Guest opinion
Join the 'E-Revolution' platform on Election Day
By Marta Jorgensen Special to the Acorn

Marta Jorgensen

The E-Revolution platform is so named for its focus on strong and productive reform of federal energy, economic, environmental and educational policies, and stresses citizen engagement necessary for the United States to compete and survive in the new millennium.

I support bills like the $100million Sanders/Clinton Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program amendment, which was added as part of the Clean Energy Act of 2007 (HR 6), passed in the Senate in June 2007.

The solar energy industry employed more than 20,000 people in 2001 and is expected to employ 150,000 people in the next 25 years. The Solar Energy Association (SEIA) estimates that extending the investment tax credit by eight years will create more than 55,000 new jobs in the solar industry and more than $45 billion in economic investment by 2015.

This tax credit is set to lapse Jan.1, 2009, as it's being stalled in Congress.

As such, we're taking big steps in California with the November ballot propositions, with Prop. 1, the High Speed Passenger Train Bond Act; Prop. 7, the Renewables Portfolio Standards; and Prop. 10, the Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy Bonds. These are all responsible steps toward a secure energy future, unlike drilling offshore and more nuclear power plants.

The last part is engagement- citizen engagement. The people in the 24th Congressional District need to care about their government again. But they require a real voice and real incentives to be active and play a part in their collective futures.

People in the north must know what's happening in the south. We are one district. We cannot tolerate having whole towns like Casmalia being ignored by our Congressional representation.

In the northern part of the 24th district, people tell me over and over that they don't know who represents them in Congress.

Who's fault is that?

The middle class is paying a high price for this administration's policy failures over the last eight years.

Therefore, the middle class must have the courage to act and become engaged in the changes needed to point our country in a new direction. Young people, seniors, the Hispanic community, the handicapped and the poor all are needed and must vote.

We can't afford to waste our vote in Congress. Our vote must count and our political will be exercised. We need a representative who will work with people on committees and is respected by his or her fellow committee members. We need someone younger, creative and willing to take a hit for what is right. Someone who doesn't fraternize with lobbyists and doesn't fear the public.

I envision the next 10 to 15 years as being productive, if we create a future where we have controlled global warming and made a more equitable society for ourselves and our kids, aren't fighting wars over oil and have a Constitution that means something. That would mean our ERevolution has succeeded.

Jorgensen is a Democrat running for U.S. Congress in the 24th Congressional District, challenging U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (RThousand Oaks) in the Nov. 4 general election.