Paying union labor $50-60.00/hour to caulk windows makes Obama's "Weatherization Program" too costly to ever pay off as an "energy efficiency measure".  That is the kernal of truth reported by NPR here: "Weatherization Program Hits Rough Stretch" by Elizabeth Shogren:Congress mandated that prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon act must be paid to workers employed with "stimulous" funding.  They decided that prevailing construction wages are the the benchmark for comparison, meaning nearly $60.00/hour in New York and over $50.00/hour in Chicago.  This of course makes "weatherization" of houses so costly it can never be paid back in "energy cost savings".This whole conundrum has stymied initiation of the program -- an example of why the "stimulus funding" is not being spent.  (Read Full Post)