Low interest loans for home energy improvements will be available to Racine homeowners, under a new city program funded with federal stimulus funds. Loans for the replacement of furnaces, water heaters or insulation will be available to all homeowners, regardless of income.
Mayor John Dickert, Brian O'Connell, director of city development, and Dora Garcia of the City Housing Department, announced the program Saturday.
A press release from City Hall stated that the Racine Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) will pay for comprehensive efficiency retrofits of qualifying older houses, with no upfront costs to the homeowner. Owner-occupied houses within the city constructed between 1946 and 1975 are eligible.
“These retrofits will save homeowners money, put people back to work, and reduce pollution,” said Dickert. O'Connell said the program pays the upfront costs, and the loan is then repaid "with a portion of the monthly savings.” A fact sheet put online by the city says, "The costs will be spread out over a period of several years. This bill will in most cases (unless you greatly increase how much energy you use) be smaller than the reduction in your energy bill – meaning more money stays in your pocket each month."
The Journal Times reports that the revolving loan fund has $160,000. That means that initially, assuming an average loan of $5,000, only 32 loans could be granted until repayments are made to replenish the fund.
Signup information is available from the Racine Housing Department, City Hall, Room 102, or by calling 262-636-9197 or online.
A similar approach was announced last month by Rep. Cory Mason and others, who proposed a statewide program with much more money behind it, to provide low-interest loans for weatherization -- with the requirement that the work be done by local workers. The estimate they offered on Feb. 1 was that the cost of doing a typical home would be $6,500.
So let's get this straight....Your gonna LET me take a loan out to buy a new furnace and insulation?? WOW! Who in the hell is gonna take a 5k loan out for this now? You've got to be kidding me! Total waste!
ReplyDeleteMy home was build in 1905 why does it not qualify?
ReplyDeleteTo show how big of morons Dickert and O"Connel really are: They are offering to lend us money to purchase a furnace in March. Next time John why not wait until June. What a dweeb!
ReplyDeleteIf I had to bet, Dickert's house qualifies and quite a few of his friends. It will be interesting to see.
ReplyDeleteWhat Crony of the Mayor is making money with this you think?
ReplyDeleteI called the Mayor's office quite a few times recently and his office person always says he's out for the day without an explanation of where. Where does our Mayor go everyday? That's what I want to know.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Dickert's family a plumbing contractor? More no bid contracts, again.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the restrictions on age of the building. Especially for the ones that are older than 1946. Low income people own those too.
ReplyDeleteI think the comments are a bit harsh. But just what does make this different than other loans a person could get? What is the interest rate? How long do they have to repay? Do they have to agree to resident requirements like stay in home for 5 years? What if they have bad credit?
An "ex-Realtor" who knows many contractors is offering this for city residents. Will the person taking out the loan be able to choose who he or she wants to put in the furnace? Or is there a short list of certain furnace companies to choose from? I certainly hope there is no "list" so to speak. If there is, Pete and Dustin better start digging.
ReplyDelete9:36, this better not be solely for "low income people" as you stated. If so, I'll be filing a records request of who obtains these loans and will sue the city. This shouldn't have ANYTHING to do with "low income people", don't they get enough hand-outs already??? Seriously.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me and 10's of thousands of other people in this city started with that nonsense.
"Loans for the replacement of furnaces, water heaters or insulation will be available to all homeowners, regardless of income."
ReplyDeleteI still like to know why the age cut off.
Where does the Mayor go? IMHO He goes to his happy place where he is praised like the savor of Racine, a place where minorities are happy getting crumbs from the City and know there place where every alderman knows how to be good sycophants!
The public has voted him Mayor for life (if not longer) and do not mind the ever increasing taxes because The Mayor knows best.
Yes John Dickert the Joshua Abraham Norton of Racine
No kidding, the year range is stupdi. Some of the most beautiful, functional homes are older than 1940's and believe me, there's plenty of crap installed in 1980's era homes that needs to be replaced. VERY SHORT SIGHTED.
ReplyDeleteI ask you, would anyone take out a 5k loan for this? Especially in this economy? What a joke! Another glaring example of our out of touch, moronic mayor!
ReplyDelete"The Journal Times reports that the revolving loan fund has..."
ReplyDeleteFor a news site that bashes it's competitor alot, it sure seems to use them shamelessly as a source.
How about some real reporting. Stop using other's copyrighted images and do a little digging on your own. Put in a little extra effort and you can surpass your hated competitor.
Anon 11:01
ReplyDeleteExcellent point.
11:01 = JT employee, and sore loser at that!
ReplyDeleteThe reason Dickert is never in his office is his anxiety attack has kept him in bed several days a week for half days.
ReplyDelete11:47 - Wrong and wrong (although I was a paperboy 30 years ago). Just offering some constructive criticism. You need to grow up if you can't handle it.
