Framework to Advance Jobs, Schools & our Environment

January 30, 2013 (San Diego)--To initiate implementation discussions about Proposition 39 passed by the voters, Senate Appropriations Chair Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) convened the Subcommittee on Fiscal Oversight and Bonded Indebtedness in San Diego on Friday, January 25, Joining Senator De León on the dais were Senate Appropriations Committee member Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) and San Diego representatives Senator Marty Block, and Assembly members Toni Atkins and Ben Hueso. Panelists from education, labor, business and environmental organizations outlined pitfalls to avoid when spending the more than $2 billion in energy efficiency funds generated by the initiative.

January 22, 2012  (San Diego)--After finding recent studies showing that one in four freshmen in the U.S. do not complete their first year of college, despite giving college a try, a team at CollegeAtHome.com decided to create an infographic that would show some of the reasons why.

Is it possible that high school students simply do not have a realistic idea of what college is actually like? Also, it may be possible that many of these students simply don’t see the point of staying in college due to the slow job market.

September 6, 2012  --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL/REGIONAL

• La Mesa-Spring Valley schools face cuts of $12.5 million  if tax vote fails (La Mesa Patch)
• Wages in San Diego not rising fast enough (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa City Council Candidates (La Mesa Courier)
• 10 privatization fact checks (Voice of San Diego)
• 21 homes red-tagged: What to expect from classic Brawley earthquake swarm  (NBC)
• Recruiting allegations haunt Helix, defending state football champions (Mt. Helix Patch.com)

STATE

• California jobs picture brightens (Sacramento Bee)
• Gov. Brown promotes Prop 30, warns of devastating cuts to education if it fails (Santee Patch)
• Most tax deals die as GOP stands united (UT San Diego)
• Self-driving cars approved by California legislature (CNBC)
• California way behind Germany in solar development (KCET)
• Three races could tip the balance of power in state Legislature (Sacramento Bee)
• U.S. Chamber launches ad attacking California budget, economy (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

May 20, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Two thirds of big U.S. manufacturers have moved their factories in the past two years—and the most popular destination is the U.S. Financial Times reports.

 The trend appears to be a positive and dramatic response to President Barack Obama’s plan to offer tax incentives for companies that return their operations to the U.S., while imposing tax penalties on U.S. companies that keep jobs outsourced overseas.

Among the 65% of top executives who said their company is moving operations, 40 percent said they are moving those jobs back to America, compared to 28 percent moving to China.

• 7 U.S. soldiers wounded after Afghan naval base attacked (Reuters)
• Cruiseline: 22 passengers robbed in Mexico resort (CNN)
• National gas prices up 18 cents in last two weeks (San Francisco Chronicle)
• House GOP leaders announce vote on jobs creation package as early as next week (The Hill)

• Romney wins Michigan, Arizona, in big night (CNN)
• Presidential race highlights California GOP convention (KPBS)
• Obama mocks GOP on gas price issue (USA Today)
• Poll: Romney overtaking Santorum nationally (The Hill)
• UAW to protest Romney at Daytona 500 (Detroit News)
• Maher donates $1 million to Obama super pac  (USA Today)
• Santorum says he “almost threw up” after reading JFK speech on separation of church, state (Washington Post)

• Karzai urges Afghans to avoid violent retaliations over Koran burnings  (Washington Post)
• Children left behind in world’s city boom: UNICEF (RawStory)
• Nigeria unrest: Suicide bomb targets church in Jos (BBC)
• Iran poised for big nuke jump (UT San Diego)

• FDA adds new safety warnings to statin drugs (USA Today)
• Why doctors die differently (Wall Street Journal)

President calls for trade reforms to bring jobs back to U.S., tax fairness and more

By Mia Myklebust and Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2012 (San Diego)—The State of the Union address traditionally reviews the condition of our nation and previews the President’s legislative plan for the future. This year, Barack Obama’s speech had added importance as his last State of the Union address before the 2012 election.  The incumbent presidents challenges were to address successes of his current term and his long-term goals for a potential five more years.    

The President provided evidence that economic recovery is underway. He touted his administration’s success in combating terrorism, eliminating Osama bin Ladin, ending the Iraq War and improving America’s relationships overseas. In addition, he laid out ambitious proposals for “an America built to last.”  He issued repeated calls to action, among them:

•   Trade reforms and tax credits for businesses that bring jobs back to America
•   Tax “fairness” to help middle class Americans
•   Invest savings from ending the Iraq war into reducing the deficit and creating jobs
•  Creation of a Veterans Jobs Corps
•  Prevent high school drop-outs and provide incentives to stop tuition hikes
•  End oil subsidies, increase U.S. oil production, and support clean energy  technologies
  

 
By Lori Holt Pfeiler, Associate Vice President of Our Greater San Diego Vision

By Bonnie Burns Price, Ph.D.

September 16, 2011 (Spring Valley) -- President Obama has addressed the public's concern about the lack of jobs by a proposal that addresses public needs, such as infrastructure repair, as well as jobs for the unemployed. Several elements of his proposal had bipartisan origins.

Unfortunately, Congressman Hunter (R-52CD) often puts his party ahead of both public and individual needs.

August 16, 2011 (San Diego –Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) will host a Boot Camp for Job Seekers on August 30. Her office announced the event today, following a visit to her office by constituents concerned about jobs.

“I appreciate the efforts of those who visited my office today and made their voices heard. I welcome their suggestions for job creation,” Davis said. “I share the frustration that the current Congress has not done enough to address the real issue at the root of the deficit and the root of our stagnate economy – it’s the lack of jobs!"

By Miriam Raftery
 

August 21, 2011 (Spring Valley) – “What I’ve been working on is jobs and everything that I can do to strengthen the middle class,” Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) told constituents at a meeting of the Spring Valley Citizens Association Thursday evening.

