Back to Archive Index   Back to Today's Entries

Wednesday, August 31st

Rebuilding New Orleans--somewhere else
Watching the scene in New Orleans from afar, it’s difficult to imagine the extent of devastation.

"Brace for more Katrinas, warn experts," read a recent USA Today headline, and the text: "global warming appears to be pumping up the power of big Atlantic storms."

I imagine many readers of The New Colonist have experienced frustration from the sense that "global warming" is something that's been ignored. I suspect global warming will be to George W. Bush what the AIDs epedemic is to Ronald Reagan. Although as horrible as AIDs was and is, the threat posed by global warming is much greater.

Unfortunately I suspect we're at the point where global warming can't be reversed. The number of cars on the road in the world is increasing too fast and too much damage will be done by the time we simply run out of fuel. It's obvious our politicians are either unwilling or impotent to do anything.

While we must remain vigilant in expressing the need to address global warming, we must also begin to live with it. I'm afraid that means finding ways to move populations away from hurricane-prone coasts. No region is safe from natural disasters, but other regions don't face a risk of what we're seeing on television this week.

I suspect this will happen to some degree naturally as it does in earthquake prone areas. Many people relocate after encountering an experience that is sure to be life-altering. At this point other cities should be putting out the welcome mat offering resettlement assistance.

I'm not suggesting abandoning New Orleans entirely. It's full of history and families there stretch back generations. In the world today we are however facing many new challenges, global warming and more violent storms among them. That should not be ignored. Its part of our very existence that we are sometimes forced to adapt or perish.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.31.05 @ 08:32PST

Tuesday, August 30th

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton Helps Unveil Initiative to Connect More Americans to 21st Century Opportunities
Efforts to close the technological gap between America's haves and have-nots recently got a boost. Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and its subsidiary the National Equity Fund (NEF) are partnering with One Economy to launch "access@home," a $1 billion initiative that will build more than 15,000 affordable homes with high-speed digital Internet connectivity and provide low-income families personal access to computers and technology services. The initiative expects to connect nearly 100,000 people to the vast advantage of the Internet.

Despite an overall increase in the number of U.S. households with computers and/or Internet access, low-income Americans remain significantly less likely to be online than middle- or high-income households. In fact, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year comprise only 18 percent of Internet users, despite comprising 28 percent of the population. Low-income youth are especially hard hit, being eight times less likely to use computers at home as children in families earning $75,000 or more.

The US Department of Commerce estimates that 95% of new jobs created will require significant computer skills. According to projections from the US Labor Department, eight of the ten fastest-growing jobs in the period 2000-2010 are computer-related. Unfamiliarity with technology can actually bar people from the doors of their would-be workplaces: of the 92% of Fortune 500 companies that used corporate websites for active job recruitment in 2003, one-third did not give job seekers the option of applying for jobs offline.

Access@home will develop over 15,000 affordable rental homes and apartments in communities across the country, including 3,000 units in New York State, over the next five years. Residents in each of these properties will have high-speed digital access and a package of Internet related services from One Economy, including computer purchase vouchers, computer training for residents, and a community-specific "Beehive," a website sponsored by One Economy that provides information about personal finance, health, schools, jobs, childcare, and other services.

The $1 billion financing package for access@home includes both low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) investments from NEF and grants and loans from LISC. Organizations already lending their support to access@home include Citigroup, Washington Mutual, Deutsche Bank, and Cisco Systems, Inc. Approximately $200 million of the $1 billion access@home package will be invested in New York State communities.

LISC/NEF and One Economy were joined by U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Former Treasury Secretary and LISC chairman Robert E. Rubin, and other local and national dignitaries.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.30.05 @ 14:47PST

TSR Predicts One of the Most Active Hurricane Seasons on Record
Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), the consortium of experts on insurance, risk management and seasonal climate forecasting led by UCL’s Benfield Hazard Research Centre, today increased its forecast for Atlantic basin hurricane activity in 2005 by a further 30%. The forecast calls for record-breaking activity levels at sea, and for U.S. striking activity to be above-average to high probability though less severe than in 2004.

