That "Encouraging" Unemployment Rate.

Just a reminder: The unemployment rate that gets all the press isn't a true measure of unemployment. It does not include people who want to work but have stopped looking. These people are referred to as "discouraged." Well. Sure. The employment rate our governmental leaders are describing as "encouraging" is 9.7%, or just under 16 million people. This is an "improvement" of ten percent compared to December's,and is considered surprising since companies tend to shed the holiday seasonal workers in January; instead, temporary workers and service workers increased. The average hourly wage is $18.89 per hour, which is $39,291.20, gross, per year. 41.2% of the 9.7% unemployed have been out of work for 27 weeks or longer. That is 6.3 million people out of work for 27 weeks or longer. See the data and the trends for the current 9.7% at the Bureau of Labor Statistics' informative site.

661,000 workers opted out of the labor force during December, probably not because Cabo called. Approximately 1.7 million workers dropped out between July 2009 and December 2009. The participation rate, or the share of the population in the labor force, fell to 64.6 percent in December, the lowest level since 1985, from 64.9 percent. For African Americans, the feel unemployment rate is 16.5%. The so-called underemployment rate -- which includes part- time workers who would prefer a full-time position and those people who want work but have given up looking -- rose to 17.3% in December from 17.2%. See Bloomberg for more.

Such a waste of talent and productivity. It's true more people are volunteering at schools, non-profits, and courts. Some are volunteering (euphemistically called "interning") in jobs companies used to pay people to do. But why bother, when there a so many people wanting to be productive, desperate to keep skills fresh, or thinking a change of profession is the answer? When will state and federal employment divisions finally decide those "volunteers" and "interns" are employees in fact, for whom companies enjoying the free labor owe employment tax, plus the 100% penalty for not paying timely. It should happen, but it probably won't until the states have exhausted every other source of revenue to close their budget gaps.

Some would say that jobs should not be artificially created, which is what socialist societies do to give their citizens a reason to leave the house in the morning and put money earned in their wallets to spend or save. Maybe.

The Times said Congress will be voting on a jobs bill next week, though whatever this legislation might be did not have many details, according to the Times. Swell.

I can't help thinking that if we had a higher calibre of elected public servants at all levels of government we might have a more strategic framework from which to address the systemic problems tormenting us. People involved in campaign finance reform describe it as the reform that makes all other reforms possible. Maybe. It is certainly a step forward. Not much use in the short term except as another worthwhile deployment of all that unemployed talent, should that talent choose to volunteer to promote campaign finance reform. It is something constructive and productive. For all of us, as elections near, it is a concept worth investigating and debating.

Here in California, we will be voting to accept Proposition 15, the California Fair Elections Act, already passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor. The California League of Women Voters is a sponsor. Consider attending a public forum for the Proposition 15 on February 21, at the Main branch of the San Francisco Library, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is something constructive and productive to do. LLII.

Healthcare Bill Limps Along

The top priority of the Obama Administration when it took office last year was to pass healthcare reform, but that effort has been stymied by opposition from both Republicans and some Democrats. Now the Administration appears to be modifying its message and talking about Health Insurance Reform as the goal. House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi has talked about breaking the bill down into smaller pieces and trying to pass some reforms if not the entire bill. This is a tremendous disappointment to many Americans, including League members, who have fought to have this important reform passed. Health insurance is a right for all Americans and healthcare costs must be kept down so the country can afford to pay the bill for providing it. Both the Senate and House Bills that were passed before the Christmas break contain important elements of reform. If you care about healthcare, contact your representatives and tell them they need to pass a meaningful reform bill this Spring.

