Face the Face(book)

I've become one of those late-boomers who has become attracted to Facebook. I don't Twitter because I like to have a life that doesn't involve TTfT (Thumb trauma from texting) and My Space just feels creepy to me. And yes, like anything new, I find myself spending too much time learning all its bells and whistles--like connecting my blog link to it and such.

Still, as the Presidential election showed, the better connected you are with your constituency, the better off you are to communicate ideas in a timely fashion. And I am late to the game. Many environmental activists I know are chewing up Facebook with info about the latest outrage or "ask" to correspond with state and federal representatives. One part of me wonders how man more brain cells will be cooked trying to keep up with the killer applications that seem to roll out by the minute? And yet, I love the ability to stay in touch with friends and others that I'd ordinarily not be able to make more time for in my frenetic (and word filled day).

Clearly many of us are buried under information. Our in-boxes are filled with thousands of unread email, we have accounts to social networking sites that we barely visit any more. Our "favorites" are distant memories. If someone has a killer application that can help me keep all my stuff organized in one place, I'd be all over it.

In the mean time, I appreciate your continued readership. I find that if I can put three or four "worthy" Popular Progressive blog entries a week together, I am doing exceptionally well. As a wise person I know said, "if you want to be remembered, say something worth remembering."

Farmers Revolt, Council Backtracks

The City Council meeting in Iowa City was nothing if not potentially fireworks filled last night with residents concerned about the tax referendum, farmers and other vendors, homeowners, and others crowding Emma Harvat Hall.

Residents commented on the projects associated with the local option sales tax noting the need for cooperation between governments and the University of Iowa about what to do to prevent more flooding from the Iowa River, to consult hydrology experts, and to make the process open both before and after the vote.

Vendors from the farmer's market were out in force to protest what they perceived to be a behind the scenes deal to move the market outside the Chauncey Swann parking ramp. On March 3rd, a memo was released from the City's Parks & Recreation Dept. announcing six dates that the market would be held on downtown streets which, according to City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes was picked up by one of her legal staff who noted that the city ordinance for use of public streets would need to be modified. Wording was suggested and placed on the council agenda.

City Manager, Michael Lombardo, who had been meeting with a group that intended to meet with the vendors on April 9th and was on vacation when the item was placed on the agenda, was taken by surprise to discover this had been done. The City Council, after hearing the explanations from staff quickly voted down the proposed ordinance and encouraged the vendors to contact them about participating in the April 9th meeting.

In other actions, the council voted to hold off on voting for a proposed development project on Rohret Rd. pending discussions with the Planning and Zoning Commission due to an organized effort of neighbors who believe that building as close to a wetlands area on the property in question will cause harm, in addition to leveling trees to make way for a relocation of Rohret Rd. The Council also voted 5-2 to reconsider their vote on an $80,000 public arts project they had previous approved, and therefore are contractually liable, and left it up to the City Attorney to meet with the artist to work through the legalities. They also agreed to broadcast meetings discussing city priorities for future budget funding.

LOST and Found: My Sit Down with Michael Lombardo

Yesterday I met with Iowa City city manager Michael Lombardo to find out from our city administrator's perspective how, in his opinion, the local option sales tax would benefit the community and the risks associated with it. He was generous with his time.

To start, he stated the need for the projects is justified to ask the public to consider the local option sales tax. For one, federal regulations make it neccesary for Iowa City to be in compliance within three years, irrespective of how it is done with regard to the north sewage treatment plan. Secondly, with the damage done to structures on Dubuque street, which is one of two main gateways into Iowa city from I-80, and the Park Rd. bridge, it would be irresponsible of the City not to take advantage of the availability of FEMA funds at this time to mitigate future flooding concerns.

A third point, though not part of the LOST referendum, which Lombardo mentioned is a need to reinforce or harden the city water wells. The wells were nearly contaminated by floodwaters last year. He said it would likely cost $2 million dollars.

