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Saturday, December 30th

The Ideals of Cleveland (and some new photos)
I read again the inscription on the Cleveland Convention Center, the phrase stretches along a plaza and ending at an idealistic monument that concerns us with humanity rising in flames from the local superstitions (which can be read as cultures or religions) that confine us. The words inscribed on the building, which dates back less than a century, reveal a notion that we in the twenty-first century may not comprehend. That notion is the "ideals of Cleveland." Today it is my fear we think of cities, especially ones like Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, but also the San Jose's, Cranberry's and Riverside's around us as spaces that just exist. We can change them to suit our needs, to enrich ourselves and provide convenient access to shopping, but rarely if ever do we think of cities as something that, through good design primarily but also through institutions, make us better people.

The ideals of Cleveland.

So what are the ideals of Cleveland or any city today? I would contend its something we should think about. Can a city change people? Can a city impact society? Is there to be a "civic interest" in the modern city, or is it just a place where we reside, being free to choose between cities as we choose a laundry detergent?

See some photos

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.30.06 @ 18:48PST

Saturday, December 23rd

Nearly Half of our Lives Spent with TV, Radio, Internet, Newspapers...
Adults and teens will spend nearly five months (3,518 hours) next year watching television, surfing the Internet, reading daily newspapers and listening to personal music devices. That’s only one of thousands of nuggets of information on Americana and the world in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007, released today.

According to projections from a communications industry forecast (Table 1110), people will spend 65 days in front of the TV, 41 days listening to radio and a little over a week on the Internet in 2007. Adults will spend about a week reading a daily newspaper and teens and adults will spend another week listening to recorded music. Consumer spending for media is forecasted to be $936.75 per person.

The Statistical Abstract includes topics as diverse as condo and mobile home sales to new tables on alternative work schedules and the North American cruise industry. Overall, the book features more than 1,400 tables and charts on social, political and economic facts about the United States, and the latest available international statistics.

Some examples of information contained in the new Statistical Abstract:

Online and Buy-the-Book

Among adults, 97 million Internet users sought news online in 2005, 92 million purchased a product and 91 million made a travel reservation. About 16 million used a social or professional networking site and 13 million created a blog.

U.S. consumers are projected to spend $55.5 billion to purchase 3.17 billion books in 2007.

Straight-A’s and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire

Nearly half (47 percent) of college freshmen enrolled in 2005 had earned an average grade of A in high school, compared to 2-in-10 (20 percent) in 1970. The majority (79 percent) of freshmen in 1970 had an important personal objective of “developing a meaningful philosophy of life.” By 2005, the majority of freshmen (75 percent) said their primary objective was “being very well off financially.”

There were 3.5 million U.S. millionaires in 2001, more than a half million of them (572,000) in California and about 3,000 in Vermont.

Taking Stock and the Cards We’re Dealt

More than half (50.3 percent) of U.S. households — nearly 57 million — owned stocks and mutual funds in 2005, representing 91 million individual investors. Equity owners had a median age of 51, a median household income of $65,000 and $125,000 in median household financial assets.

There were 278 million debit cards in U.S. hands in 2004, with 22.2 billion transactions amounting to more than $1 trillion.

More than half of families with credit cards (56 percent) “almost always” pay off the balance, 20 percent “sometimes” pay off the balance and another 24 percent “hardly ever” pay off the balance.

Taxing Situations; Taxiing Situations

The average tax refund in 2003 was $2,154, up from $1,802 in 2000. Average taxes due at the time of filing were $3,499 in 2003, down from $4,406 in 2000.

The greater Cincinnati airport led major U.S. airports in on-time arrivals in the last three months of 2005 with an 84.3 percent on-time rate. Salt Lake City International had the best on-time departure rate at 86.3 percent.

Waiting Rooms; Welcoming Arms

In 2004, people made more than 1.1 billion trips (ambulatory care visits) to physicians’ offices, hospital outpatient departments and emergency rooms.

More than 65 million people did volunteer work in 2005, devoting a median of 50 hours a year to religious, educational and other activities. Older Americans (age 65 and over) did the most work — 96 hours.

Fewer in Uniform

Active-duty strength for the U.S. armed forces in 2005 included 493,000 in the Army, 354,000 in the Air Force, 363,000 in the Navy and 180,000 Marines. The nearly 1.4 million men and women in uniform compares to 3 million-plus members in 1970.

