Onumba.com — U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown from Ohio is probably used to his constituents reaching him through a panoply of methods – letters, emails, and phone calls.
But last week, a bevy of Ohio students thought of a better way…submitting 500 resumes and cover letters to his office.
The students, largely from Ohio State University and Kent State University, came to submit resumes collected from students in universities across the state, said Tina Hrabak, one of the activists who spoke to the Call & Post.
Those who besieged Brown’s Columbus North High street office last week were not actually job seekers. Rather, submitting the resumes was their way of expressing support for clean energy economy they argue “would create as many as 61,000 jobs” while saving Ohio “households up to $992 per year.”
It was also to put pressure on Brown to honor his commitment to support comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, said Hrabak, who also noted “we appreciate Sen. Brown’s support.”
“He has our back,” said Hrabak, of Sen. Brown. But it appears they want him to do more to press the issue.
Bryan McGannon, Ohio State Director for Repower America spoke to the Call & Post.
“Repower America is calling on Senator Brown to continue to make progress on this issue because it creates good jobs and breaks our dependence on foreign oil, and avoid the kind of catastrophe like we have now in the gulf,” said McGannon.
State Senator Ray Miller, a ferocious supporter of clean energy legislation, agreed.
“With the disaster in the Gulf, we’re seeing in graphic detail why we should be doing everything possible to end our dangerous dependence on oil,” said Miller, calling it “the most important issue facing the Ohio economy and our national security.”
“Now is the time for action, and now is the time for Senator Brown to honor his promise to support strong clean energy solutions,” said Miller.
The student’s visit to Brown’s office was part of a rally organized by Repower America at Goodale Park near Downtown Columbus to trumpet the importance of passing clean energy legislation by the Congress.
According to its website, Repower America, which was established in 2008, promotes “the importance investing in energy efficiency, clean reviewable diversified energy sources; a unified national smart energy that connects these renewable energy sources to every part of the country; and clean car technology.”
President Barack Obama, in a recent speech, set the right tone on this.
“We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country in all 50 states to repower America, to redesign how we use energy and think about how we are increasing efficiency to make our economy grow stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make us competitive for decades to come – even as we save the planet,” he said.
In its website, Repower America said that its task is “to insure that our elected leaders in Washington DC hear the powerful combined voices of millions of Americans who stand behind our call for action to protect our climate and create a clean energy future.”
The small rally in Columbus was part of that task, to ensure that Sen. Brown, who has expressed support for comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, will keep his promise.
The Obama administration has invested billions of dollars for this, which in part is why Repower America declared on its website, “We have witnessed real progress on clean energy at the federal level.”
But recent events struck a major setback to that progress after Senate failed to pass clean energy and climate legislation. Repower America had described the legislation as “the building blocks for a comprehensive clean energy and climate package that will help put America on a path to a clean energy future and help address the climate crisis.”
McGannon weighed in on the setback.
“We are disappointed that Senate failed to take action on Comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation last week,” said McGannon.
He is not alone.
About 360 organizations from across the country signed a joint statement expressing disappointment about the “senate’s failure to address a clean energy and climate policy.”
“As we move forward, the Senate’s job is not done,” the joint statement said.
Ike Mgbatogu can be reached by email at: editor@onumba.com
