Last week, White House Press Spokesman, Jay Carney, was asked about how the average American asseses today's economic environment.  After a quick synoposis of how the White House doesn't believe the average American looks closely at the unemployment rate, he explained how the White House believes Americans discern the current economic climate:

They talk about how they feel, their own economic situation -- they measure it by whether they have a job, whether they have job security, whether they're meeting their house payments, whether their mortgage is underwater, whether they have the money to pay for their children's education or they don't.

If these are the Obama administration's benchmarks to judge the condition of the economy for the average American, then the President Obama and his economic team receive an "F."

Let's begin with Carney's phrase, "they measure it by whether they have a job[.]"  Take a look at the latest job figures.  According to the June employment report, the nation's unemployment rate stood at 9.2%.  In June, there were 18,000 jobs added in the United States -- 18,000 jobs created in a nation of 300 million people. 

The so-called real unemployment rate, which is comprised of the unemployed, those working part-time not by choice (also termed "underemployed"), and those who had given up looking for a job, stood at 16.2%.  This figure is even more bleak for minority groups and young people.

Actual numbers show that 14.1 million Americans are out of work and 8.6 million Americans are  underemployed in a labor force of 153.4 million.

Those are dismal numbers indeed.  Recall, that President Obama and his top financial gurus told us that the unemployment rate would top at about 8% due to the stimulus.  Some first grade math shows us that 9.2 is greater than 8.0. 

So, based on Carney's benchmark of whether someone "has a job," the Obama administration has failed miserably.

Then we have "job security" mentioned by Mr. Carney.  Except for the 141 members of the Obama administration who are making six figures, Americans aren't really feeling all that secure in their jobs.

A recent poll from The Hill found that 46% of voters said they feel worse off than they did a year ago, while 36% of voters indicated that their economic situation was unchanged.  So, we have almost half of all voters who are worse off financially than a year ago, and more than 80% who have seen no improvement in their financial lives over the past year.  This is despite all the so-called necessary stimulus money spent by the Obama Administration.  Again, an "F" goes to the Obama Administration on job security.

Of course, what this stimulus money was spent on and the dismal results of the spending are almost legendary.  In Los Angeles, $111 million was spent to create a whopping 54 jobs, resulting in one job created for about every $200,000 spent. 

At Stanford University, the $200 million in federal stimulus money it received resulted in the creation of 339 jobs -- a cost of $566,000 per job! 

As of February 2011, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that federal stimulus spending of $821 billion resulted in the creation of 3.6 million jobs, putting the cost per job at a mere $228,055.  What a bargain! 

Then there is the phrase indicating that Americans are doing well financially if "they're meeting their house payments."  According to the Mortgage Bankers Associaton, 8 million American homeowners are behind on their mortgage payments.  Adding to the misery, about 4.5% of homes are in foreclosure, about three to four times the historic average.  These numbers, and there are a host of other similar figures in the real estate market, have risen substantially under the leadership of the Obama financial team.  Again, based upon Mr. Carney's benchmark, the Obama administration receives an "F."

Then Carney mentioned that the economic condition of the average American can be discerned by whether that person can pay for their child's education.  Once again, the Obama administration deserves an "F" using this benchmark.

A number of school districts from California to the East Coast are experimenting with charging kids to ride the school buses to offset the rising fuel prices, maintenance on buses, and salaries for the bus drivers.  And, given the sharp increases in food prices over the last few months, school lunches or brown bag lunches are sure to be much higher when school resumes in about a month for many of our children.

In addition, thanks to many states being cash-strapped, we're likely to see an increase in fees that parents will have to pay for their children to attend schools. 

Mr. Carney provides some excellent benchmarks by which we can judge the effectiveness of President Barack Obama and his financial experts in their job performance.  By using those benchmarks, it's clear that President Obama and his financial gurus receive a "F" for nearly three years of dismal economic and fiscal policies.

Chad Stafko is a writer living in the Midwest.  He can be reached at stafko@msn.com.