Since January 2001 192,000 IT jobs and 283,200 manufacturing jobs have been lost in this state. The manufacturing figure represents a 16% loss in our industrial workforce. What follows concerns the manufacturing sector.

A recent Milken Institute study defined the following costs of manufacturing in California:

1. Basic cost is 32% above the national average.
2. Electricity costs 94 % more.
3. Taxes are 34% higher.
4. Wages are 16% higher.

To reduce the unemployment in our state I would suggest we invest all our resources into agriculture. A recent report indicated that California grows almost 50% on our nations produce. Put people to work picking produce and you have solved our problems. Start teaching how to pick from kindergarten through PhD.

Recent graduate of UC Davis: “I have a PhD in picking and would like a job”! Farmer: “Sorry, you have no experience”!

We can pay pickers next to nothing – just like they receive now. With more pickers we can offer lower wages! Many pickers sleep on the ground. They have no medical insurance so that is good – that saves money for growers.

One thing might ruin this plan though. It seems that Los Angeles is politically active and doing many things to insure it gets water. To obtain water farmers will be limited to how much water they will be allotted to grow crops. So the water needs of Los Angeles will come first. There go the crops and there go the jobs. I guess we will have large urban areas in California with people that have no jobs.

I hope that President George Bush (the elder) was correct in September of 1992 when he announced, “There are plenty of jobs at McDonalds”! Boy, are we going to need them!

Soon Californians will be crossing the border to Mexico to find work to exist. How things can and do change in life! :)

Tom