I asked him about the fact that some of the construction is reliant on funds not in hand and, with taxes collected at the state level going down, was it sensible to think that people wouldn't end up with higher water and sewage bills to make up the difference. He explained that there are a number of state and federal sources for funds and that the City was pursuing all known grants. He agreed that it is not a sure bet that they will all come through, but expressed confidence that at worst, the city could bond the difference of about $1.5 to 2 million to accomplish the projects through a state program to bond projects related to last year's flood.

I asked about the process to make sure that community interests are addressed to make sure that there is transparency and input as to how these projects are done. For instance, once the treatment plant is shutdown, how will the land be used? When Dubuque St. and the Park Rd. are planned, will consideration be made to improve pedestrian and bicycle traffic? He said that he hoped that there would be a very public process, as city administrator he will recommend it to City Council but ultimately, it is their call.

Lastly, I asked him about the perception that the City should not be trusted to accomplish these projects, in light of the referendum about municipal power and current concerns from some about how money is being used for an $80,000 public arts project. He did point out that he was not sure that support would be there for the tax, but hoped that after the case is made for the necessity of it, that voters would approve the measure. He offered that as people have questions about the referendum that they will contact him.

As he has been on the job for less than a year, he expressed his appreciation for the residents in Iowa City and his commitment to using resources to the betterment of the community. In closing, I mentioned that during the flooding I noticed how people's better selves seemed to be present in dealing with the crisis and hoped that our better selves show up in choosing to support this effort. He said "You don't mind if I use that, do you?"

Despite earlier misgivings I had, particularly about funding the projects, I do not believe there is a better alternative to taking care of these essential projects. If someone has a plan to do it more economically, I hope they will bring it forward. However, I feel strongly that the city manager "gets it" regarding public input as to how these projects are accomplished and is done to improve the quality and safety of the community. I also think that the knives are sharpened (axes are ground?) to prevent this referendum from being successful. May our better selves prevail.

For the facts about the local option sales tax from the city, check out this link.

LOST In Johnson County

It's March and local elections are around the corner in Johnson County. First up is a May 5th referendum for a local option sales tax (LOST) of one cent.

In Iowa City and Coralville, the referendum looks like this:

"A local sales and services tax shall be imposed in the city of Iowa City at the rate of one percent (1%) to be effective from July 1, 2009, until June 30, 2013.
Revenues from the sales and services tax shall be allocated as follows:
0% for property tax relief.

The specific purpose for which the revenues shall otherwise be expended is:
100% for remediation, repair and protection of flood impacted public infrastructure,
and local matching funds for dollars received from any federal or state programs to
assist with flood remediation, repair and protection of flood impacted public infrastructure."

This looks good on paper, but as state and federal revenues decrease, there is no guarantee that these projects will be supported at the levels they would need to be without other supports (e.g. rate hikes on water bills). For instance the Iowa City plan would call for about $59 million dollars from state and federal sources beyond the taxes collected via the LOST.

In North Liberty, the purpose "100% for the construction and improvement of city streets, including but not limited to Highway 965." You can add your own punchline here.

In Tiffin, it gets more interesting as 25% is for park and recreation
improvements and 75% for community improvements including sidewalk, street, public safety, water and sewer improvements and any other lawful purposes of the City of Tiffin. I don't know what that lawful purpose could be, but if, for instance, the mayor, Royce Phillips, gets a raise, you voted for it.

However, look what happens in the unincorporated area of the county, the extra penny will be for "50% for property tax relief in the unincorporated area of the
county of Johnson." and the other 50% for "improvement and/or maintenance of Johnson County secondary roads and bridges."

In unincorporated Johnson County, there is significant agriculture and it could be argued that there is some relief needed because of the flooding last year. However there are some very nice pieces of prime real estate that are out there that forward thinking developers could jump on in the next four years that would become very attractive to home buyers knowing that their taxes would be significantly lower than their urban neighbors. Of course, with some improved roads thrown in there, wouldn't you want to jump on that bandwagon? I'd throw up a sign that says "Johnson County Welcome Sprawlers."