Based on current and projected climate signals, TSR’s updated forecast released today predicts Atlantic
basin activity to be record-breaking at 150% above-average and U.S. landfalling tropical cyclone activity to be 90% above-average. The prediction includes:

· A 100% (certain) probability of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season.
· 22 tropical storms for the Atlantic basin as a whole, with eleven of these being hurricanes and seven
intense hurricanes
· An 85% (high) probability of an above-normal U.S. landfalling hurricane activity, a 15% likelihood of a
near-normal season and a 0% chance of a below-normal season
· Seven tropical storm strikes on the U.S., of which three will be hurricanes
· Three tropical storm hits, including two hurricanes on the Caribbean Lesser Antilles.

The predicted seasonal totals include the considerable activity which occurred during June and July (seven tropical storms and two intense hurricanes; three U.S. striking tropical storms of which one (Dennis) was a hurricane). If verified, the total of 22 tropical storms would be the highest ever recorded in a North Atlantic season.

TSR’s two predictors for hurricane activity at sea are the forecast July-September 2005 trade wind speed
over the Caribbean and tropical North Atlantic, and the forecast August-September 2005 sea surface
temperature (SST) in the tropical North Atlantic. The former influences cyclonic vorticity (the spinning up of storms) while the latter provides heat and moisture to power incipient storms. TSR anticipates both
predictors to have strong enhancing effects on activity in 2005. Only three hurricane seasons since 1950
(1955, 1995, and 1999) have had a trade wind speed higher than that forecast for 2005. The only year with an SST value higher than that foreseen for 2005 is 2004.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.30.05 @ 12:32PST

Sunday, August 28th

New Orleans Mayor Nagin Urges Citizens to Prepare For Hurricane Katrina
In response to the potential threat of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin is urging all citizens to begin preparations now for the coming storm. Mayor Nagin will hold the next press briefing at 5 p.m. today in the Mayor’s Press Room, second floor of City Hall.

The Mayor also recommended that residents of Algiers, the Lower Ninth Ward and low-lying areas begin evacuating now.

Gov. Blanco also urged citizens to take the storm seriously.

Mayor Nagin is working with Gov. Kathleen Blanco and other City, local and State officials are watching the storm’s path and working together to make decisions that affect citizens. Gov. Blanco has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, which provides city government with additional authority and improved access to resources needed when responding to elevated threats, such as natural disasters.

A state of emergency has been declared for the City of New Orleans. Citizens are advised to:
• Fill their cars with gas. Tolls have been suspended on roadways.
• Remove potential debris from their yards (including lawn furniture, potted plants, loose tree branches, etc.)
• Board windows and glass doors
• Make sure that nearby catch basins are clear of leaves or trash
• Stock up on bottled water, batteries, and non-perishable food items
• Check on family, friends and neighbors, especially the elderly, to make sure everyone has an evacuation plan
• Make provisions for pets. Shelters and many hotels do not accept pets.

Shelters for Citizens with Special Medical Needs

There are two shelters for people with special medical needs open in the state. Citizens should call prior to going to the shelters. The shelter in Alexandria can be reached at (800) 841-5778; the number for Monroe’s shelter is (866) 280-7287. If it becomes necessary, other shelters will be opened in various cities. The Superdome will be opened as a refuge of last resort for special needs patients if it becomes necessary. All individuals may have one caretaker.

Anyone planning to spend time in a shelter should bring three to four days’ worth of food, sleeping gear, and medical supplies including oxygen, medicine and batteries for any necessary devices. No weapons or bulky items are allowed in any shelters.

New Orleans EMS is responding to medical emergencies only. For non-emergency transportation needs, citizens should contact local non-emergency ambulance providers:

Acadian: (504) 366-0911
Lifeguard: (504) 214-1911
Guardian: (504) 818-2600
A-Med: (504) 362-9490
Care: (504) 367-4231
On-Call: (504) 866-0481

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.28.05 @ 19:19PST
Friday, August 26th

Buffalo, N.Y. Rated Most Affordable Major U.S. Housing Market
The metropolitan statistical area comprising Buffalo and Niagara Falls, N.Y. is the nation’s most affordable housing market among major metros with populations over 500,000, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) for the second quarter of 2005.

