SOTech CEO and Veterans Industry Program for Employment Reintegration (VIPER) director Jim Cragg recently spoke to the California State Legislature in support of Veterans jobs creation and the environmental ban on single use plastic bags. He delineated the number of jobs that would be potentially created by a statewide ban based off the number of jobs created for the veterans sewing program from previous municipal bans. Mr. Cragg founded VIPER and Project Green Vets LA to provide vocational training, therapy, and job opportunities to Veterans from the West Los Angeles VA Hospital. Many veterans post-service experience abandonment issues and Cragg set up the program to give these heroes work projects that make them feel that they are part of a community effort again. Veterans in the program assemble medical kits for troops going down range as well as environmentally sustainable shopping bags for local municipalities. SOTech sponsors the VIPER charity both financially and through manning. Veterans are paid wages for their work with the intent of enabling them to move off VA property and rejoin society. Mr. Cragg said, “it’s awesome helping the environment, but there’s no feeling as great as seeing the pride in the eyes of a veteran who was homeless a year ago, and today shaking the hands of a politician and receiving his thanks.”
www.greenvetsla.org www.specopstech.com
Tags: S.O.Tech
Jim C is a class act.
So wait, this guy is supportive of a nanny-state plastic bag ban? Are you kidding me?
No, this guy is dealing with the implementing of a plastic bag ban by employing Vets to manufacture reusable cloth shopping bags.
Which brings me to another point. Change means opportunity. It’s really the measure of a man as to whether or not he can adapt and thrive. Some of our forbearers couldn’t and didn’t survive. Others did, and we are the result. I’m constantly amazed at the lack of adaptability of those who claim that they are conservative or self-reliant. Don’t be the guy who can only make it if things don’t change. Your great grand parents that made it through the Depression didn’t use plastic bags when they went to the store.
BTW, relying on a consumer culture that hands you a new bag every time you go to the store isn’t exactly the epitome of self reliance now is it? In fact, the true Conservative would want to minimize waste, control cost and be a steward of the environment. I’m pretty sick of people subverting Conservativism as an excuse to be lazy and wasteful.