Did You Know...

**Written by Doug Powers

Not even two weeks ago we discussed LG Chem, a lithium-ion battery plant in Holland, Michigan that was built with the help of a $150 million grand from the federal government. The plant began furloughing workers one week a month without pay because, well, demand isn’t there (who knew?). Now it’s being reported that, though the workers might be doing little during their furlough time, they’re probably doing even less on taxpayer-backed company time:

HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) – Workers at LG Chem, a $300 million lithium-ion battery plant heavily funded by taxpayers, tell Target 8 that they have so little work to do that they spend hours playing cards and board games, reading magazines or watching movies.

They say it’s been going on for months.

“There would be up to 40 of us that would just sit in there during the day,” said former LG Chem employee Nicole Merryman, who said she quit in May.

“We were given assignments to go outside and clean; if we weren’t cleaning outside, we were cleaning inside. If there was nothing for us to do, we would study in the cafeteria, or we would sit and play cards, sit and read magazines,” said Merryman. “It’s really sad that all these people are sitting there and doing nothing, and it’s basically on taxpayer money.”

Two current employees told Target 8 that the game-playing continues because, as much as they want to work, they still have nothing to do.

Is there any “greener” job than doing nothing at all? But things could change if everybody can just hang in there until about 2025. Or maybe if Obama is re-elected the LG Chem factory can be retrofitted for algae production.

I’m sure the “Stimulus Sheriff” will get right on this. Watch and appreciate stories about your tax dollars at work to build a totally sustainable “green energy economy” for all:

“To you, he’s Mr. Vice President, but around the White House, we call him the Sheriff — because if you’re misusing taxpayer money, you’ll have to answer to him.”
–President Obama, March 3, 2009

Uh huh.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe