While last night’s senate debate between Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina covered a number of issues, it also affirmed what we have been saying all along – that jobs is issue number one.
California stuck with over 12% unemployment for what seems an eternity must unlock the formula to create more jobs. Both candidates hit the job issue hard during the debate.
Boxer excoriated Fiorina for sending 30,000 jobs overseas when she headed Hewlett-Packard. Fiorina responded that she made tough executive decisions and cut some jobs to save others.
Fiorina blamed Boxer’s policy positions for keeping the economy down, arguing that cutting regulations and taxes would lead to job growth. There is no question that taxes and regulation hinders job growth, especially for small business.
As predicted here yesterday, Boxer returned time and again to the stimulus money used to save teachers’ jobs.
Fiorina countered with Boxer’s stand on water issues for the Central Valley that has left fields fallow and unemployment soaring to the highest percentages in the state.
Boxer claimed that her actions would lead to the creation of many green jobs, although the extent green jobs will be created is deeply in question with advocates often exaggerating the potential of green job creation.
On this site, urban scholar Joel Kotkin has more than once talked about the effects on the poor and middle class workers when the hard environmental agenda is followed.
Just last month, Kotkin stated, "Though there are certainly opportunities in new energy-saving technologies, this is an enthusiasm that requires some serious curbing. One recent study hailing the new industry found that California was creating some 10,000 green jobs annually before the recession. But that won’t heal a state that has lost 700,000 jobs since then. At the same time, green promoters underestimate the impact of California’s draconian environmental rules on the economy as a whole."
The jobs argument will also play number one in the governor’s race. Meg Whitman constantly hits the jobs issue and refers to her job creating record at EBay. Jerry Brown will promote his environmental credentials and the green jobs that will come. As Kotkin noted at another time, Brown is "a mullah in the global warming jihad."
The senate race and the governor’s race will come down to the issue of jobs and which candidates can convince the voters they have the best policies for job creation.