The U.S. Postal Service employed 803,000 persons in 2005, down from 901,000 in 2000. They handled 211.7 billion pieces of mail in 2005, nearly double the 106.3 billion carried in 1980.

Stepping Into a Small World

Consumers stepped into 2.1 billion pairs of imported shoes in 2004. More than 98 percent of footwear purchased in the United States was imported. (Table 993)

There were 62 clams, 24 snails and 19 crustaceans on the U.S. endangered species list in 2006. In other countries, only two clams, one snail and no crustaceans were in danger of becoming extinct.

A Cornucopia: How Sweet It Is

U.S. growers harvested 11 billion bushels of corn on 75.1 million acres of farmland in 2005 About 1.9 billion bushels were exported and 1.6 billion bushels were used for ethanol.

Per capita consumption of corn sweeteners, including high-fructose syrup, totaled 78.1 pounds in the United States in 2004, up from 35.3 pounds in 1980 but on a downward trend from 81.8 pounds consumed in 2000.

Hydrated, and Increasingly Organic

Americans drank 23.2 gallons of bottled water per capita in 2004. Consumption was only 2.7 gallons of bottled water in 1980.

The retail price of a gallon of milk jumped from $2.79 in 2000 to $3.24 in 2005, while a pound of creamy peanut butter dropped from $1.96 to $1.70.

There were 8,035 certified organic growers in the United States in 2003, tending 2.2 million acres of certified land. That’s up from 6,592 growers working 1.8 million acres in 2000.

Projects, Peeves and Just Plain Pets

In 2005, homeowners spent $159.5 billion on home improvements and repairs, with $133.7 billion going to contractors.

In 2005, residents of 3.7 million of the nation’s 109 million occupied housing units were bothered by odors in their neighborhood, and people in 1.4 million homes said it smelled so bad they wanted to move.

Pet owners walked an average of 1.6 dogs in 36 percent of U.S. households in 2001, while people were tolerated by an average of 2.1 cats in 32 percent of homes.

The Lighter Side

U.S. airports screened 738.6 million passengers in 2005, confiscating 9.4 million lighters.

… the lighters would have been put to good use in China, which produced nearly 1.8 trillion cigarettes in 2004.
$25 Sierra Club membership with expedition pack.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.23.06 @ 12:58PST

Louisiana Loses Population; Arizona Edges Nevada as Fastest-Growing State
Lousiana’s population totaled 4.3 million on July 1, 2006, down nearly 220,000 from one year earlier, according to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The state lost almost 5 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina population during the course of the year. During the previous one-year period (July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005), Louisiana’s population had grown by 12,000 to 4.5 million.

Texas gained more people than any other state between July 1, 2005 and July 1, 2006 (579,275). Florida and California followed, gaining 321,697 and 303,402, respectively. Rounding out the top five states were Georgia (231,388) and Arizona (213,311).

Meanwhile, Arizona was the nation’s fastest-growing state over the period, breaking Nevada’s grip on the title, with its population rising 3.6 percent. Nevada ranked second this time,as its population climbed by 3.5 percent, followed by Idaho (2.6 percent), Georgia (2.6 percent) and Texas (2.5 percent). (See Table A below.) The South and West again monopolized the list of fastest-growing states with Utah, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and South Carolina rounding out the top 10. Colorado and South Carolina replaced Delaware and Oregon on the list this year.

According to the estimates, California remains the most populous state with a population of 36.5 million on July 1, 2006. Rounding out the top five states were Texas (23.5 million), New York (19.3 million), Florida (18.1 million) and Illinois (12.8 million).

Other highlights:

North Carolina replaced New Jersey as the 10th most populous state.

The Northeast region grew by only 62,000 people. In contrast, the South grew by 1.5 million and the West by 1 million. The Midwest added 281,000 people.

The West was the fastest-growing region, with its population climbing by 1.5 percent. The South followed (1.4 percent), with the Midwest third (0.4 percent) and the Northeast fourth (0.1 percent).

The South now accounts for 36 percent of the nation’s total population, with the West comprising 23 percent, the Midwest 22 percent and the Northeast 18 percent.