ReplyDeleteHey Dickert! Are you completely ignorant? How about lowering our extremely high property taxes and letting us create jobs then you won't have to worry about homes falling into disrepair. What part about high taxes doesn't help, don't you understand?
ReplyDeleteJohn Dickert the Joshua Abraham Norton of Racine believes your taxes are not high enough!
ReplyDeleteJohn I wants to bring you KRM more City own Real Estate and of course more jobs for his friends.
Pleas understand that the Joshua Abraham Norton of Racine knows best and you should count yourself lucky to live under Hie rule!
I see John-Boy took credit for getting a grant too, huh? I even think that OZ is too realistic for him!
ReplyDeleteDickert=Failure
ReplyDeleteThe numbers I read suggest that over half of all homes in Racine were built before 1949...Why is the dates restricting the money to a small percentage of all homes in town?
ReplyDeleteOk, let's say we save $50 a month. So, if the loan repayment is $50/month, our spending money breaks even. $50/month equals over 8 years to repay. So MAYBE after 8 years, we'll see some savings. Now realsitically, we won't see much saving in the summer. So, MAYBE after 15-20 years we will truly see some savings. A typical stimulus project; FREE MONEY, COME AND GET IT!
ReplyDeleteJust for kicks, let's disable the comments on this post also.
ReplyDeleteGod forbid the Pubic express their outrage at another silly plan by the Joshua Abraham Norton of Racine.
ReplyDeleteAlso 8:07 aka Racine PIO hows the spin job coming?
God forbid the Pubic express their outrage at another silly plan by the Joshua Abraham Norton of Racine.
ReplyDeleteAlso 8:07 aka Racine PIO hows the spin job coming?
Good morning malconents. I see that you got up and got you whining started early. For you non-educated types, this loan program is used in many cities in Wisconsin with the criteria remaining about the same.
ReplyDeleteFor anon: 9:04 it is perfect timing for you. Your heat assistance is running out and you may need that new furnace.
For anon 9:05. The banks approve the loans. Ever had one before?
For Anon 9:15. Why do you need to know where the mayor is...are you a stalker
For anon 9:17. You get the loan you hire the contractor.
For anon 11:59. you know where Dickert is that are you a stalker like 9:15. Have you nothing better to do with your life.
For the person calling Dickert that name over and over again...are you Joseph Goebbels. You are using his methods of propaganda.
8:39
ReplyDeleteJohn Dickert the Joshua Abraham Norton of Racine must be very upset at the fact that he is in all aspects, nothing more then a puffed up clown to have the PIO and trolls hard at work.
I see myself more a Noam Chomsky.
Dickert and his cronies more the Fascist I think with no bid contact to his pals and attempts to take over media outlets he does not control and pet PIO.
"Also 8:07 aka Racine PIO hows the spin job coming?"
ReplyDeleteObviously sarcasm is lost on some people. I would hope that the phrase "Just for kicks" would make it obvious that that the call to disable comments was not sincere.
8:39 = Dickert = Failure
ReplyDelete8:39 Anon: Bozo the unemployed clown.
ReplyDeleteJohn Q- Dickert's man secretary posting with his pink iphone.
ReplyDeleteJohn Q - Your post made my day. Please think about adding "boom, roasted" at the end of all your responses.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:10 - Lay off the wikipedia.
I don't get the big deal, it's a loan, so it gets repaid, amirite?
4:07 AKA Crony #1
ReplyDeleteFace the facts Jack your guy is a life member of the Silly Party. One thing when it's on the BBC another when we get to pay for his multiple errors.
"I see myself more a Noam Chomsky."
ReplyDeleteThat is quite unfortunate. I cannot speak for his linguistic work, but Chomsky's political works are lazy and deceptive...I mean seriously, most of the citations in them are just to other stuff he has written. It is almost as if he is saying "x is true because I said so"...that is pretty much the core of his political work. The fact that he has any following in the academic world is a farce.
anon: 11:21; wrong you moron
ReplyDeleteJohn Q., as highly educated as you are, you should realize that the word is malcontents not malconents. Got to gets back to tendin themz cows now. Just another day on the farm for us malconents. So funny.
ReplyDeleteThe pink iphone does not have spell check.
ReplyDeleteanon: 9:27.
ReplyDeleteSorry for mis-spelling a word. I was working at the time. I know you don't do it but its a place where people go and earn money.
Its different where you go.
That is called Workforce Development where you get money for nothing.
I am sorry if I sound highly educated. I know you are not used to words with more than two syllables.
So, Anon 9:37, You're ripping off your employer by blogging on company time??? You thief!!! You must work at city hall.
ReplyDeleteDo not work for the city. I own my company - and no I am not Monte
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete