8:50 PM
Julio Barreto
Local officials and advocates for neighborhood initiatives should not be lulled by the passage of the stimulus bill. The increase in funding will only delay the needed changes in the approach used to address local issues.
The stimulus bill provided the following increases:
• Public housing capital fund: $4 billion
• Community Development Block Grant: $1 billion
• Neighborhood Stabilization Program: $2 billion
• Emergency Shelter Grant: $1.5 billion
• HOME: $2.25 billion of which $2 billion goes to provide gap financing for Low Income Tax Credit projects.
• Infrastructure: $27.5 billion for modernizing roads and bridges; $8.4 billion for improving public transit and rail; $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Block Grant Program; $6 billion for local clean and drinking water infrastructure improvements; $1.2 billion for EPA’s nationwide environmental cleanup programs, including Superfund; and, $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers projects
The bill provides short term relief; however, now is the time for local officials and community advocates to pursue regulatory and legislative initiatives which offer greater flexibility and innovation. The stimulus debate has focused too much attention to job retention versus entrepreneurial activity. Yes, the bill includes tax breaks for current business owners but it does not provide enough incentives for individuals to become business owners.
Skeptics will argue a high percentage of businesses fail in their first year. This is true; however, studies also show times of economic distress are great motivators for entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams. Studies also show businesses which have their start within an incubator have a greater chance of success versus those not seeded as a result of an incubator. A significant amount of funding for business incubators should have been included n the bill. We should be encouraging the unemployed to pursue self-employment. We fail to realize we need people to start businesses to create jobs. If there is a second stimulus bill, it should include funding to help local chambers of commerce to establish business incubators and provisions allowing greater flexibility to how federal programs are administered locally.
Commentary: Congress Should Take the Test
The admission of steroid use by Alex Rodriguez added another chapter to the on-going saga detailing the prevalence of performance enhancing drugs in sports. Members of Congress immediately deplored the use of such drugs by these athletes with good reasons. But for me it begs the question: how dependent are our elected officials on illegal substances? Shouldn’t our elected officials be screened before holding the oath of office?
President Obama promised change in America. As the administration is singling a change in approach to our country’s never ending fight against drug abuse, our elected officials need to step up and exert leadership on the issue. It is time for our elected officials to be drug tested. That’s right elected officials should submit to random drug test as a good faith effort to free America from the ravages of drug abuse.
Last year, a report by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) demonstrated that our society must get serious about addressing alcohol and drug abuse.
In brief, the report stated the following:
1. Half of all full-time college students binge drink, abuse prescription drugs or abuse illegal drugs;
2. Almost a quarter of all college students met he medical definition of substance abuse or dependence.
3. Abuse of prescription drugs such as Percocet, Vicodon and OxyContin rose 343 percent;
4. Abuse of stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall rose 93 percent;
5. Abuse of tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium rose 450 percent;
6. Abuse of sedatives such as Nembutal and Seconal rose 225 percent;
7. Daily marijuana use more than doubled; and,
8. Use of other illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin rose 52 percent.
Those are frightening numbers. When they are combined with the ongoing stories of steroid abuse in sports and the devastating effects that methamphetamines is creating in local communities something dramatic must occur to demonstrate how serious and committed we as society are in addressing these problems.
That is where congressional and political leadership is critical. Joseph A. Califano, Jr., President and Chairman of CASA rightfully called on educators to take the high out of higher education. Conversely, political leaders must commit to its commitment to protect our communities from the dangers and consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.
Elected officials should submit to random drug testing, make the results public and set the example for this country if they truly want to win this battle against drugs. The timing is perfect. We have a president who has acknowledged snorting cocaine, a past president who abused alcohol abuse, and an ex-president who smoked, but didn’t inhale, marijuana.
Will this solve the problem? No. But given the magnitude of their daily decisions, we need assurances our political leaders are “clean” when conducting the business of governance. The decisions which resulted in the war in Iraq, underscore our right to know our political leaders are making decisions out of conviction and not addiction. Their decisions can mean life or death for some of us. We need assurances our leaders are clean. This will be a major step in the right direction, restore respect for our political leaders and demonstrate a seriousness to tackle a vexing, but highly profitable, issue.
