Interactive map of unemployment in CA

Check out this map that shows the change in unemployment rates by county since last year. You can scroll your mouse over the map to see the unemployment rate in each county.

Map of unemployment in California

Recovery & reinvestment for dummies

A great article by the Center for American Progresson the recession and the recovery plan:

Recovery and Reinvestment 102

Op-Ed in The Nation proposes a good jobs strategy

An Op-Ed in the Nation from the National Employment Law Project breaks down the various strategies that should be used to ensure that low-income families benefit from the rebuilding of the American economy:

Rebuilding A Good Jobs Economy

People of color are struggling in the down economy

Staggering numbers on unemployed people of color – the stats in this article are helpful as we contextualize the need for people of color to be at the forefront of the green jobs movement

Minorities struggle in labor market

Some interesting figures:

$535: The usual median weekly earnings of Hispanic workers in the fourth quarter of 2008 (in 2008 dollars)—$207.20 less than white workers’ usual median weekly earnings during the same period.

$593: The usual median weekly earnings of African American workers in the fourth quarter of 2008 (in 2008 dollars)—$148.57 less than white workers’ usual median weekly earnings during the same period.

$748: The usual median weekly earnings of white workers in the fourth quarter of 2008 (in 2008 dollars).

More than 2M get public aid in LA County

Almost 2.2M people in LA County receive public assistance and officials believe that more will need aid as the recession continues. This figure is close to the number of people receiving assistance at the height of the 2001-03 recession. The DSS reports that this costs the government $334M/month.
20% in L.A. County get aid

LA Apollo mentioned on colorlines

LA Apollo's work to ensure green jobs are created for low-income communities is mentioned on Colorlines RaceWire blog:

LA Apollo on RaceWire

The benefits of unions

Good, brief opinion in the LA Times detailing out the benefits of unions getting people into middle class jobs. Check it out:

The power of unions

House passes energy tax bill

The house is trying to shift tax breaks from oil and gas companies to renewables....

House of Representatives voted 236-182 to pass an energy tax bill that would shift nearly $18 billion in tax breaks away from oil and gas companies to renewable energy. The President has stated that he would veto the bill (H.R. 5351) if passed by the Senate. Congress attempted to include a very similar set of tax provisions in last year's law improving fuel efficiency standards, but failed -- by just one vote -- to obtain the sixty votes needed to defeat a filibuster and keep the tax provisions in the law. This year that vote could go very differently, as Democrats may use the budget reconciliation process for an energy tax bill. Under this process, the budget resolution could spell out some fiscal goal and then Congress could later pass a bill meeting that goal with just a simple majority of votes in the Senate instead of the usual 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.

If passed by both chambers of Congress, this maneuver would set up a very public fight with the White House over whether tax breaks should be targeted toward big oil and gas companies or renewable energy.

H.R. 5351 would extend and modify the "section 45 credit" for energy from renewable sources like wind, geothermal and hydropower, at a cost of $6.6 billion over ten years. Other provisions costing over a billion dollars each include a $4,000 credit for hybrid vehicles that can be plugged into an electric socket for recharging, bonds for state and local conservation programs, the extension and modification of a $300 credit for energy efficiency improvements in homes, and bonds for infrastructure in and around the World Trade Center. Several other provisions would promote the production and use of renewable fuels and other goals.

The costs of these initiatives would be offset by provisions that reduce or eliminate tax breaks for oil and gas companies. The largest of these provisions would raise $13.6 billion over ten years by barring large oil and gas companies from using the deduction for domestic manufacturing (often called the Section 199 deduction) and limiting the deduction for smaller oil and gas companies.

http://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/2008/02/house-passes-energy-tax-bill-a.html

Grist tries to break down "Green Job Economy"

Grist, the enviro blog, breaks down how different groups are defining the "Green Job Economy"...

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/2/19/155825/434?source=biz

Debunking Right wing notions of energy and business

Progressive States Network has come out with a paper addressing the right wing propaganda machine on the issues of energy, environments and economics....