The best solution for the long-term health of the communities is one that isn't on the table. State Senator Joe Bolkcom tried to get a bill considered to allow localities to impose a local income tax. This is the fairest way for projects to be paid for, as it is a equitable tax which has the added feature of making sure everybody can pay what they can afford and for cities to take on projects that they can sell.

March Madness, Bailout Bonuses, and Other Green Thoughts of the Week

So AIG and other bailout-rewarded companies gave their executives a bazillion dollars in bonuses. I say fine. It is another reason why renewed tax cuts for the very wealthy are such a dumb idea. Wealthy people know how to take care of themselves. Imagine the size of the cajones that the AIG brass had to use taxpayer money to pay rewards to the very people who drove AIG to the brink of bankruptcy. Nice work if you can get it.

This kind of March Madness makes the NCAA tournament seem like very small potatoes as compared to the gamesmanship that occurs on Capitol Hill.

Instead of trying to make up for past poor lawmaking, Chris Dodd and Barney Franks can ramrod the Obama taxcuts through Congress for the rest of us working slobs who aren't fortunate to be employed by Wal-Mart; who gets the best "in-your-face-unions" award for paying $934 million in bonuses, averaging to $666 for each domestic part-time and full-time front-line worker.

Then they can break-up the oligopoly that the major banks have so that the rest of us can feel safe that the money we have left in the bank will be there next week. Finally, they can give teeth to the SEC, FTC, FDA so that we can feel that whatever "fail safes" they write bills for will have the manpower to be enforced.

These "green" jobs will be there to protect our greenbacks, as well as our food supply.

Speaking of green jobs, I mentioned to my wife that I had a "shovel ready" project in mind for which the stimulus money could be used. She wisely shook her head and walked away when I suggested "digging shallow graves for the CEOs of failed corporations and banks." In fairness, I did tell her I was inspired by Charles Grassley.

Yes We Can! -- Garden Organically

The White House is going to have an organic Victory garden after all. Although they have ignored the opportunity to have Iowa's own Ed Fallon tend it, it is still a good thing that Michelle Obama is making a point of showcasing the effort. Now if they can get the Presidential limo to run on biodiesel (as Air Force One doesn't qualify as "public transportation").

Commend the Obamas as Ed did.

Just Say No to Pork

I love pigs. I do not love how large hog containment farms and the Big Pork lobby get to screw up the water supply and possibly the overall health of the rest of us in Iowa. If anything about last year's flooding should resonate to anyone who does not live in a rural part of the state, when there is a sh*t storm, it all flows downstream.

We are not talking about a little hog poop. We are talking about millions of gallons of swine feces that has had an adverse affect of aquaculture in the upper Iowa river valleys. As Iowa is the leading pork producing state, it is not inconsequential that it also leads the nation in factory farms. For context, the total U.S. hog population numbered 53 million in 1965. This number was spread over more than 1 million pig farms in the United States, many of which were small family operations. Today, 65 million hogs are raised on just over 65,000 farms across the nation. Many of these factory farms are raising 5,000 hogs at any given time.

According to Newsfood.com, human health is "threatened by the likelihood of animals to excrete pathogenic microbes. The tremendous quantities of waste that concentrate on the premises of industrial animal producers may exceed the capacity of the landscape to absorb the nutrients and neutralize the pathogens. The annual production of manure produced by animal confinement facilities exceeds that produced by the human population of the country by at least three times. And unlike human sewage, the majority of waste from factory farms is spread upon the ground untreated."

Joe Hennager, organizer of the group STIR (Save the Iowa River) has suggested that a step in the right direction is for all of us who value clean water over cruelty to pigs to step up and pledge to stop eating pork. I've taken Joe up on the pledge. This is a easier to do than to wait for our weak-kneed legislators to find the cajones to allow the Dept. of Natural Resource do its job and enforce clean water laws.