We need leaders to rise above the crowd and demonstrate by their actions their desires to solve our countries problems. Politicians are very good with words; it is time to demonstrate their commitment with action.
New Report Says the Combined Cost of Housing and Transportation Strains Workers in Washington, DC Region
Housing located far from transit and employment centers places a heavy financial strain on working families in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, according to a new publication from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing. Beltway Burden: The Combined Cost of Housing and Transportation in the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, documents the challenges faced by area working families who are forced to "drive ‘till they qualify" for housing, incurring higher transportation costs that eventually erode their housing cost savings. It finds that area families are victim to combined housing and transportation costs that constitute, on average, nearly 47 percent of the area median income.
The report, prepared by the ULI Terwilliger Center in partnership with the Center for Housing Policy (CHP) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), finds that region-wide, households spend an average of $23,000 on housing and $13,000 on transportation annually. An estimated 60 percent of households have either high housing cost burdens, high transportation cost burdens or both.
For more information, please contact Trish Riggs, ULI vice president of communications, at (202) 624-7086 or priggs@uli.org.
Interesting Read
Donovan Outlines Vision for HUD
By Jerry Ascierto
Housing Finance Magazine
States and Cities in Scramble for Stimulus Cash
By Monica Davey
The New York Times
Two Moderate GOP Senators Give Big Voice To Little Maine
By Manuel Roig-Franzia and Paul Kane
The Washington Post
Homelessness: The Family Portrait
Across Region, Economy Pulls Rug From Under More and More 2-Parent Households
By Chris L. Jenkins
The Washington Post
In Gingrich Mold, a New Voice for G.O.P. Resistance
By Adam Nagourney
The New York Times
Friends of fat cats? Suddenly, 3 Dem Politicians Look Like They May be Protecting Rich from Taxes
By Juan Gonzalez
The New York Daily news
The Madness of Rent Stabilization
Lawmakers Plan to Ruin NYC Housing
By Stefanie Cohen
The New York Post
The stimulus bill provided the following increases:
• Public housing capital fund: $4 billion
• Community Development Block Grant: $1 billion
• Neighborhood Stabilization Program: $2 billion
• Emergency Shelter Grant: $1.5 billion
• HOME: $2.25 billion of which $2 billion goes to provide gap financing for Low Income Tax Credit projects.
• Infrastructure: $27.5 billion for modernizing roads and bridges; $8.4 billion for improving public transit and rail; $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Block Grant Program; $6 billion for local clean and drinking water infrastructure improvements; $1.2 billion for EPA’s nationwide environmental cleanup programs, including Superfund; and, $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers projects
The bill provides short term relief; however, now is the time for local officials and community advocates to pursue regulatory and legislative initiatives which offer greater flexibility and innovation. The stimulus debate has focused too much attention to job retention versus entrepreneurial activity. Yes, the bill includes tax breaks for current business owners but it does not provide enough incentives for individuals to become business owners.
Skeptics will argue a high percentage of businesses fail in their first year. This is true; however, studies also show times of economic distress are great motivators for entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams. Studies also show businesses which have their start within an incubator have a greater chance of success versus those not seeded as a result of an incubator. A significant amount of funding for business incubators should have been included n the bill. We should be encouraging the unemployed to pursue self-employment. We fail to realize we need people to start businesses to create jobs. If there is a second stimulus bill, it should include funding to help local chambers of commerce to establish business incubators and provisions allowing greater flexibility to how federal programs are administered locally.
Commentary: Congress Should Take the Test
The admission of steroid use by Alex Rodriguez added another chapter to the on-going saga detailing the prevalence of performance enhancing drugs in sports. Members of Congress immediately deplored the use of such drugs by these athletes with good reasons. But for me it begs the question: how dependent are our elected officials on illegal substances? Shouldn’t our elected officials be screened before holding the oath of office?