The population estimate for Puerto Rico for July 1, 2006, was 3.9 million, up about 16,000 since July 1, 2005. Puerto Rico’s rate of increase was 0.4 percent.
Banned Books

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.23.06 @ 12:51PST

Thursday, December 21st

Carfree & Care-Free in Germany
The carfree ecovillage of Vauban, in the German city of Freiburg, is a huge success and a model for the future, as attested by an article in the Christian Science Monitor. A quote:

It's pickup time at the Vauban kindergarten here at the edge of the Black Forest, but there's not a single minivan waiting for the kids. Instead, a convoy of helmet-donning moms - bicycle trailers in tow - pedal up to the entrance.

Welcome to Germany's best-known environmentally friendly neighborhood and a successful experiment in green urban living. The Vauban development - 2,000 new homes on a former military base 10 minutes by bike from the heart of Freiburg - has put into practice many ideas that were once dismissed as eco-fantasy but which are now moving to the center of public policy.

To read the entire article, go to:

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 12.21.06 @ 07:01PST

Wednesday, December 20th

Car Companies Targeting Urban Buyers
There's an article out today about car companies targeting city buyers. The onslaught of pro-urban articles recently is really making things out to be a mass return from the suburbs. Also recently articles have Toll brothers going urban and New Jersey developers betting on city developments over suburban ones. (also Robert Toll was quoted as saying its easier to develop in the city--builders around here frequently claim its harder-likely and excuse for not doing it).

Anyway, my thought was that perhaps once these boomers and young professionals get to the city, what are the chances they will discover they don't need a car? Or will the new urban America be vastly different than the one our grandparents knew with streetcars and downtown shopping? Read the article

Thoughts?

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.20.06 @ 04:34PST

Sunday, December 17th

Christmas Story House Opens in Cleveland
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Cleveland as fans from across the country today celebrated the grand opening of A Christmas Story House.

The home used in the 1983 film “A Christmas Story” has been renovated to its original movie appearance and was unveiled by its owner, Brian Jones, along with several actors from the film, including Ian Petrella (Randy), Scott Schwartz (Flick), Tedde Moore (Miss Shields), Zack Ward (Scut Farkus), Yano Anaya (Grover Dill), Patty Johnson (Head Elf) and Drew Hocevar (Male Elf).

The grand opening ceremony culminated with the lighting of the leg lamp. The infamous leg lamp, displayed prominently in the front window, serves as a beacon drawing “A Christmas Story” fans to the house. The new pop culture destination and tourist attraction is expected to receive 3,000 to 4,000 visitors in its opening weekend.

Jones, 30, of San Diego, purchased the home – sight unseen – in an eBay auction without ever having been to Ohio. A former Navy intelligence officer, Jones is a huge fan of “A Christmas Story” and sells leg lamps (just like the one in the movie) for a living through his online site www.RedRiderLegLamps.com.

Jones purchased the 111-year-old house for $150,000 on Feb. 1, 2005, and spent an additional $240,000 for the restoration work that started in January 2006 with most of the money coming from sales of his leg lamp business. He also purchased the house across the street to serve as the museum for $129,000. The museum features original props from the film, including Randy’s “I-can’t-put-my-arms-down” snowsuit.

The 1983 holiday film starred the late Darren McGavin as The Old Man and Peter Billingsley as Ralphie who famously pleaded for a Red Ryder BB gun, although everyone assured him he would only shoot his eye out. The film became a holiday favorite years after its theatrical release and is celebrated annually on cable with a daylong marathon.

A Christmas Story House is located just five minutes from downtown Cleveland at 3159 W. 11th Street in the Tremont neighborhood. It is open year-round. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. For more information or directions, visit the web site or call 216-298-4919.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.17.06 @ 06:59PST

Saturday, December 16th

Robert Toll, Katrina and the City
I noticed a great article in the WSJ yesterday about Toll Brothers moving into the downtown condo market. Great news! He anticipates a 10-15 percent shift from suburban to urban in the coming years (Toll develops high-end housing). Then my eyes widened even farther when I read his analysis of the housing slump. It would seem Bush was to blame.

We actually saw, and this could be a coincidental juxtaposition of happenstance, but we actually saw a bounce the weekend after the change in control of the House and Senate.

I think that the country went into a funk after Katrina when we looked like Bangladesh in a storm -- bodies floating upside down, the government seemingly unable to do anything about it. That was the turning point from those glorious days of yesterday when we said we can't go wrong buying this house with 5% down and selling it for $100,000 more in six months. I think with Katrina, we lost confidence in ourselves and said maybe we should take our chips off the table and sell now, and everybody went to the window at the same time.

