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Failed Renewable Technologies Are An Expensive Teaching Moment
A story that went viral over a week ago showed how (non)-workers at a Michigan electric vehicle battery plant, funded through the stimulus by taxpayers, spent their time playing games, reading magazines, watching movies or helping charities like Habitat for Humanity – that is, when they weren’t ‘off-duty’ on their cyclical furloughs.
According to a report by WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, the LG Chem factory in Holland, Mich. – blessed with $151 million from a Department of Energy Recovery Act grant and $100 million from Wolverine State taxpayers – had “yet to ship out a single battery.”
But another local television station discovered some workers doing something else with their paid-but-free time: teaching students about their failed industry. WZZM, the local ABC affiliate, reported that engineers from LG Chem visited a local job training facility called Careerline Tech Center after they were invited by its director, Dave Searles.
Mohammed's pink swastika
November 1st, 2012
Kind of off topic, kind of not. Have any of you guys seen those flashlights that recharge by shaking them up and down? I have been thinking about patenting a realistic dildo based on the same technology.
Moe tom
November 1st, 2012
Off, off topic have you realized that the only network covering BENGHAZI-GATE is FOX. Notably, Sean Hannity and over the top Catherine Herridge.
What happened to General Carter Ham? Who knew what and when did they know it. Remember those questions from the media during the Watergate burglary? Remember the coverage on the phoney Valary Plame bullshit, the Cindy Sheehan bullshit?
Now we have a dead ambassador ad three other Americans who MAY HAVE BEEN REFUSED HELP, and not a fu*king word from the media at large. There should be an outrage. But where is it?
Anonymous
November 1st, 2012
Proof of America’s failures in Education:
listing 100s of millions and BILLIONS of dollars blown for nothing simply makes eyes glaze over. They can’t fathom what that amounts to, let alone where the money comes from
muddjuice (Absolutist)
November 1st, 2012
So strange to see this report on iOTW. These are my hometown news outlets……
missinmich
November 1st, 2012
Just me, reporting in from the Holland/ Zeeland area:
ARRRRRAHHHHHHGH!!!!
I’m so f—king frustrated with the stupidity around here.
I married into a family of dumbass public school teachers, save for my husband (a conservative former Flyboy…not sure how he survived his family’s screwed up gene pool).
Some of these “teachers” are the biggest wastes of skin God could ever create.
Stranded in Sonoma
November 1st, 2012
The link above to the NLPC’s report on LG Chem contains another link that everyone here should read. It’s about how battery technology really hasn’t changed that much since the early 20th century electric vehicle craze. It’s a lengthy read but worth the time.
The problem isn’t the technology. The problem is the socialists dumping the “old” (internal combustion engine) technology before the “new” (li-ion battery) technology is implemented or can even get close to duplicating the personal use efficiency of the “old.”
Stranded in Sonoma
November 1st, 2012
@Mohammed’s pink swastika — So it will be kind of like perpetual motion?
muddjuice (Absolutist)
November 1st, 2012
@ missinmich
This is right in your backyard, eh. I’m closer to GR so I’m a little removed. But we got our own problems here.
Married into a fam of teachers eh? Yipes. Family get-togethers must be loads* of fun!?!
My wife married into a fam of cops. Let’s just say, she’s a saint…..
*this word brought to you by Joe Biden
missinmich
November 1st, 2012
@muddjuice
Yep. I remember the friggin big deal they made when this less than useless company was holding the groundbreaking. The waste that went into that photo op spectacle was breathtaking.
As far as family get togethers, I refer to them as trips to hell.
I deserve some kind of get out of purgatory free card…well, since I’m Protestant, maybe I qualify for a special corner in Heaven due to what I have to endure on earth with this crew otherwise known as “family”.
missinmich
November 1st, 2012
@muddjuice: BTW.. I’d take a family of cops any day!
They are so much more useful than pub. school teachers.
ronnie b
November 1st, 2012
srsly, did anybody get to the last 3 paragraphs?
… In July 2010 the White House announced that LG Chem was the “ninth of nine” new plants to begin construction as part of its $2.4 billion “investment” from taxpayers in advanced batteries and EVs. “Once fully operational,” the administration’s press release said, “the (LG) factory will produce battery cells to support 53,000 Chevy Volts a year.” [[excuse me, but, BWAHhahaha]]
Paltry Volt sales (only 16,348 so far this year) are the reason LG’s employees are sitting around playing cards, doing volunteer work and teaching others about their failures. Leaf sales are even worse, which should make everyone wonder how employees at that Tennessee plant we all paid for will spend their time. Maybe the Volunteer State’s charities should get excited.
Having thought about it more, maybe students should be taught about “failed technologies,” to help avoid the mistakes of the past. It should take 10 minutes, tops. No engineers needed, just historians. Then they can spend the rest of their time studying subjects that will actually help them get useful work after they’ve graduated.
muddjuice (Absolutist)
November 1st, 2012
@ missinmich
Keep in mind that cops in MI are still union, gov’t workers. My brother and I are the exception for sure.
I’m voting no on Prop 2 which drives my co-workers NUTSO!!!!!