DaringFireball.net linked to Paul Krugman’s argument, in an article written in 1997 for Slate, for the use of cheap labor in Third World countries.

“Why does the image of an Indonesian sewing sneakers for 60 cents an hour evoke so much more feeling than the image of another Indonesian earning the equivalent of 30 cents an hour trying to feed his family on a tiny plot of land—or of a Filipino scavenging on a garbage heap?”

Even having been written 14 years ago, he still has excellent points.  I think my personal problem is not so much with the wages but with the working conditions.  Also, the fact that Apple who has an ungodly amount of cash, should be doing even more to insure reasonable periods of work and safety conditions.

I am torn on this.  The majority of the world’s electronics are made in China, by workers whose workings conditions would be abhorrent to most citizens of this country.  Apple is most definitely not the only company exploiting the efficiency, flexibility, and cheapness of China.  They are definitely the largest company doing this work, but percentage-wise they are a small portion of the whole.  This article only focuses on Apple because of its popularity and brand awareness.  And, I have no doubt this article is cherry picking its sources and quotes a fair bit.

At the same time, should not Apple, being such a significant player and with such vast financial resources and power, be able to improve working conditions significantly?  Yes, but at what cost to it and its customers?  Having read the entire article, this paragraph at the end is what really stands out to me:

“But ultimately, say former Apple executives, there are few real outside pressures for change. Apple is one of the most admired brands. In a national survey conducted by The New York Times in November, 56 percent of respondents said they couldn’t think of anything negative about Apple. Fourteen percent said the worst thing about the company was that its products were too expensive. Just 2 percent mentioned overseas labor practices.”

Apple needs pressure from its customers to force its suppliers to be the safest and healthiest in China.  And, if you own one of their products and agree, you should let them know.

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UPDATE:  And, Apple CEO Tim Cook responds.  Still, it does not address the article directly, but it shows it got to him, especially since he was Apple’s COO for many year and thus was in charge of managing the supply chain.  I do not want Apple to be merely good or even better than its competitors in this area, I want it to aim to be inspirational and truly ethical in its Chinese dealings.

“Reportedly, fully 20 percent—some 200 million—of the world’s mobile devices incorporate a clear cover made of Corning’s Gorilla Glass brand toughened aluminosilicate glass. Depending on the particular test used to make the determination, Gorilla Glass is seven or eight times stronger than the common soda-lime glasses used, for instance, in most windowpanes.”

Science!!

“First came the real-estate developments, the rapidly rising tuition and an international program with an explicit mandate to drastically increase enrollment for non-residents who pay higher tuition. Next came tense contract negotiations between administrators and the PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, who struggled for months to try and bring their wages up closer to their peers, in spite of the fact that PSU presently has a budget surplus of $54 million. With that, PSU, Inc. officially came of age, and in the spirit of that adolescence is now testing the limits of what it can get away with.”

Sent to me by a full time staff member at PSU.  None of this surprises me.  Portland State University’s approach to education is not to focus on the best possible education but simply to move as many students through their system as possible.  I am not saying PSU does not have many excellent programs and departments.  I met faculty members there that were smart and willing to spend copious amounts of their time helping their students.  But when the professor teaching hundreds of 200-level Biology students does not even get an office? That is a gigantic red flag.

Once my knee surgery is done and I can realistically head back to finish my pre-medicine prerequisites, I want to return to school.  I just cringe at the idea of returning to PSU.

“Sharing passwords, she noted, feels forbidden because it is generally discouraged by adults and involves vulnerability. And there is pressure in many teenage relationships to share passwords, just as there is to have sex.”

So, have you had the talk with your teenagers?

“Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, an FEC registered Super PAC, today announced the addition of Jon Stewart to its executive board (along with the subtraction of Stephen Colbert).

With this change the group, which had been known colloquially as Colbert Super PAC, can now be referred to as The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC. They have already begun updating all of their letterhead with sharpie.”

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Super PACs can raise unlimited sums from corporations, unions and other groups, as well as individuals. Just in case anyone out there still thought the future of our country was not for sale.

Thanks to the Outdoor Recreation program at Portland Parks & Recreation, I climbed Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Baker for the very first time.  I also joined Dan, Kevin, Bret and Cameron on their own first Mt. Hood summits.  And then, there was that lovely sailing trip in the San Juans on the Schooner Zodiac.  Those trips started me down a path leading to even more adventures and eventually me becoming an outdoor guide.

But now, the Outdoor Education program is on the chopping block in all three budget cut packages suggested for this year.  Cutting the program will end up saving the city a whopping $71,412, according to the Budget Advisory Committee.  What will result from cutting the entire program?

“This cut package would eliminate the Outdoor Recreation Program Coordinator position…[this] individual operates the Outdoor Recreation Program and supervises 7 FTE and 7 seasonal staff working in Environmental Education, Urban Forestry Education, and Stewardship. The supervisor is also responsible for supervising the Youth Conservation Crew program.”

“The Outdoor Recreation program is one of very few that maintains commercial special use permits for US Forest Service, BLM, and Crater Lake. If these permits are not maintained, they will be lost. This program has two areas of focus: Adult Outdoor Adventures and Ultimate TEEN Adventures. The adult program focuses on mountain climbing, backpacking, hiking, and camping as well as water sports (kayaking and whitewater rafting), snow sports, outdoor skills (fly fishing, map & compass/GPS), urban exploration, and extended trips to areas such as Yellowstone and Breitenbush. The teen program provides trips for ages 11-18. The program engages teens in active outdoor programs while infusing knowledge about natural resources, minimum impact considerations, and stewardship.

The loss of the Outdoor Recreation teen program would directly impact the City Nature Environmental Education teen program. Last summer this program engaged 350 at-risk teens in Outdoor Recreation for a total of 2,800 contact hours in nature. Teens experienced physically active adventures such as backpacking, kayaking, hiking, snowboarding, and skiing. The teen program partnered with Outreach Services to offer immigrant and diverse communities a first taste of PP&R programming. These agencies included El Programa Hispano, Hacienda, Ortiz Family Services, Volunteers of America, and the Jeffereson High School MECHA club.”

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If the position is cut, some of these programs will be restructured under different supervisors, which I am sure will turn out well. The final recommendations will be submitted to the mayor after January 13th, so if destroying the entire Portland Park & Recreation Outdoor Recreation program seems like a bad idea to you, it might be a good idea to inform the following people:

Commissioner Nick Fish
1221 SW 4th Ave, Room 240
Portland, OR 97204
503-823-3589

Parks Director, Mike Abbaté
1120 SW Fifth Ave #1302
Portland, OR 97204
503-823-5379