works. As this story indicates, a lot of time and effort has gone into the idea.

Here is the budget. If you want to prove how smart you are, check out page 341 for the budget line for the $212,000 to get the nitty-gritty.

Or you can read it below. Your call, college boy/girl.

$85,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2008 and $127,000 of the general fund–state appropriation for fiscal year 2009 are provided solely for the board to prepare a program and operating plan for a higher education center in the Kitsap county area. The plan shall be developed in consultation with an advisory committee of civic, business, and educational leaders from Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties. It shall include a projection of lower and upper division and graduate enrollment trends in the study area; a review of assessments of employer needs; an inventory of existing and needed postsecondary programs; recommended strategies for promoting active program participation in and extensive program offerings at the center by public and private baccalaureate institutions; and an estimate of operating and capital costs for the creation and operation of the center. The board shall submit its findings and recommendations to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2008.