As readers may know, I am a die hard Kansas Jayhawk basketball fan.  Our main rival is the Missouri Tigers.  So if I discuss something that originates from Missouri, you better believe that the Missourians have come up with something extraordinary. 

U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver has established a plan for an innovative "Green Impact Zone" in Kansas City, Missouri that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan funds: 

U.S. Rep. Cleaver, D-Missouri, has developed an ambitious plan for a “Green Impact Zone” to be established in a 150-block area east of Troost Avenue. He convinced the Kansas City Council to vote 13 to 0 to allocate millions of dollars of ARRA money and considerable city effort to this part of the city. . . . Now Cleaver’s office and the team from the community are submitting applications to numerous Recovery Act programs, supplementing work that’s already begun to bring a greener, healthier environment to this area and jobs to its residents.
 

So far, the Green Impact Zone involves three primary plans:

1.  At the heart of the plan for the Green Impact Zone is a massive home weatherization project that would put area residents to work conducting energy audits and weatherizing the 2,500 homes in the Zone neighborhoods.

2.  Another key piece of Green Impact Zone plan is developing a green bus rapid transit system that would use bio-diesel buses and green bus shelters.

3.  A third piece is developing a job training and employment program for ex-parolees in green building, park restoration and transit work. 
 

Not only will the buildings and homes in the Green Impact Zone be more energy efficient, but the residents can fill the jobs to weatherize these buildings and homes.  Even major utilities are going to contribute to the Green Impact Zone: "Kansas City Power & Light, the major utility in the area, is helping out with a commitment to build a smart electricity grid for the Green Impact Zone."

Do you see any problems with this plan?