6 Years in Iraq Down 2 to Go?

Today marks the 6th anniversary of the war in and on Iraq. With US forces committed to the country for at least another two years and an escalation in Afghanistan under way, we should not forget the men and women who have had their lives put on the line, nor the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have died during this prolonged conflagration.

With concerns about the economy here at home, we should be doubly aware of the connection between our warring ways and the economic engine that runs it.

Tonight in Iowa City, a Candlelight Peace Walk will commemorate the anniversary of the Iraq War. The walk will begin at 7PM on the sidewalk in front of Old Capitol, on the west side of the intersection of Clinton St. & Iowa Ave. This night we will remember all those who have suffered and died in this humanitarian crisis. This includes U. S. and Coalition soldiers who have died, U.S. and Coalition forces injured, all those who have committed suicide as a result of their experience, as well as innocent Iraqis who have died, been injured, or displaced. And this includes all of their families and friends. Please bring your own candle. The walk will end at Old Brick where refreshments will be served, approximately 9 PM. For more information contact PEACE Iowa - (319) 354-1925.

According to United for Peace and Justice, the war in Iraq has led to:

• at least one million Iraqis killed
• 4.5 million Iraqis displaced and 5 million orphans
• over 4,000 U.S. service people killed, tens of thousands wounded
• more than $600,000,000,000 already spent
• $720 million spent each day
• estimates that in the end we will spend upwards of $3 trillion

The Voice of America probably has one of the more ironic stories stating "As Iraq enters its seventh year of war, he [Robert Gates] predicted the country will emerge much better off by the time U.S. troops finish their scheduled withdrawal at the end of 2011, nearly nine years after they arrived." I'm sure that the facts on the ground do not support that assessment.

I Wonder If It'll Be A Collection of Connect-the-Dots or a Coloring Book?

According to CNN, George W. Bush to write book on important decisions of his presidency. The book, tenatively to be called "Decision Points" will be released in the Fall of 2010, just in time to sink the chances of more Republicans from being elected to Congress.

"I am spending time on the book every day," Bush was quoted saying in a news release. "My goal is to bring the reader inside the Oval Office for the most consequential moments of my personal and political life.

"I look forward to painting a vivid picture of the information I had, the principles I followed, and the decisions I made," Bush said. Look for Bush's paint-by-numbers book in fine hobby stores everywhere.

Iowa City Announces Housing Program for Eligible Low and Moderate Income Families

This program was just announced and is for persons who lost housing due to last year's flood and/or are low to moderate income qualified homeowners.

Low and moderate income families, including those affected by the flood, and local builders received a shot in the arm with the announcement this week that the City of Iowa City is eligible for a new state program that will help replace housing that was lost during last summer's devastating flood. The "Single Family New Construction Unit Production Program," administered by the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED), will provide acquisition assistance (downpayment) funds for 15 to 17 homebuyers to help with the purchase of the newly constructed homes.

Program guidelines specify that the purchase price of the new homes be $180,000 or less, including the cost of the land and contractor profit. Single family detached homes, duplexes, zero-lot lines, row houses, condominiums and/or manufactured homes that are affixed to a permanent foundation all qualify for the program. The new homes must be built within the corporate limits of Iowa City, and must be completed and ready for occupancy by the end of the year.

Homebuyers, including people affected by the flood, who earn the area's median income or less and who qualify for the program, are eligible to receive up to 30% of the purchase price of the home to apply as a downpayment. The income guidelines are: for a one-person household, the median income (the maximum amount that applicants can earn per year) is $50,800; for two, $58,000; for three, $65,300; for four, $72,600; for five, $78,400; and for a household of six, $84,200.

The acquisition assistance will be set up as a 10-year forgivable loan. Homeowners who live in the home for 10 years or more will not need to repay the loan, but if they move before the 10-year term has expired, they'll be required to pay back a prorated amount. Application guidelines for residents who are interested in applying for the program have not yet been established. More information will be released at a later date and posted on the City's website after the process has been determined.