Full Article

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.16.06 @ 05:36PST

Thursday, December 14th

The End of the Great American Housing Boom
Few recent U.S. economic trends have fueled water cooler conversations as persistently as the housing boom across most of the country over the past decade. Millions of homeowners reside in houses today that are worth far more than when they were purchased. Millions more saw a jump in their perceived net worth, enticing them to buy, sell, and then buy new homes again amid the boom. Along the way, homeowners took advantage of low interest rates to boost their access to credit, borrowing against the seemingly ever rising value of their homes for home improvements, college tuition for their kids, a new car, and other items.

Yet as a new report from the Center for American Progress shows, recently released economic data paints a far different picture of the benefits of the six-year housing boom. Over this period homeownership growth dropped sharply for a significant number of Americans—whites, Hispanics, and African Americans alike—while the equity share of homeowners’ stakes in their own homes actually decreased as homeowners piled on new debt faster than their homes appreciated. What’s worse, rising home prices led families to concentrate more and more of their wealth in their homes even as they expanded their credit lines to maintain their consumption.

These new sets of data from 2000 to 2005 allow for a detailed analysis of the housing boom in comparison to the slowdown in the housing market that began in 2006. Home price gains slowed across much of the country and in some cases, reversed direction over the course of the year. At the same time interest rates began to climb. So what does the cooling off of the once red-hot U.S. housing market mean for homeowners, renters, and the overall national economy?

Consider that between 2001 and 2005, when home values posted their sharpest gains:

• Homeownership growth rates slowed markedly amid steady economic expansion, leaving a large percentage of families without access to one of the key components of the American Dream—their own home.

• Homeowners’ equity stakes in their own homes slipped even as homeowners’ percentage of wealth tied up in their homes increased, exposing homeowning families to serious financial vulnerabilities in the event of a housing price downturn.

• Homeowners’ overall exposure to variable interest-rate loans jumped sharply right before the Federal Reserve Board embarked on its recent interest rate hike campaign.

Then consider that beginning this year, when housing prices began to flatten or reverse course:

• Rising interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages and home equity lines of credit now leave a large share of homeowners exposed to larger debt payments just as opportunities to sell their homes become scarcer.

• Slowing home appreciation or contracting home prices in tandem with higher debt payments means that domestic consumption growth is now slowing, primarily because homeowners can no longer tap the equity in their homes for new lines of credit.

• Job growth in construction, housing-related industries, and the retail sector are also slowing due to homeowners’ downturn in consumption.

The upshot? The sharp run-up in home prices, especially over the past six years, and the current flattening of home prices means that many American families may never take that first step toward homeownership due to still over-inflated housing prices and rising interest rates. Yet homeowners face the prospect of severe financial strains as interest rates rise and home sales slump amid a sharp slowdown in the ability of homeowners to sell their own homes and then buy newer, bigger ones. This means less economic activity in the important housing sector, less consumption as homeowners rein in their spending, and lower employment in key industrial and service sectors of the economy that thrived during the housing boom, which in turn points to slower economic growth.

Broadly speaking, for you, me, and the economy, that spells trouble. The detailed analysis that follows offers indications of just how serious it may become. See the report

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.14.06 @ 20:12PST

Tuesday, December 12th

A Room With A View
A year or two back one of those Sunday paper magazines named the view from Mount Washington at night as the second most beautiful sight to see in the United States. Pittsburgh is a geographically interesting place and Mount Washington is but one of the vistas afforded here (and the least affordable!) Right now there's a house for sale with the view seen in this video for less than $70K. I don't want this to sound so much like a real estate advertisement, but I am a big believer in Pittsburgh (and other mid-Atlantic, post-industrial cities.) I think its important to repopulate the places like Pittsburgh with existing and underutilized infrastructure instead of crowding the coasts and regions where water is scarce. Anyway, check out this view... and if you've thought about relocating, check out Pittsburgh (and Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, etc.)