Also near the top of the affordability scale among major metros with populations over 500,000 were Indianapolis, Ind.; Dayton, Ohio, and the area encompassing Youngstown, Warren and Boardman, Ohio-Pa., in that order.

Ohio scored the greatest number of major metros on the top-10 list, with a total of four (including Dayton, Youngstown, Toledo and Akron). The state also had three of the 10 most affordable metro areas with populations under 500,000, including Mansfield, Lima and the area comprising Canton and Massillon, Ohio.

Overall housing affordability across the United States fell for the second consecutive quarter, dipping 4.2 points to 45.9 on the HOI – meaning that approximately 46 percent of new and existing homes sold in the second quarter were affordable to median-income families. This decline was mostly attributable to a 7 percent gain in the average price of homes sold in the year’s second quarter versus the first quarter.

In the most affordable major metro area of Buffalo-Niagara Falls, nearly 90 percent of new and existing homes sold during the second quarter were affordable to families making the area’s median income of $57,000. The median price of homes that sold in Buffalo during the second quarter was just $75,000.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. – the least affordable major metro with 500,000 or more people – just 3.6 percent of all homes sold were affordable to those making the median income of $54,500 when the median sales price was $461,000.

California once again was the least affordable state overall, with eight out of 10 metros on the least affordable list among markets with over 500,000 people and nine out of 10 metros on the list for markets under 500,000.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.26.05 @ 11:02PST

Census Bureau and HUD Release Data on Housing Characteristics
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
released new American Housing Survey (AHS) data on costs and other housing characteristics for 13 metropolitan areas. These areas are: Atlanta; Cleveland; Denver; Hartford, Conn.; Indianapolis; Memphis, Tenn.; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Pittsburgh; Sacramento, Calif.; San Antonio; Seattle; and St. Louis. The AHS is conducted by the Census Bureau and sponsored by HUD.

The AHS data for each of these metropolitan areas include 2004 statistics on housing topics.
Among these are reasons for owning an extra home, the presence of air-conditioning and other equipment, amenities and deficiencies, heating fuels used, size of homes, satisfaction with public transportation and neighborhood police protection and reasons for moving. Also included is data on the existence of trails, private beaches and daycare centers in the community.

Some of the findings are:

Median monthly housing costs in 2004 totaled $694 for homeowners and $593 for renters in the St. Louis metropolitan area. These costs amounted to 17 percent of the owners’ and 27 percent of the renters’ income.

On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the highest, 28 percent of homeowners in the Atlanta metropolitan area rated their neighborhoods a “10.”

In the Sacramento, Calif., metropolitan area, 24 percent of all workers usually worked at home at some point during a typical week; about the same percent of those in the Seattle metropolitan area did so. Some of these workers were teleworking.

In the San Antonio metropolitan area, 86 percent of homes had central air-conditioning; the same was true of 30 percent of those in the Hartford, Conn., metropolitan area.

In the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, 20 percent of the residents who moved in the past year cited “convenient to job” as the main reason (among 10 possible reasons) for their choice of present neighborhood.

In the New Orleans metropolitan area, 7 percent of homeowners had a second mortgage on their home, while 43 percent owned their home mortgage-free.

Median home value in the Memphis, Tenn., metropolitan area totaled $110,014.

About 20 percent of homeowners in the Cleveland metropolitan area reported crime in their neighborhoods. In the Denver area, the corresponding proportion was 23 percent.

Among householders in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, 63 percent lived less than
one mile from neighborhood shopping. Meanwhile 2 percent used public transportation at least once a week.