Area builders and developers who are interested in the project must submit construction proposals to the City of Iowa City by April 3, 2009. The City will then select proposals and submit an application to IDED by mid-April. More information, including program requirements, may be found on the City's website at www.icgov.org/newhomes.

Go Greener For St. Patrick's Day

I appreciate the festivities on St. Patrick's Day. I do. I like a green beer as much as the next and a good parade. But when I see the aftermath of a St. Patty's Day bar crawl, it saddens me--and I think it would the good Saint too because of all the garbage that is strewn about the streets. So here is are three suggestions:

If you can, get your beer in a glass or stein--it is reusable. If not, bring your own cup. If you can't use your cup, make a pledge to recycle the plastic cups you use.

If possible, buy a locally-made, or organic brew. The closer to you your beer is made, the less damage to the environment and probably the better it tastes.

Use public transportation, cab, walk, or carpool to and from your nearest pub or bar. That way you can enjoy yourself and limit your carbon footprint at the same time.

These suggestions may not drive the snakes out of Ireland, but they will make the planet a slightly better place.

Slainte!

Red Cross Says USA Tortured Detainees

According to the Washington Post:

The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded in a secret report that the Bush administration's treatment of al-Qaeda captives "constituted torture," a finding that strongly implied that CIA interrogation methods violated international law, according to newly published excerpts from the long-concealed 2007 document.

The report, an account alleging physical and psychological brutality inside CIA "black site" prisons, also states that some U.S. practices amounted to "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." Such maltreatment of detainees is expressly prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.

The findings were based on an investigation by ICRC officials, who were granted exclusive access to the CIA's "high-value" detainees after they were transferred in 2006 to the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The 14 detainees, who had been kept in isolation in CIA prisons overseas, gave remarkably uniform accounts of abuse that included beatings, sleep deprivation, extreme temperatures and, in some cases, waterboarding, or simulating drowning.

At least five copies of the report were shared with the CIA and top White House officials in 2007 but barred from public release by ICRC guidelines intended to preserve the humanitarian group's strict policy of neutrality in conflicts.

The report continues to describe the treatment of an accused al-Qaeda operative who was waterboarded multiple times, and "suffered approximately 175 seizures that appear to be directly related to his extensive torture -- particularly damage to Petitioner's head that was the result of beatings sustained at the hands of CIA interrogators and exacerbated by his lengthy isolation."

President Obama's expressed reluctance to conduct a legal inquiry into the CIA's policies despite his commitment to closing Guantanamo is puzzling in light of this report. Hopefully now that this is public information, a closer look will happen.

Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish has more.

Three Reasons Why It's Hard to Pity Big Business

Here are a few reasons:

Insurance giant AIG executives receiving $185 million dollars from bailout money from US taxpayers while 10,000 laid-off people go to find a job at a career fair at Dodger's stadium.

Clean water quality in Iowa being sacrificed by Iowa legislators under duress from the Farm Bureau and the Pork Producer's Council.

To Defeat labor initiatives like the Employee Free Choice Act, business PACs not only gave nearly five times more in campaign contributions than labor PACs did in the last election cycle ($365.1 million versus $77.9 million, including contributions to leadership PACs) they are backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent $144.4 million on lobbying efforts in the 2007-2008 election cycle, or more than $400,000 for every day Congress was in session. By contrast, the entire labor sector spent less than $84 million on lobbying efforts during those two years.

Double Blogging

My time this week will be split between this blog and Pat Stansbury's Century of the Common Iowan blog. Pat is taking some well-deserved R & R after three years of blogging at the CotCI. I hope to fill his shoes on a temporary basis, but Pat does keep the standard high.

How to Right-Size Government

Government is necessary, really it is. Can you imagine what life would be like if people did whatever they liked, whenever they liked? Those folks who don't believe in evolution would get a big taste of "survival of the fittest" if there weren't rules in place and a body to enforce those rules--and history bears this out. However, the real issue is how big is big enough where governments are concerned?