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.12.06 @ 13:16PST

Monday, December 11th

Top Gay Destinations Announced
Nearly half of all gay men (48%) and lesbians (47%) surveyed in the U.S. say that a destination’s gay-friendliness is important to them when making leisure travel choices. In fact, over one-quarter of gay men (27%) and lesbians (28%) say gay-friendliness is “extremely” or “very important” as a consideration in travel planning, according to a new national survey conducted by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) in partnership with Harris Interactive® and Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. and released at a news conference held in Washington, D.C.’s National Press Club.

The top 21 gay-friendly U.S. destinations named by the panelists (in order) include: San Francisco, CA (76%), Key West, FL (57%), New York, NY (51%), Fire Island, NY (48%), Provincetown, MA (46%), Los Angeles, CA (38%), Miami/South Beach, FL (37%), Las Vegas, NV (35%), New Orleans, LA (34%), Palm Springs/Palm Desert, CA (33%), Boston, MA (29%), Chicago, IL (29%), Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors, FL (29%), San Diego, CA (29%), Seattle/Bellevue, WA (27%), Washington, DC (23%), Honolulu, HI (22%), Palm Beach/West Palm/Boca Raton, FL (20%), Portland, OR (18%), Philadelphia, PA (17%), and Providence, RI (6%) and Rehoboth Beach, DE (17%) tied for twenty-first.

In addition, majorities of gay men (53%) and lesbians (69%) report that a place generally identified as safe and free from intimidation and threats – especially places “where they can hold their partner’s hand in public” – is one of the top three ways they consider a destination as gay-friendly.

Four out of ten gay men (40%) and lesbians (40%) also recognize a gay-friendly environment if the city or community “is known to be culturally welcoming and to support diversity and GLBT civil rights.” Positive word of mouth is a key consideration for both gays and lesbians, and gay men (33%) and lesbians (18%) also cite “gay nightlife, gay clubs and bars” as one of their top three considerations for gay friendliness.

These are a few of the key highlights from the national survey commissioned by the Travel Industry Association in September. The online study was conducted in conjunction with Harris Interactive, a global leader in market research, along with the leading gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) strategic marketing and communications agency, Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. This study is considered first-of-its-kind because it closely examines the activities and preferences of GLBT travelers in contrast with heterosexual travelers.

The national online survey was conducted among 2,020 self-identified U.S. GLBT adult travelers (ages 21 and older) who have taken at least one leisure trip within the past 12 months and among 1,010 U.S. adults who self-identified as heterosexual and who also have taken at least one leisure trip in the past year. Both the GLBT and Heterosexual adults were randomly invited from among the overall Harris Interactive multimillion member online panel of respondents to participate in the survey.

Harris Interactive Vice President of Travel and Tourism Research Jim Quilty commented, "Contrasting GLBT activities and preferences with those of heterosexual travelers highlights marketing opportunities for destinations and companies who offer products and services to the GLBT community."

The GLBT respondents also were invited to state, from among given choices which U.S. and Canadian destinations, in their opinion, are gay-friendly.

The top 10 gay-friendly Canadian destinations named by the U.S. respondents in the survey include: Montreal, QC (44%), Toronto, ON (39%), Vancouver, BC (38%), Quebec City, QB (20%), Victoria, BC (16%), Niagara Falls, ON (15%), Ottawa, ON (12%), Calgary, AB (9%), Halifax, NS (6%) and Prince Edward Island (6%).

The new study also disclosed that gay men, whether traveling alone or in groups, tend to spend more on trips than lesbians and heterosexuals, as well as for air fare and car rentals. On their most recent trip, traveling alone, gay men on average reported that they spent nearly a third more on their total trip expenses ($800 on average) than did heterosexuals traveling alone ($540 on average). When gay men reported their last trip traveling as a group, the average spending of their entire party was $3,070, which was more than reported by heterosexual groups ($2,870) or lesbians traveling together ($2,740).

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.11.06 @ 14:23PST

Saturday, December 9th

China Celebrates Car-Free Day
From China View:

BEIJING, Dec. 4 -- Shanghai will join more than 70 cities across China next year to promote a no-car day and encourage commuters to use cleaner forms of transport.

China has set aside the week of Sept. 16-22, 2007 as its first public transport week. And on the final day, private car owners will be asked to leave their vehicles at home and ride bikes, use mass transit or walk to work, school and shopping, Qiu Baoxing, deputy minister of construction, told a national meeting in Beijing on Saturday.

If all private cars stayed off the streets for 24 hours, China would save 33 million liters of gasoline, reduce urban pollution by 90 percent and prevent an untold number of deaths and injuries from traffic accidents, authorities said.