 
The Congresswoman fielded questions from a audience members reflecting a broad spectrum of views and provided updates from Washington. She also discussed two upcoming events: a home mortgage clinic on August 27 and a boot camp for job seekers August 30. (Get event details.) 

Nothing but the truth!

By Will Power

August 12, 2011 (San Diego) --The U.S. government says currently we have around 11% "unemployed." But that figure just means these people are receiving unemployment compensation. Millions of other Americans have given up on finding work, gone into premature "retirement", or simply dropped out of the job market completely. The real rate is over 20%.

What exactly is "work'?

November 20, 2010 (Rancho San Diego)-- Cuyamaca College and three other community colleges will be providing free classes and hands-on work experience in green building and sustainable energy to 360 students through a training program funded by San Diego Workforce Partnership. The $1.6 million in funds for the program comes from federal stimulus money along with grants from the State Energy Program, Workforce Investment Act, and State Energy Sector Partnership and others.

By Tracy Emblem

September 14, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- President Obama recently proposed that Congress enact legislation that would provide an estimated $200 billion in tax breaks for businesses that invest in new plants and equipment, a $100 billion extension of the business tax credit for research and development, and $50 billion over the next decade to improve roads, rails and other infrastructure, to create jobs in America. However, CNN Money wisely reports, "the tax breaks might actually cost some jobs if a business buys technology from overseas that improves productivity rather than hiring more U.S. workers."

Nothing but the Truth!
 

By Will Power

September 13, 2010 (San Diego) -- Since it is clear banks and brokers would rather lay people off then hire them, it is time the U.S. Government provide entry-level jobs in public service to stimulate the economy. This worked before, when the CCC and WPA provided millions of unemployed US citizens with jobs and training that helped the U.S. out of the Great Depression.

East County News Service

September 6, 2010  -- President Barack Obama has unveiled a plan to invest $50 billion in infrastructure projects to create jobs while rebuilding our nation's highways, building high speed rail, and creating a smart air traffic control system.  The President made the announcement at LaborFest in Milwaukee before an enthusiastic crowd of working people. View video of the Laborfest speech.  

He also gave a White House address in honor of Labor Day, affirming commitment to America’s workers. He outlined past and future steps to repair the economy and strengthen the middle class, cut taxes for working families, and provide tax breaks for companies that will create jobs in America.  (Scroll down for full text of both speeches and the latest unemployment news.)

July 27, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College Adult Reentry Program will host “Your Tomorrow Starts Here,” a free informational meeting for adults interested in returning to school to reenter the workforce, learn a new career, earn a college diploma or upgrade their skills for a job promotion, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3, in Room 220 on the college campus. Admission and parking are free.

July 8, 2010 (San Diego) – “We have to make sure that California is the hub of a new clean energy economy,” Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) said in a press conference Tuesday in San Diego. She added, “If we do this right, we’re going to see the words `made in America’ again.”

The Senator’s plan includes creation of transportation jobs, including high-speed rail construction. “I’ve been to Otay and 805 and seen the jobs being created,” she noted. “I have an opponent saying nothing is happening from the Economic Recovery Act, and that’s just wrong. I see people every day who say thank you for the jobs that have been created.”

Senator Boxer to meet with San Diego business leaders today on jobs plan; has support of dozens of technology leaders

July 6, 2010 (San Diego) – Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) has launched a “Fiorina Facts and Fiction” campaign to fight back against misleading statements made by her opponent, Republican Carly Fiorina.

Independent analyses of the facts by nonpartisan groups and major media outlets support claims by Boxer, who chairs the Senate Ethics Committee, that Fiorina has distorted data on jobs, climate change legislation, and impacts of the federal stimulus bill by relying on outdated or biased sources.

View a video of Senator Boxer outlining her jobs plan during a speech at the California Democratic convention.

Get an inside look at how the election process works by becoming a poll worker on Election Day. Workers are still needed for the Gubernatorial Primary Election on June 8, especially those who are bilingual in Spanish, Filipino and Vietnamese. They will serve on standby to fill in for those poll workers who drop out at the last minute. Standby poll workers will receive their assignments a few days before the election.

May 9, 2010 (Sacramento) – “The Senate continues to make progress to restore California's economy and put people back to work,” Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) announced. In April, Senate committees passed several bills as part of “Agenda 2010”, Democrats’ plan that aspires to create 140,000 jobs without raising taxes or dismantling workplace and environmental protections.

By Assemblyman Joel Anderson

March 31,  2010 (San Diego's East County) -- A Fresno businessman, Alan Jurkonis, moved his company to Minden, Nevada last year because he said operating in California was like "death by a thousand cuts." For Mr. Jurkosis, it was far cheaper to ship his product from Nevada to Southern California than from Fresno to Southern California.

By Tracy Emblem

March 29, 2010 (San Diego) -- For far too long our government has allowed our manufacturing jobs to be outsourced to foreign countries. Recently the Blue-Green Alliance, a partnership between labor and environmental groups, called for a comprehensive industrial policy and commitment to rebuild America with green technology and products.

The public should ask both government and corporate America this question: Should corporate America focus only on making profit any possible way using the cheapest possible avenues to produce products and services they sell in America or should corporate America ask itself how do we create good paying jobs for Americans?

March 5, 2010 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont College Career Center will host “Be A Star Performer,” a free informational meeting on soft skills that can give you an edge in your job search and career success, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, at the Career Center, Room 627, on the college campus.

February 14, 2010 (Rancho San Diego) – If your company has a “help wanted” ad, you can now place your job listing free in the Rancho San Diego-Jamul Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter, The Bridge.

“We will also list job fairs as a free community service,” said RSDJ Chamber President Valerie Harrison.