Who's Making The Best Of A Bad Economy?

President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus plan is to improve the economy mainly by creating jobs. Forty billion is for creating “green jobs” and most of those will be traditional jobs gone greener. Geothermal, solar and wind energy production will be increased. There will be an increase in the production of biofuels – fuels made from non-food crops like cornstalks that emit 60% less greenhouse gases. The majority of U.S. buildings need retrofitting to save energy and U.S. products need redesigning to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances. Maybe even Kermit the frog will find it easier being green.

It’s not easier for Americans seeking cheap vacations at state parks and campgrounds. They’re likely to find higher fees and reduced hours because of economy-necessitated, budget cuts. Eleven state-run, historic sites in Illinois were closed for 5 months. Utah’s 43 state parks and museums hired fewer workers and eliminated jobs. Georgia’s state park budget was cut by about 40%. New York’s campgrounds opened later and are closing earlier than last year. Nevertheless, the number of state park visits is expected to stay about the same as 2008 – 748 million. State parks are still cheaper than hotels and motels to park vacationing families.

For families taking “staycations” the need for inexpensive, local entertainment during the recession has increased visits to unusual, local sites. In San Francisco the tour of the wastewater- treatment plant is overbooked. The Texas Prison Museum is having more visitors wanting to see things like the state’s first electric chair and toilet-paper roses made by inmates. The Rig Museum, an oil rig in Louisiana’s bayou, is having more visitors in spite of its highway billboard blowing down in 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Of course, for those of us who can’t afford local attractions, there are always guilt trips.

People in Eppelheim, Germany – home of Mercedes Benz – might not go anywhere. The town has been especially hard hit economically. Unemployment is up 70% since 2008 and many employees are working fewer hours. However, the German government provides generous unemployment checks, universal health care and inexpensive university education for all citizens. For employees working fewer hours, their employers pay for actual hours worked and the government pays the difference between those hours and usual hours. Then there’s parental leave. Couples can divide 14 months of paid parental leave and a mother’s job is secure for 3 years per child. In Germany hard times seem softer.