Read the entire article at China View

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 12.09.06 @ 14:34PST

Friday, December 8th

Global Warming Outputs Increase in US
According to a new report by Michael T. Neuman, "In the U.S. in 2005, annual greenhouse gas emissions increased to 17% over 1990 amounts, amounting to 7,147.2 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent, 0.6 percent more than in 2004. There were larger increases in emissions of nitrous oxide (1.9 percent) and methane (0.9 percent). Emissions of high global warming potential gases — hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) — increased by 7.2 percent."

Neuman focuses specifically on global warming effects and outputs in his state of Wisconsin, with a wealth of charts and graphs showing the noticeable degradation of the local environment traceable to global warming effects, as well as larger changes visible region-wide.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin continues to devote billions to expanding road capacity, and continues routinely to approve coal-fired power plants using dirty technology.

To see the complete report, go to:

Richard Risemberg (rrisemberg@newcolonist.com), on 12.08.06 @ 19:31PST

Wednesday, December 6th

New York City Bans Trans-Fats
Restaurants are a major source of artificial trans fat, but customers currently have no practical way to know whether food they eat contains it. The New York City Board of Health voted unanimously to make New York City even healthier by requiring that all City restaurants remove artificial trans fat over the next 18 months. New York City is the first location in the nation to ensure removal of artificial trans fat from restaurants. Artificial trans fat increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and death by increasing bad cholesterol and decreasing good cholesterol.

Background Information about Revisions to Trans Fat Proposal
This proposal allows restaurants six months to switch to oils, margarines and shortening used for frying and spreading that have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. After 18 months, all other food items – including all margarines and shortenings – must contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. In response to comments received, the Department will:

Allow more time (18 months instead of 6) to replace artificial trans fat used in baking and in deep-frying yeast doughs and cake batters

Provide technical support for restaurants and bakeries

Helpline staffed by recognized culinary science experts

Training for restaurant personnel

Resource materials, including brochures, practical tips and information about alternatives

Provide 3 month grace period (July 1, 2007 – Oct. 1, 2007) with no fines for items in the 6 month phase-out category

Provide 3 month grace period (July 1, 2008 – Oct. 1, 2008) with no fines for items in the 18 month phase-out category

Create separate category of violations which will be posted and the web but will not determine pass/fail of routine sanitary inspections

A total of 2,340 written comments were received (including 53 people who spoke at the October 30 public hearing). Overall, 2,266 (95%) comments supported the proposal and 74 were in opposition. Unqualified support for the proposed changes came from numerous leading national and local professional societies, academic institutions, and local hospitals and advocacy groups, including the American Medical Association (AMA), National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Cancer Society (ACS), American Diabetes Association (ADA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), New York Academy of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, Harvard University, New York University, Institute for Urban Family Health, and Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.06.06 @ 06:42PST

Tuesday, December 5th

America’s Health Rankings Gives Nation its Annual Check-up
Minnesota, Vermont and New Hampshire remain nation’s healthiest states; Louisiana and Mississippi rank as least-healthy states

Americans as a whole are only 0.3 percent healthier than they were at this time last year, according to the 17th annual edition of America’s Health Rankings: A Call to Action for People & Their Communities™, released today. This increase is significantly lower than the nation’s average annual improvement of 1.5 percent documented between 1990 and 2000, and only keeps pace with the 0.3 percent average annual national improvement since 2000. The report also observes that the United States continues to trail other nations in important statistics such as healthy life expectancy and infant mortality.

The report, which is produced by United Health Foundation in partnership with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention, is a yearly assessment of the relative healthiness of the nation, based upon analysis of comprehensive determining factors such as personal behaviors, the environment in which people live and work, the decisions made by public and elected officials and the quality of medical care delivered by health professionals.

This year, the report ranks Minnesota as the healthiest state in the nation for the fourth year in a row. Vermont comes in second, followed by New Hampshire, Hawaii and Connecticut. Louisiana is ranked as the least-healthy state, while Mississippi (49), South Carolina (48), Tennessee (47) and Arkansas (46) complete the bottom five.

