Sen. Cardin Unveils Green Jobs Bill
FREDERICK, Md. (WJZ) --Maryland lawmakers focus on getting people back to work. U.S. Senator Ben Cardin has proposed a change in the federal tax code to boost the construction industry.
Political reporter Pat Warren explains it's one of several proposals floating around job creation.
It's cool. It's jobs. It's through the roof. It's The Energy Efficient Cool Roof Jobs Act.
It is intended to help the construction industry by removing obstacles in the tax code that discourage building owners from modernizing their roofs.
"By putting the roofs on we're going to have additional economic activity in our communities, so we think it actually adds revenue to the federal treasury," Cardin said.
Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal, a roofing company in Frederick, needs the boost.
"There's been significant impact on us directly, both with the amount of work we're doing and profitability," said Dave Hesse, of Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal. "You've gotta bid the jobs lower to get them which hurts the bottom line."
The bill's economic incentives should also see an increase in the use of energy-efficient roofs.
"This is the growth industry," Cardin said. "These are jobs that can't be exported overseas. These are jobs that help us deal with the emerging economies of the future."
How the bill fares on the Senate floor remains to be seen. But clearly Congress is feeling the pressure to get people back to work before voters raise the roof themselves come next November.
Cardin expects the bill to generate up to 40,000 jobs nationwide.