President Obama promised change in America. As the administration is singling a change in approach to our country’s never ending fight against drug abuse, our elected officials need to step up and exert leadership on the issue. It is time for our elected officials to be drug tested. That’s right elected officials should submit to random drug test as a good faith effort to free America from the ravages of drug abuse.
Last year, a report by Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) demonstrated that our society must get serious about addressing alcohol and drug abuse.
In brief, the report stated the following:
1. Half of all full-time college students binge drink, abuse prescription drugs or abuse illegal drugs;
2. Almost a quarter of all college students met he medical definition of substance abuse or dependence.
3. Abuse of prescription drugs such as Percocet, Vicodon and OxyContin rose 343 percent;
4. Abuse of stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall rose 93 percent;
5. Abuse of tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium rose 450 percent;
6. Abuse of sedatives such as Nembutal and Seconal rose 225 percent;
7. Daily marijuana use more than doubled; and,
8. Use of other illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin rose 52 percent.
Those are frightening numbers. When they are combined with the ongoing stories of steroid abuse in sports and the devastating effects that methamphetamines is creating in local communities something dramatic must occur to demonstrate how serious and committed we as society are in addressing these problems.
That is where congressional and political leadership is critical. Joseph A. Califano, Jr., President and Chairman of CASA rightfully called on educators to take the high out of higher education. Conversely, political leaders must commit to its commitment to protect our communities from the dangers and consequences of drug and alcohol abuse.
Elected officials should submit to random drug testing, make the results public and set the example for this country if they truly want to win this battle against drugs. The timing is perfect. We have a president who has acknowledged snorting cocaine, a past president who abused alcohol abuse, and an ex-president who smoked, but didn’t inhale, marijuana.
Will this solve the problem? No. But given the magnitude of their daily decisions, we need assurances our political leaders are “clean” when conducting the business of governance. The decisions which resulted in the war in Iraq, underscore our right to know our political leaders are making decisions out of conviction and not addiction. Their decisions can mean life or death for some of us. We need assurances our leaders are clean. This will be a major step in the right direction, restore respect for our political leaders and demonstrate a seriousness to tackle a vexing, but highly profitable, issue.
We need leaders to rise above the crowd and demonstrate by their actions their desires to solve our countries problems. Politicians are very good with words; it is time to demonstrate their commitment with action.
New Report Says the Combined Cost of Housing and Transportation Strains Workers in Washington, DC Region
Housing located far from transit and employment centers places a heavy financial strain on working families in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, according to a new publication from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing. Beltway Burden: The Combined Cost of Housing and Transportation in the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area, documents the challenges faced by area working families who are forced to "drive ‘till they qualify" for housing, incurring higher transportation costs that eventually erode their housing cost savings. It finds that area families are victim to combined housing and transportation costs that constitute, on average, nearly 47 percent of the area median income.
The report, prepared by the ULI Terwilliger Center in partnership with the Center for Housing Policy (CHP) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), finds that region-wide, households spend an average of $23,000 on housing and $13,000 on transportation annually. An estimated 60 percent of households have either high housing cost burdens, high transportation cost burdens or both.
For more information, please contact Trish Riggs, ULI vice president of communications, at (202) 624-7086 or priggs@uli.org.
Interesting Read
Donovan Outlines Vision for HUD
By Jerry Ascierto
Housing Finance Magazine
States and Cities in Scramble for Stimulus Cash
By Monica Davey
The New York Times
Two Moderate GOP Senators Give Big Voice To Little Maine
By Manuel Roig-Franzia and Paul Kane
The Washington Post
Homelessness: The Family Portrait
Across Region, Economy Pulls Rug From Under More and More 2-Parent Households
By Chris L. Jenkins
The Washington Post
In Gingrich Mold, a New Voice for G.O.P. Resistance
By Adam Nagourney
The New York Times
Friends of fat cats? Suddenly, 3 Dem Politicians Look Like They May be Protecting Rich from Taxes
By Juan Gonzalez
The New York Daily news
The Madness of Rent Stabilization
Lawmakers Plan to Ruin NYC Housing
By Stefanie Cohen
The New York Post