A National Health Analysis
Since America’s Health Rankings™ began in 1990, the nation’s overall health has improved by 18.7 percent. This national success can be attributed mostly to the reduction of several health determinants, such as infectious diseases, smoking, cardiovascular deaths, motor vehicle deaths and violent crime. In addition, there are slightly fewer children living in poverty, and more ninth graders are graduating high school within four years than in 1990. Each of these factors contributed positively to the nation’s overall health status.

Since 2000, however, the rate of improvement in the nation’s health status has essentially stagnated. Key reasons for this are the persistence of tobacco use and our nation’s relatively high infant mortality rate. This stagnation is compounded by the increasing prevalence of obesity in America. Obesity, which is up from 11.6 percent of the population in 1990 to nearly 25 percent today, is a precursor to many other diseases and plays a large role in hindering the nation’s ability to improve its overall health status.

Finally, the report makes special note of the increase in the percentage of uninsured people, which has increased from 13.4 percent in 1990 to 15.9 percent of the population today. The increasing number of uninsured Americans has significant effects on the ability to prevent disease, in addition to impeding necessary medical care delivery.

The United States Compared to Other Nations
The report also notes that the potential for optimal healthiness in the United States has not yet been achieved. Compared with other nations, the United States lags behind in several important indicators of overall health. For example, a baby girl born today in the United States can expect to live 71 healthy, active years; while a baby girl born today in Japan can expect to live 78 healthy, active years.

Particularly troubling is the report’s observation that 35 other nations have infant survival rates that are better than or equal to that of the United States. Our rate of 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births is double that of Japan, Sweden, Finland, Monaco and San Marino. Countries such as the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Spain also have better rates of infant survival.

A State-by-State Analysis
The report’s state-by-state analysis shows Illinois with the highest overall health improvement since last year (a 2.8 percent increase). Next are Ohio, with a 2.6 percent jump; Wisconsin, with a 2.3 percent increase; and Kansas, with a 2.1 percent rise. States with the greatest decline in overall health include New Mexico, which dropped 4.2 percent; Idaho, which declined by 3.9 percent; and West Virginia, which dropped 3.5 percent. But, regardless of where an individual state ranks, each state has its own set of successes and challenges.

Health Disparities among Minority Populations
The report also documents the persistence of differences in health outcomes among racial and ethnic groups in America. In his commentary on eliminating health disparities, Admiral John Agwunobi, M.D., assistant secretary for health with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, notes that Latinos in particular have the lowest rates of health insurance coverage and regular sources of health care, and are actually experiencing an overall increase in health disparities. In addition, data from the National Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program shows that the rate of pre-term births among African-American women is about four times higher than among non-Hispanic white women. It also shows that infant mortality rates vary greatly across racial and ethnic groups. The highest levels of infant deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in the nation occur within the Native American community, and its rate is 2.4 times higher than that of non-Hispanic white infants.

Information about Quality of Health Care Services Included in Report for the First Time
This year, America’s Health RankingsTM includes a state-level analysis of the quality and cost effectiveness of medical care to provide a more complete and comprehensive assessment of American health. This analysis, completed by the prestigious Dartmouth Atlas Project, shows that the quality of medical care and the cost of that care vary widely among the states.

One of the most outstanding conclusions in the analysis is that offering and rendering more services does not necessarily lead to better-quality care. In fact, in some states, the greater use of services is associated with poorer quality and lower satisfaction with care.

The Dartmouth Atlas Project also found that the treatment of patients with chronic illnesses varies widely among the states. For example, the average number of days spent in the hospital by seriously ill Medicare beneficiaries during their last six months of life varies from 7.3 days in Utah to 15.2 days in New Jersey and 16.3 days in New York. As a result, Medicare spending per patient varied nearly two-fold. The reasons for this, according to Elliott S. Fisher, M.D., professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, are factors such as the amount of time similarly ill patients spend in the hospital, how often they see physicians, the number of specialists involved in their care and how many tests and procedures they have.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.05.06 @ 05:48PST

Monday, December 4th

Yearning To Breathe Free
In 10 of the nation’s 11 most populous states, well over half the population lives in areas with smog so bad that pollution levels routinely exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards, according to a new study by the Center for American Progress and the Center for Progressive Reform that examines state enforcement of clean air laws.

The report, Paper Tigers and Killer Air: How Weak Enforcement Leaves Communities Vulnerable to Smog, reveals that state environmental agencies in the 10 profiled states lack a sufficient number of inspectors to monitor industrial emissions and enforce the law—in large part due to declining federal grants to state and local air quality agencies, which are primarily responsible for enforcing federal clean air standards.