The predominant house heating fuel in the Indianapolis metropolitan area was piped gas, used by 64 percent of occupied units.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.26.05 @ 04:15PST

Thursday, August 25th

Bikes, Gas, and a Little Effort
Interesting article on ESPN, showing that maybe common sense is starting to affect regular Americans...here's a couple of snippets:

The two most famous Texan cyclists rode together last weekend when Lance Armstrong joined President Bush for some mountain biking. Had they raced, it would have been an interesting competition. Lance is the stronger cyclist but Bush has the better-armed peloton.

I've been riding a lot since coming back from the Tour de France, and I've got to say, I love it. I'm to the point now where I would much rather ride my bike than drive. The only thing that might be more exhilarating than racing downhill with the wind rushing across your face is pedaling past a Hummer 2 while it fills up at the gas station. $82, $83, $84 ...

[...]

Is this just some unrealistic dream by a guy who clearly needs to wear a bike helmet more often? Maybe. But then I read that Nike has sold more than 50 million Livestrong bands. And I think: If Lance can start a fashion trend and get Americans to wear yellow bands on their wrists, maybe with the help of the president, he can inspire us to do something even more dramatic.

I ask you: What's a better show of real patriotism -- cutting foreign oil consumption by occasionally riding a bike or slapping a flag sticker on your SUV that gets 11 miles to the gallon?

For the complete article, by Jim Caple, go to ESPN.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 08.25.05 @ 12:08PST

A Little Self Promotion
Planning for a trip to Chicago I checked all the usual sites trying to find the best deal. Hotels.com was one of the choices. If you're familiar with Hotels.com, you may not realize that the large database of hotels provided is also available through Newcolonist.com. I found the best price using the hotel search on our site. Plus I could see what hotel it was before I purchased. If you're looking for a hotel room, search here first. You'll be supporting our efforts to promote sustainable city life while finding the best deal on a hotel.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.25.05 @ 11:29PST

Sunday, August 21st

The Lure of the Ohio River
'You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
Mark Twain


The Ohio River begins in Pittsburgh. The water flows some 981 miles until it reaches the Mississippi in Southern Illinois.

The river has been of varying degrees of importance to us over the years. Pittsburgh was settled because of the location where three rivers meet. They've been useful in transportation, as a repository for industrial waste, and in more recent times for recreation.

Life in Pittsburgh may not be so different than say life in Atlanta or Cleveland because of the rivers. Most days, they're just something to cross--an obstacle at best. Yet like many River cities, the flow feeds life to the city--and we've recently started to rediscover the necessary connection between our city and the rivers. I can't imagine Pittsburgh without them.

Once prosperous, life has been hard in the last half-century for many river towns. Pittsburgh's fortunes seem to come and go with the currents. Traveling down the Ohio River, as I had the opportunity to do this past weekend, was a trip into some very different places, places with life more directly connected to the river.

The first stop was Parkersburg, West Virginia. I didn't know what to expect there. I knew the town was celebrating its homecoming. Undoubtedly Parkersburg is a place from which many leave. Judging from the size of the celebration it is a place to which many return.

The small city was alive with festivities. A midway with food, games and crafts was set up. There were a few amusement rides and military displays. I saw no sign of anti-war protests here (although while I was away I heard reports of a lively protest in Pittsburgh). Folks gathered around to see a military helicopter and other equipment. A country band set up on one of at least three stages sang a tune with a patriotic theme to it, though I can't recall the exact song.

The town was largely white. I haven't seen so many little white children in some time. The faces of the future in Pittsburgh may be less diverse than in other cities (and San Francisco is pretty much without folks under 18). Interestingly a famous half-marathon brought some internationals to this small Ohio River town--most from Kenya. (The headline of this morning's Parkersburg News read "Kenya Catch 'em.")

After the Kenyan's leave and the homecoming celebrations subside, I suppose Parkersburg will return to its sleepy self. The main street in the city, Market Street, is made up mostly of old storefronts used as offices or standing vacant. There is a coffee shop and a nice historic hotel called the Blennerhassett. The city has a very attractive County Courthouse built by the Masons and some other nice structures, all sitting between "missing teeth" filled with cars.

