MFC: Back in the saddle again

Wow ... what a summer.

Good, bad and ugly all played a part, causing me to fall down a little on my game.

However, I'm on my way back - albeit a little slow - and again will be back in the swing of things soon.

To begin ... here's a summary of the columns I did write this summer. Enjoy!

A game of cat and mouse
Let freedom ring
He shouldn't be there
When all is said and done
State of California - 1 ... State's youth - 0
And we wonder why
Long live 'The Press!'

Public transit etiquette

For about 18 months, I’ve used public transit as my main mode of transportation.

Caltrain between San Jose and Millbrae; San Francisco’s Muni system — buses, trains and the like; BART, to all points it can take you; and even a jaunt or two on local transit shuttles and Contra Costa’s County Connection. And of course, I’d be remiss in not mentioning the East Bay’s tried and not so true AC Transit.

Now I’m not here to share with you all the problems, issues, complaints and more I have with most of these agencies. I’ll save that soapbox sermon for another day. What I do have on my mind this week is the way in which the people who ride hither and yonder behave while out and about.

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10.1 and climbing

In most cases – on a scale of one to 10 – the higher the number the better you are. Well, news is out that the state of California has gone beyond a 10 ... and that’s not a good thing.

In January, California’s unemployment rate hit 10.1 percent – the highest in 26 years. This comes during a time when close to two million people across the state are looking for work and the national rate is wavering at 7.6 percent.

There’s no quick solution and I admit, I don’t have an answer, but aren’t there ways to lower this number? In recent weeks, I’ve had two people tell me how their employer – in order to meet his or her own business needs – have reduced employee hours. Not unlike the furloughs many are experiencing in several industries, this reduction of hours may cut one’s pay, but it at least allows them to collect some form of paycheck.

It may mean readjusting your budget, or finding a second job/gig to make ends meet, but at least it’s better than an unemployment check – and the hassles that can come with that – or nothing at all.

It’s something to think about when “furlough fever” gets you down. Trust me, I wish I’d had gotten a fever over a pink slip.

Terminator 3.5: Rage against the Legislature

Editors note: Written prior to budget approval.

He said he’d do it and he meant it.

I’m not sure state lawmakers really believed that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would hand out 20,000 pink slips to state employees at various levels, but now he has. The move — which would see about half of those jobs eliminated sooner rather than later — reportedly will save the state about $750 million.

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