These states (California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas) contain a total of more than 158,000 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution. But they report having fewer than 1,100 inspectors, meaning that on average each inspector is responsible for inspecting 145 permitted facilities. California and Texas each have more than 50,000 permitted polluting facilities, dwarfing the other most populous states, and they also have the worst ratio of polluting facilities to inspectors: Texas has 352 sites per inspector, while California has 166 sites per inspector.

The paltry number of state inspectors is a reflection of cutbacks in federal funding. Since 1993, federal grants to state and local air quality agencies have declined by 25 percent when adjusted for inflation, and President Bush’s FY 2007 budget calls for another significant cut of $15.6 million from a current budget of $172.7 million.

In addition, upon taking office in 2001, the Bush administration greatly relaxed inspection requirements on states. Now states must inspect polluting sources—including factories spewing tens of thousands of tons of harmful air pollutants—just once every five years.

STATE-BY-STATE AIR QUALITY STATISTICS

California

New Report: 94 Percent of Californians Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In California, 93.7 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area, for example, experienced 454 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Los Angeles-Long Beach had 182; Fresno had 331; Bakersfield had 447.

California has 60,260 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 364 inspectors—one inspector for every 166 permitted polluting facilities.


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Georgia

New Report: 55 Percent of Georgians Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In Georgia, 54.9 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Atlanta metropolitan area, for example, experienced 50 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005.

Georgia has 3,526 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 31 inspectors—one inspector for every 114 permitted polluting facilities.


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Illinois

New Report: 70 Percent of Illinois Residents Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In Illinois, 70.3 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Chicago metropolitan area, for example, experienced 51 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005.

Illinois has 6,750 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 36 inspectors—one inspector for every 188 permitted polluting facilities.

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Michigan

New Report: 78 Percent of Michiganders Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In Michigan, 78 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Detroit metropolitan area, for example, experienced 56 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland had 52.

Michigan has 4,366 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 70 inspectors—one inspector for every 62 permitted polluting facilities.

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New Jersey

New Report: 100 Percent of New Jerseyans Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In New Jersey, every single county fails to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Monmouth-Ocean metropolitan area, for example, experienced 88 days under a “code orange” alert or worse from 2001 to 2005; Newark had 47.

New Jersey has 5,775 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 42 inspectors—one inspector for every 138 permitted polluting facilities.

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New York

New Report: 85 Percent of New Yorkers Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In New York, 85.2 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The New York metropolitan area, for example, experienced 55 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Albany-Schenectady-Troy had 29; Buffalo-Niagara Falls had 46.

New York has 8,378 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 89 inspectors—one inspector for every 94 permitted polluting facilities.

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North Carolina

New Report: 61 Percent of North Carolinians Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In North Carolina, 61 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Charlotte metropolitan area, for example, experienced 53 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Greensboro-Winston-Salem had 36; Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill had 28.

North Carolina has 3,406 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 111 inspectors—one inspector for every 31 permitted polluting facilities.

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Ohio

New Report: 78 Percent of Ohioans Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In Ohio, 78 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Cleveland metropolitan area, for example, experienced 65 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Akron had 51; Dayton-Springfield had 41.

Ohio has 12,258 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 125 inspectors—one inspector for every 98 permitted polluting facilities.

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Pennsylvania

New Report: 88 Percent of Pennsylvanians Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In Pennsylvania, 88 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Philadelphia metropolitan area, for example, experienced 102 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Pittsburgh had 54.

Pennsylvania has 2,620 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 81 inspectors—one inspector for every 32 permitted polluting facilities.

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Texas

New Report: 56 Percent of Texans Breathe Dangerous Levels of Smog

In Texas, 55.9 percent of residents live in counties that fail to meet federal standards for ozone pollution, the major component of smog. This excessive pollution is the cause of numerous “code red” or “code orange” air advisories. The Houston metropolitan area, for example, experienced 126 days under a “code orange” alert or worse between 2001 and 2005; Dallas had 44; Fort Worth-Arlington had 95.

Texas has 50,729 sites with permits to emit ozone pollution, and just 144 inspectors—one inspector for every 352 permitted polluting facilities.

Eric Miller (editor@newcolonist.com), on 12.04.06 @ 14:43PST