The town is also separated from the river by a flood wall. If I were asked how to improve the city, my first thoughts would be to build housing in the missing teeth, and find some way to better connect the city physically to the river.

Before moving on, I want to say that the amount of community spirit, if not civic pride in Parkersburg was remarkable. All the events were very professionally run and it would seem a lot of people put forth extraordinary efforts to make the homecoming successful.


The trip was not without small annoyances. Specifically I'll mention the "seized vehicles" that were paraded through the town along with marching bands and Shriner cars. "This vehicle seized in a drug raid" was printed on a Mercedes convertible and black SUV. Two men dressed in military fatigues stood on the sideboards of the SUV. This seemed to me to be an unnecessary show of conquest and even a threat to the populace--in a place I suspect where poverty doesn't help make it easy to be law-abiding citizens.

The next town I visited was Marietta, Ohio. It's just a bit upriver from Parkersburg. The architecture there was much more residential. Stately homes line up behind century-old shade trees. Unlike Parkersburg, the main business district is filled with shops and restaurants. I can't help but conclude this is because of the attractive residential areas in close proximity.

I also visited Athens, Ohio. While it does sport a river, it could more easily be described as a college town than a river town.

This morning I drove along route 2 and then 7 North to Wheeling. I've talked about Wheeling before. It's filled with really nice empty buildings and stands as a very attractive city waiting for life. I wanted to have lunch at the Central Market, but unfortunately everything was closed on Sunday. If you're looking for a challenge and a cheap building, go to Wheeling. I have little doubt someday it will be discovered and again fill with life and people.

Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Wheeling and Marietta. The Ohio River is the force that breathed life into these cities. They may not currently make the list of fastest growing or hippest, but visiting them one can reveal the most basic connection between life, people and land--something completely lost on Atlanta or Las Vegas. The river can breathe life into these cities once again.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.21.05 @ 12:01PST

"Running on Fumes"
Just read an excellent article by Phil Rockstroh, of which a snippet follows:

Riding American interstate highways one feels the confluence of so much contemporary madness and tragedy ... so much barely-submerged fear and aggression ... yet, through it all, the yearning to see what lies over to next horizon remains in our hearts. Even though, sadly, what lies over the next horizon has become as sterile, inhospitable, ugly, and inhuman as what was experienced at the last. Here: The realities of global capitalism are displayed, in stark relief: it's all based on oil -- sustained by brutal imperialism and the wholesale destruction of the natural world -- and, for all our self-impressed proclamations that these things are the progenitors of freedom and human advancement -- we Americans, the supposed beneficiaries of it all, have been left spoiled, stupefied, and alienated -- both from the banality and garishness of our nation's commercially tortured, community-devoid landscape as well as from our own inner-most longings.
[...]
The ethos, accoutrements, and detritus of the interstate has come to define American life: hideous off-the-exit-ramp types of food are now the stable foods of the empire; the smell of exhaust fumes are our pheromonal musks; and reptilian brain reactions such as road rage and our deference to over-sized pickup truck/SUV/Humvee bigness are the lingua franca of our political discourse and foreign policy. Moreover, the single, isolated passenger-per-vehicle idiocy of the American commuter is mirrored in the everyday American cretin-on-the-street iPod-insulated obliviousness of the larger world ... the prevalent "personal style" of so many of the empire's children of empty entitlement.

To read it all:

Running on Fumes: a Journey to the End of Empire

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 08.21.05 @ 07:28PST

Monday, August 15th

Texas Becomes Nation’s Newest “Majority-Minority” State
Texas has now joined Hawaii, New Mexico and California as a majority-minority state, along with the District of Columbia, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. Five states — Maryland, Mississippi, Georgia, New York and Arizona — are next in line with minority populations of about 40 percent. (The minority population includes all people except non-Hispanic single-race whites.)

According to July 1, 2004, population estimates, Texas had a minority population of 11.3 million, comprising 50.2 percent of its total population of 22.5 million. In comparison, 77 percent of Hawaii’s population was minority. In New Mexico and California, the proportions were 57 percent and 56 percent, respectively, while the District of Columbia was 70 percent minority.

