A lot of discussion continues regarding the state of California’s budget.  Will it be cut to meet the tax revenue shortages?  Will taxes be increased to make up the shortfall in revenue collected at the current levels?  Will there be a mixed approach?  What about the people working for the government?  Where is there job security and benefits?  Green Collar Jobs might provide an alternative for public employees whose jobs are affected by the economic recession.

The reality in politics is that there are winners and losers.  Generally, we look at it as Democrats vs Republicans, or Labor vs Management or Haves vs Have-Nots for example.  Everybody wants their side to win, normally under the auspice of “the greater good”.  The greater good is always relative to what side you are on.  Everyone works hard to ensure that their side doesn’t lose, even at the expense of other people.

The budget is the easiest, most obvious example of this, but there are hundreds more.  The environment for example.  In order to implement the AB 32 statute on time or to implement CARB’s recommendations, individuals and businesses will have to work harder and in some cases make sacrifices.  Some will want to make these sacrifices, and other will not, hence the politics.

An effective government will work to make the transition from one job to another, when necessary, easier for those forced to make the change– whether the employees are publicly or privately employed.  That way these people feel as if they are making a lateral transition from one career to another, rather than losing something.  For example, Governor Schwarzenegger has ordered a furlough for government employees for 2 days each month and laying off 100,000 employees this February.  This move to slim down the California bureaucracy is a result of the economic recession.  Having incentives to expand the private sector– maybe in the development of green-collar businesses and jobs– would make the transition better.  No one wants to be unemployed, but rather than working to protect obsolete or expensive jobs, the state government should be working to create alternative careers in new and innovative industries to generate legitimate demand for workers.

Public employee jobs will always be under attack, but green collar jobs are going to expand exponentially in the next 5 years, especially with the election Barack Obama.  California should take advantage of it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8MORNJ8eY8]