The great jobspocalypse and more of the week's economic disasters

photo by *Saariy*

Job talk ruled the week, as the number of people seeking unemployment assistance nationwide went up 22,000--in the midst of an east coast snowpocalypse that some say is keeping higher numbers from wading out to file claims.

No snow in the Bay Area, but we certainly have unemployment, which has been on San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's mind as of late. Here at KALW News, we talked to Newsom about his Jobs Now program. The federally-funded program, which is receiving national attention, allows private companies, non-profits, and government agencies to hire new employees, while the city picks up the tab for their salaries/wages through September.

While Newsom points to the project as evidence of the federal stimulus' success at lowering unemployment, over at the Wall Street Journal, renowned conservative economist Robert J. Barrow argues that since stimulus money has been hastily spent on short-sighted cash infusions, the costs for stimulus programs will overshadow their benefits in the long run.

In a bipartisan surprise, the Senate passed a new jobs bill this week, which will provide tax credits to employers who hire new employees. Notably, the measure does not include an extension for unemployment benefits and COBRA, which are set to expire on Sunday. Several emergency measures to extend the programs have been introduced over the past few days, but Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning continues to deflect the efforts.

Meanwhile, some 2.7 million people are poised to lose their unemployment benefits come April, even as economists increasingly worry that the modestly recovering private sector won't be able to absorb anything more than a fraction of those looking for work for a long, long time.

On a civic front, the budget cuts continue, with some localities pursuing unconventional sources of revenue--like turning 911 into a 1-900 number. The Sacramento Valley town of Tracy has decided to charge callers $300 per dial. Residents do have an alternative, however--for a yearly fee of $48, you can sign up for a sort of calling plan that gets you unlimited, anytime access to emergency services.

In San Francisco, news that the school district is poised to lay off 900 employees prompted local parents to organize a forum with local politicians on the future of education. KALW News faithfully recorded the event.

At the state level, things are quiet. Some say, too quiet, as lawmakers seem to be putting off tackling what promises to be an insane budget-making process, opting to spend their time  passing a resolution making the first seven days of March "Cuss Free Week."  Memo to the legislature: get the *%&@$ back to work!