"Over the years, we've seen a sophisticated right wing propaganda machine, funded by rightwing corporate and other sources, often dominate state policy debates with junk science and politically twisted information. The Progressive States Network is launching this new, expanded monthly version of the Eye on the Right to not only expose the workings of the Right but to also provide a detailed, factual response for legislators and advocates.
The first edition looks at the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC's) Energy, Environment and Economics policy document and point by point exposes the distortions and unravels their arguments with facts and clear analysis. ALEC has long spearheaded to rightwing agenda in the states, advancing a rightwing corporate agenda under the guise of public policy reform."

http://progressivestates.org/files/eyeontheright/ALECandEnergy/ALECsplashpage.html

EJ networks come out against carbon trading (cap and trade)

National Apollo Alliance is considering getting into the mix to advocate for carbon trading credits to fund renewables, however our EJ allies are against carbon trading altogether...

On Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Environmental Justice (EJ) advocates gathered at 5 locations across California for a 10 a.m. teleconference to discuss the release of The California Environmental Justice Movement's Declaration Against Use of Carbon Trading Schemes to Address Climate Change. The Declaration details the environmental justice community’s opposition to the use of carbon trading and offsets because of their failure to achieve actual emissions reductions, the irreconcilable problems with trading experiments and offset use, and because of their inability to cause a timely fundamental change in the way we make and use energy. Rather, EJ advocates are calling for policies that focus on moving the state away from the fossil fuel infrastructure because such fuels are the overwhelming contributor to climate change and have devastating impacts on poor, low-income and communities of color in California and around the world. The coalition supports use of consistent carbon pricing mechanisms such as a carbon fee.

http://www.ejmatters.org/

To find out more, go to their media page for more info on cap and trade

http://www.ejmatters.org/media.html

State Legislative Analyst says Gov's budget is "flawed"

The state budget deficit has increased to about $16 billion, primarily due to continuing problems in the housing market and high energy prices, according to an independent budget analysis released Wednesday.

In January, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pegged the size of the budget shortfall at $14.5 billion for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Despite recent moves to sell bonds, delay payments and adopt cuts in education and health care, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill said the state's budget continues to deteriorate. In essence, California's economy continues to bring in fewer tax dollars than anticipated.

In a critical look at Schwarzenegger's spending proposal, Hill called his administration's budget-balancing approach "flawed" because it fails to prioritize state programs.

"We recommend the Legislature reject the administration's across-the-board (cutting) approach," the report said.

The report lays out an alternative budget that proposes to eliminate nonessential state programs, shift programs to local control and reduce school funding by less than the $4.3 billion the governor suggested. It also recommends closing tax loopholes to add revenue in a "reasonable manner."

http://www.sacbee.com/102/story/726092.html

Who's Greener? Obama v Clinton

Editorial on Grist.com:
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/2/4/23617/54464?source=weekly
Also has Obama & Clinton's green agendas...

Based on the writer, it comes down to these questions:
"Who will be more effective at getting a green agenda past the many obstacles it faces?
Who will do more to help downticket races and usher more Democrats into Congress?

There's been a lot of chatter about "theories of change" this election, but if you ask me, personal style matters a hell of a lot less than the number of reliable votes in Congress. So who'll get more downticket Dems elected? I think, as his recent endorsement by a string of red-state Dems attests, Obama will. He's got broader appeal with the Independents and wavering Republicans that will make the difference in close Congressional races.

So in the end, if I was forced at gunpoint to pick the greener Dem this election, it would be Obama, but only based on second-order effects, and only barely. By far the larger story this season is that both Democratic choices are advancing a green agenda substantially more ambitious than what was proposed by Kerry, Gore, or Clinton. It's hard for green Democrats to go wrong this year."

Bush signs econ stimulus plan MINUS green incentives

According to www.grist.com 's weekly email listserv:

President Bush signed an economic stimulus bill last week, meaning you may have a check winging your way after tax time. Not included in the bill: clean-energy incentives and green-job boosting, which were dropped from the Senate version after narrowly failing to get enough votes. Undeterred, Democrats in the House of Representatives have introduced legislation to extend said incentives, providing tax breaks for investments in energy efficiency and solar, wind, and geothermal power at an expected cost of $17.5 billion over 10 years. It would be financed mostly by repealing some $13.6 billion in tax breaks currently enjoyed by crazy-rich oil and gas companies. The legislation passed committee last week, and may be taken up by the full chamber this week. There's reason to hustle: Some current clean-energy incentives will expire at the end of this year if they're not renewed.

Governor orders state hiring freeze

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an today executive order freezing state hiring and halting nonessential service contracts -- a move he said could save the cash-strapped state $100 million by June 30.

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/723209.html