Faith Leaders Push Council, Mayor For Green Jobs Money

By Peter Granitz

Leaders in Washington’s faith community are calling on the D.C. Council to spend tens of millions of dollars for new green jobs.

Pastor Anthony Minter from the First Rock Baptist Church in Ward 7 says he’d push government leaders to get his members work in whatever field is hot at the moment. This time around, he says, the federal government is willing to fund weatherization projects.

He’s asking Council Chair Vincent Gray to allocate $10 to $20 million a year to weatherize thousands of homes through a proposed cooperation between the Washington Interfaith Network and the Laborers International Union.

Otherwise, he and other pastors will hold Gray and others accountable at the polls.

“While we never support any particular candidate, we certainly can say what this government has done or has not done as they have promised they would. We will do that - yes,” says Minter.

Mayor Adrian Fenty agreed to the program in March. Gray says he’ll work to secure stimulus money, but did not say if or how much the local government would need to match.