Much ado about bags

In the S.F. Chronicle this morning C.W. Nevius tells us of a new move by Supervisors to encourage reusable bags in grocery stores. Current law in the City bans plastic bags in grocery stores and requires the stores to provide paper bags. All the stores I've seen offer inexpensive reusable bags for sale and encourage shoppers to use these by offering a nickel off the grocery bill for people who don't require a paper bag. Unfortunately, this still hasn't persuaded the majority of shoppers to use the reusable ones. Now Supervisor Mirkarimi has suggested that grocery stores be required to pay shoppers ten cents if they don't require the paper bags. Maybe this would work, but it would mean more costs for grocers, who would pass it on to all shoppers, even those of us who carry our own bags. A more effective system, as Nevius points out, would be a small fee for people who don't bring their own bag, but this is forbidden by law in San Francisco. Let's repeal that law and get the city moving toward eliminating one-use bags whether plastic or paper. It's remarkable what changes in behavior even a small fee can bring.

Don't stop worrying about water

The rains that have poured down in the Bay Area for a week have brought us a lot of rain, but not so much that we can stop conserving water. That's the word from water experts as reported in the S.F. Chronicle today. One year with plenty of rain--and it's too early to know whether we have that yet--is not enough to end a drought that's been going on for three years. It took three dry years to get to the point we are at now and it will take at least two or three years to build up enough water for a while. The truth is, we will never be secure about water. The climate in the Bay Area was not arranged for the convenience of all the humans who live here, not if they insist on maintaining green lawns and exotic gardens planned for far different climates. Let's face reality. If we want to enjoy the benefits of our mild climate and almost-always sunny skies, we have to change our habits to suit our location. Don't let a few days of rain make us forget that cooperation with nature always works better than fighting against it.

But will it last?

Stories and pictures of the tragedy in Haiti have dominated our news for almost a week now. According to most reports, Americans are responding with an outpouring of relief money, as are people throughout the world. Water, food, and medical care are the critical needs at the moment, but what happens after the immediate problems end. When the dead are buried, water and food supply channels restored, and transportation moving, what kind of lives will Haitians lead? Unless something is done about the level of poverty--the precarious buildings, dangerous roads, and fragile infrastructure--tragedies will occur again. Former Presidents Bush and Clinton are serving to raise money and help organize aid to Haiti. They have made a plea for help for Haiti over the long term. If you haven't given any money yet, you should act quickly. If you have already contributed to the cause, try to set aside some money so you can continue to offer help during the months and years to come. Let's not forget the people of Haiti as we have forgotten so many others when the shock of an event wears off.

Nonpartison sorrow

Partisan politics plays an important role in California and legislators seem locked within their parties, but when Governor Schwarzenegger gave his last state of the state address, you didn't have to be partisan to feel sad. Timothy Egan in the N.Y. Times expressed best perhaps the general sense of sorrow for lost opportunities that now pervades the state. The high hopes of six years ago when Californians thought a new hand at the helm could steer the state through its problems have faded. The governor and the legislature are locked into an endless battle of meeting ever-growing needs with ever-shrinking resources. It's not the government that has failed us, however, but we the citizens who have failed at directing ourselves. Californians struggled for the right to change the state through citizen initiatives and the idea was a good one. What has happened over the years, though, is that we have voted in opposing initiatives, demanding services but making it impossible to raise taxes to pay for them while making no provision for facing a recession like the one we are currently facing. Many concerned citizens believe the initiative process is broken. Our constitution surely needs an overhaul. It's time for citizens to take responsibility. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in the stars...and not even in the politicians, but in ourselves.

Hope springs eternal

Life in San Francisco can look bleak in January as we look at the gray skies knowing we should wish for rain but secretly hoping the sun will come out. In this post-holiday mood it's encouraging to see that young people are still coming up with imaginative ideas to make our city more enticing. The S.F. Chronicle today reports on a project at the Berkeley College of Environmental Design in which students designed uses for the abandoned Bay Bridge link now being replaced by a new bridge. Although the reality is that the structure will probably be torn down when the new bridge is ready, it is nonetheless fascinating to see how housing, hotels, and even farms might flourish on the span. People have unexpected ways of using space and some city projects throughout the country have provided far more pleasure than expected. New Yorkers use of the old high line railway on the West Side of Manhattan is a case in point. Wouldn't it be nice to think that in San Francisco too, we might imaginatively make abandoned spaces into places of beauty? We should all thank the students and instructors who have shown us how to dream.