The following race data are for people reporting their specified race, whether or not they reported any other races, and for Hispanics (who may be of any race).

State and County Highlights

Hispanics (may be of any race) — California had the largest Hispanic population in July 2004 (12.4 million) and the largest numerical increase (351,000) since July 2003; New Mexico was the state where Hispanics comprised the highest proportion of the total population (43 percent).

Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest Hispanic population (4.6 million) in 2004 and the biggest numerical increase (76,400) since July 2003.

Blacks — New York had the largest black population in July 2004 (3.5 million); Florida had the largest numerical increase (85,900) since July 2003. The District of Columbia was where blacks comprised the highest proportion of the total population (59 percent).

Cook County, Ill., had the largest black population (1.4 million); and Broward County, Fla., had the largest numerical increase (17,900) between 2003 and 2004.

Asians — California had both the largest Asian population (4.8 million) in July 2004 and the largest numerical increase (123,000) since July 2003; Hawaii was the state where Asians made up the highest proportion of the total population (58 percent).

Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest Asian population (1.4 million) and the largest numerical increase (25,200) from 2003 to 2004.

American Indians and Alaska natives (AIAN) — California had the largest population of AIAN (687,400) in July 2004; Arizona had the largest numerical increase (6,400) since July 2003; Alaska was the state where AIAN made up the highest proportion (19 percent) of the total.

Los Angeles County had the largest population of AIAN in 2004 (153,500); Maricopa County, Ariz., had the largest numerical increase between 2003 and 2004 (3,000).

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders (NHPI) — Hawaii had the largest population of NHPI (279,700); California, the largest numerical increase (3,400) since July 2003; Hawaii also was where NHPI made up the largest proportion (22 percent) of the total population.

Honolulu County, Hawaii, had the largest population of NHPI (183,200); and Clark County, Nev., registered the largest numerical increase (1,100) between 2003 and 2004.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.15.05 @ 13:17PST

Sunday, August 14th

Alabama First State To Curb Eminent Domain Abuse After Kelo
With his signature Governor Bob Riley recently made Alabama the first state to give its citizens stronger protections against eminent domain for private profit in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. City of New London.

That decision gave governments nationwide the power to seize homes, small businesses, churches and other property to benefit private interests without violating the U.S. Constitution. Instead of giving meaning to the Constitution’s “public use” limitation on the power of eminent domain, the Court left it up to states and municipalities to protect home and small business owners from seizure for private development.

The Alabama legislation prohibits cities and counties from using eminent domain for private development or for enhancing tax revenue. But it creates an exception that allows seizure of so-called “blighted” properties so that they can be turned over to private interests.

Responding to public outcry over the Kelo ruling, lawmakers in at least 31 states and the U.S. Congress have taken swift action to curb eminent domain abuse.

In the wake of Kelo, legislation has been introduced in seventeen states (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas) limiting the use of eminent domain for private projects or tightening eminent domain procedures. Lawmakers in another seven states (Alaska, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, South Carolina and Wisconsin) have announced plans to introduce eminent domain legislation in upcoming sessions. Legislators in Colorado, Georgia and Virginia now hope to revive previously introduced bills.

Legislators in Alabama, California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas and Michigan are mobilizing to support state constitutional amendments prohibiting eminent domain for private development. Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee and New Hampshire have created state commissions to study the use of eminent domain and ways of reining in abuse.

Legislators in Connecticut and New York have called for moratoria on the use of eminent domain until their legislatures can revise the law to protect property owners. The City of New London, Conn., has agreed to abide by the moratorium and allow Susette Kelo and the other homeowners to stay for now.

Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner also signed eminent domain legislation in the wake of Kelo, but that bill appears to reinforce—not limit—the ruling. The bill simply requires that cities have a plan when condemning property and that the condemnations are for a “recognized public use,” which under Kelo includes private economic development.

