News release: “Despite the emphasis on homeownership and the marginalization of renters, renter households still make up fully one-third of the households in the United States more than 36 million households. Out of Reach 2009, Persistent Problems, News Challenges for Renters, is a side-by-side comparison of wages and rents in every county, Metropolitan Area (MSAs/HMFAs), combined nonmetropolitan area and state in the United States. For each jurisdiction, the report calculates the amount of money a household must earn in order to afford a rental unit at a range of sizes (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedrooms) at the areas Fair Market Rent (FMR), based on the generally accepted affordability standard of paying no more than 30% of income for housing costs. From these calculations the hourly wage a worker must earn to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom home is derived. This figure is the Housing Wage.”
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Daily Archives: April 16, 2009
ACLU: Justice Department Releases Bush Administration Torture Memos
Statement of President Barack Obama on Release of OLC Memos: “The Department of Justice will today release certain memos issued by the Office of Legal Counsel between 2002 and 2005 as part of an ongoing court case. These memos speak to techniques that were used in the interrogation of terrorism suspects during that period, and… Continue Reading
FBI Releases Bank Crime Statistics for Fourth Quarter of 2008
“Today the FBI released bank crime statistics for the fourth quarter of calendar year 2008. Between October 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, there were 1,617 robberies of financial institutions, as well as 25 burglaries and three larcenies. This represents 1,645 reported violations of the Federal Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes Statute, an increase from… Continue Reading
Vision of High-Speed Rail in America
Federal Railroad Administration: “President Obama proposes to help address the nation’s transportation challenges by launching a new and efficient high-speed passenger rail network in 100-600 mile corridors that connect communities across America. The Strategic Plan outlines the Presidents vision that would transform the nations transportation system by rebuilding existing rail infrastructure while developing a comprehensive… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Maritime Security, Superfund, SBA and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Small Business Administration’s Implementation of Administrative Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, GAO-09-507R, April 16, 2009 Maritime Security: Vessel Tracking Systems Provide Key Information, but the Need for Duplicate Data Should Be Reviewed, GAO-09-337, March 17, 2009 Superfund: Greater EPA Enforcement and Reporting Are Needed to Enhance Cleanup at DOD Sites, GAO-09-278, March… Continue Reading
OCC Releases CRA Evaluations For 32 National Bank
“The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released a list of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance evaluations that became public during the period of March 15, 2009 through April 14, 2009. The list contains only national banks and insured federal branches of foreign banks that have received ratings. The possible ratings are… Continue Reading
CBO: The Budgetary Implications of NASA's Current Plans for Space Exploration
The Budgetary Implications of NASAs Current Plans for Space Exploration, April 2009 “In 2004, President Bush announced his Vision for U.S. Space Exploration, which called for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop new vehicles for spaceflight that would allow humans to return to the moon by 2020. In response, NASA restructured its… Continue Reading
Sales Tax Decline in Late 2008 – Was the Worst in 50 Years
Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government: Sales Tax Decline in Late 2008 – Was the Worst in 50 Years – Early Data for 2009 Show Further, Sharp Drop in Tax Revenues for Most States, Donald J. Boyd and Lucy Dadayan “The overall amount of taxes collected by the 50 states continued to fall during the… Continue Reading
AARP – Social Security Disability Insurance: A Primer
Social Security Disability Insurance: A Primer Research Report – Ellen O’Brien, AARP Public Policy Institute, April 2009 “For most U.S. workers and their families, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides protection against a key source of economic insecurity-the loss of earnings due to disability. Today, 9.3 million Americans-disabled workers, their spouses, and dependent children-rely on… Continue Reading