Federal lawmakers have also moved to curb eminent domain abuse. Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Wisconsin Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., introduced legislation in Congress that would bar federal funding for projects involving takings for private profit. By a large margin, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the Kelo decision. California Rep. Maxine Waters introduced legislation that would withhold community development block grants from communities that do not prohibit eminent domain abuse. Texas Rep. Henry Bonilla proposed prohibiting federal development assistance for cities that abuse eminent domain.

Poll after poll shows Americans virtually united against eminent domain for private profit. Eighty-nine percent of Connecticut voters say the legislature should limit eminent domain, according to a poll by Quinnipiac University. Ninety-three percent of New Hampshire citizens oppose takings for private development, according to the University of New Hampshire. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that Americans cite private property rights as the current legal issue they care most about.

To channel popular outrage into lasting legislative change, the Institute for Justice and its Castle Coalition grassroots arm launched a $3 million Hands Off My Home campaign. The campaign supports eminent domain reform at the state and local level and equips ordinary Americans with the means to protect their homes, small businesses and churches from eminent domain for private profit. Citizens can join the Castle Coalition and learn how to get involved in Hands Off My Home at Castle Coalition.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.14.05 @ 11:02PST

Friday, August 12th

A City That Works
Sometimes there are accidents. Sometimes there are places where accidents are more likely to occur. A person, either pedestrian or motorist, may unwittingly come upon a place where an accident does occur. That may be the result of a chance accident that could not have been prevented. Then there are other accidents at places where thousands have been avoided before. We've all noticed these, although we may not have related them to the place where they occured. "Almost an accicent."

I had witnessed these "almost" kind of accidents, and then an actual accident that to my knowledge did not involve a pedestrian--but it could have. That's why I requested better "pedestrian crossing" signs be placed at this intersection. Its the job of those of us who see the same "almost" places every day to lessen the chance of an accident. It's the city that can take on this great responsibility and service. This is because a city is full of "eyes on the street" to notice the situations and see that they are improved.

Of course sometimes we feel powerless. I wasn't sure my requests for improved pedestrain crossing signs would be heard, let alone acted upon. Today I was pleased to notice a crew putting up several new signs at this intersection. I have seen first hand that the phrase "eyes on the street" does have meaning, and the city that seems it can't sometimes does.

With any luck we'll have lessened the "almosts" that occur at Middle and North Avenue in Pittsburgh. Thank you to Councilman Luke Ravenstahl and the crew who got this done.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.12.05 @ 11:48PST

Thursday, August 11th

Playtime's Over
OK, folks, playtime's over...the effect of our self-indulgence is hitting what climate scientists call the "tipping point," where the whole mess starts to slide over a cliff. It's not a lifestyle issue, kids, it's life and death--life and death of culture, of species, of you and me.

The permafrost is melting in western Siberia, beginning the release of millions of tons of previously trapped methane, a more powerful global warming gas than CO2; the oceans are becoming unstable from heat inputs, threatening ever-wilder storms and rebound effects on the terrestrial atmosphere, as well as depleted food supply and species diversity; tropical diseases and insect plagues are spreading beyond the equator; and there's more to come. And it's all our fault!

We know we can't wait for governments controlled by corporate goons with a next-quarter mentality to do anything about it, so we've got to do it ourselves. Start now--not tomorrow, not tonight. There are a few simple things almost everyone can do, so here's a list:

• Buy a sweater and turn down the thermostat--only a wimp needs the room at over 68°F (20°C)
• Lay off the meat: your hamburger habit depends on cleared rain forests at the equator and below-market-value leases of public land in the US, leading to massive erosion in both cases; furthermore, feedlot fattening practices force cattle to eat corn, which causes them to fart large quantities of methane--and the corn itself is grown with huge inputs of petrochemical fertilizers, pesticides, and tractor fuel
• Buy a bus pass and a bicycle and get the hell out of your car!

There's much more, of course, but this is a good start. Readers of this magazine will find a multitude of references to help them live a clean and satisfying life...but it's not just party talk anymore.

Get with it. Eat green, cuddle up, ride that bike. Quit killing us.

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 08.11.05 @ 07:49PST

Monday, August 8th

New Census Bureau County Business Report Shows New York Leads in Wages, Los Angeles in Number of Businesses
New York County (Manhattan), N.Y., had the highest payroll per employee among the nation’s largest counties, while Los Angeles County, Calif., had the highest number of business establishments, according to 2003 County Business Patterns, released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The updated report contains a variety of information on businesses in more than 1,000 industries from the national level down to states and more than 3,100 counties. It provides data on the number of establishments, number of employees and quarterly and annual payroll based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System.

Businesses and planners use the data to study economic activity and analyze economic changes over time in small areas.

The report provides information such as:

Nation-leading Los Angeles County, Calif., had 235,085 businesses, with Cook, Ill., second at 127,727, followed by New York, N.Y., at 103,313.

Los Angeles County businesses employed 3.8 million workers with annual payrolls totaling $147.4 billion. Cook had 2.4 million workers with a payroll of $102.2 billion, while New York’s 2.0 million employees earned $147.7 billion in 2003.

Among the nation’s most populous counties, New York, N.Y., businesses had the highest average annual payroll per employee at $73,032, while the average for workers in Riverside, Calif., was $28,809.

A sampling of the 50 most populous counties across the United States shows average payrolls per employee at $45,282 in Hennepin, Minn; $35,835 in Franklin, Ohio; $32,009 in Clark, Nev.; and $30,452 in Bexar, Texas.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.08.05 @ 18:10PST

Saturday, August 6th

A Little Night Music
Last night I went to the Farmers Market on Third St. to hear Wayne Kramer's band play. Kramer's a former member of the MC5, a seminal roadhouse/rock/punk band of many decades ago; now in his fifties, after much (and not unexpected) travail, he has evolved into a powerful rock poet, blasting out an intense compound of Beat wordplay, dark industrial funk, and complex and exhilarating guitar wails...singing of dreams and disaster, politics and pain, filling your spine with a commanding electricity....

At first it might seem odd to find this in the Farmers market, a long-established collection of shops and food stands, a sort of American souk, known mostly for a very real quaintness, as well as the best and cheapest vegetables in LA and some genuine good eating of every level. At times it seems that half the people milling about the outdoor tables are over 80, and the other half under thirty, with a lot of tourists thrown in, but it's a wonderful place that I visit often and feel happy in. For several years a couple of the tenants have been joining with the ownership to organize a variety of free music nights, and somehow they snagged Kramer two years ago. He is back this August.

I walked there, as usual, with Gina walking her bike beside me till we got there--her taste in sound is generally less raucous than mine, and she had some shopping to do a couple of miles down Third St. After the parting kiss, I found myself a folding chair and dissolved into the music....

After the set I glanced about, looking for Gina, who was to meet me there on the way home, and my eye fell on McCrea Adams, an old friend I hadn't seem in several years. Keyboard player and songwriter with whom I had dabbled in that craft a bit ages ago. After the usual mutual shock, I sat at his table and we fell to talking about music and old friends. A few minutes later Gina pushed her bike through the crowd and joined us at the table. She and Mac had met at a party for my old mentor, Dr. Tusler, a few years back. And so we tied together the threads of many lives, mutual friends who've spun their way to odd corners of the universe....

Another beautiful night in the City of Angels. A night that could be beautiful because of the city....

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 08.06.05 @ 08:08PST

Wednesday, August 3rd

Good News
They say newspapers never print good news. Well, today they did. It's a story about an elderly woman who became homeless. Several neighbors took her in and then found her an apartment and clothes.

The neighborhood has a reputation of socio-economic contrasts. The lower part is well-gentrified and the upper part is not-so gentrified. In any case it would seem by the empty streets that the gentrifiers quickly go in their houses, turn the alarms on and don't look out.

Not always so, apparently. I can't but help think that the urban form helped this woman as well. Perhaps that form placed these different and not-so different folks in a locale where eventually they couldn't help but notice each other. In some sense, we are all in this together. In the suburbs that's just a lot easier to ignore.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 08.03.05 @ 05:20PST