Clearly there is a wide divergence of opinion on this subject from anarchy to dictatorship, but even toward the relative middle, there is a gulf between what is "fair" government. For some, the totality of government worth is tied to the amount of taxes that are extracted from them. For others, it is the perception of how safe their government makes them feel. For others, it is the use of government policies and their taxes to do the things that the private sector is unwilling or unable to do that produces equity or fairness.

As we are a representative democracy, it is not always practical for the electorate to vote on whether their tax dollars are being spent wisely or if laws are agreeable to the majority. In fact the way that the Constitution works assures everyone that whether they are in the majority or minority, their rights will be protected. Still, the powers that be in a locality, a state, or the federal government need to be informed by the citizenry and this is good.

To the point at hand. Do we need government to be small enough to drown in a bathtub or big enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool? That is and probably always will be the million dollar question. I propose some "rules" for deciding if the government that affects you most is the right size:

1) Does the government deliver what it promises? For example, if a tax referendum occurs do the items the tax is raised for actually get paid for or are other unspecified projects moved up the list after the vote?

2) Are decisions made by the body a result of a desire of efficiencies or turf protecting? For instance, if an efficiency can be created by cooperating with other governmental bodies or with private interests, does it happen?

3) Are more people helped or hurt by the decisions that the government makes? This one is a hard rule to enforce because "help" and "hurt" are in the eyes of the beholder. My thought is if the rights of all are protected by an action, then do it.

4) Is the action taken by the government beneficial to the community it serves more times than not? In this regard I don't mean that you agree with every decision they make, but merely that the decisions made are intended to support the well-being of the community.

5) Could the job be done with less governance? Does a state need to create an agency when a oversight board would be as effective?

6) Does the government get in the way of people negotiating with those they have grievance with? Labor/management relations comes to mind on this point.

Certainly there could be other rules or a different way to right-size (e.g. determined by tax-rate formula). I leave that to your comment.

Questioning the Sales Tax Issue

There are some folks who oppose taxes (see Ax the Tax) because they don't believe the government has a place for anything other than public safety. There are people who believe that some taxes are needed to perform the tasks that the private sector does not do or is unwilling to do. There are people who oppose sales taxes because they are inherently unfair to the poor and those who oppose property taxes because they are unfair to landowners. The one thing that eveyone can agree on is that taxes are not well-loved.

This brings me to the Local option Sales Tax referendum that will require 50% + 1 of us to vote for it to allow a 4 year 1 cent sales tax to be imposed to allow Iowa City to upgrade Dubuque St. and replacing the bridge on Park Rd. (estimated cost $32 million)and relocating the north water treatment plant (estimated cost $63 million). We are told via the Iowa City website that the money will be earmarked specifically for:

"Improvements that will help the city maintain vital transportation, emergency, and public health services in both routine and emergency situations.

The ballot language for Iowa City states:

0% of the revenues generated by this tax will be used for property tax relief and the remaining for the following specific purposes: 100% for remediation, repair and protection of flood impacted public infrastructure and local matching funds for dollars received from any federal or state programs to assist with flood remediation, repair and protection of flood impacted public infrastructure."

The estimated income over the 4 years is $36 million which means there will be a deficit of $59 million created by these projects. This means that barring huge federal grants, water bills and other fees can be expected to increase or other services will be cut to accomplish these goals.

The key questions to taxpayers should be, are these projects necessary and, if so, are there alternatives to the proposals to accomplish the desired outcomes?

Complicating the matter is that the amount of funding is up in the air due to the rules that the state legislature has made. If voters in Iowa City vote down the tax hike, Iowa City will not benefit at all from taxes collected elsewhere in the county, nor will other cities receive tax revenues for sales taxes collected in Iowa City. Given that Iowa City is the largest municipality in the county, the benefits to smaller communities lessen if Iowa City doesn't play ball. Similarly, if Iowa City votes "yes" and other communities vote "no", there is less of a pot of money for Iowa City.

There are two scheduled fora in the next two weeks. One will be this Wednesday April 8th at Coralville City Hall from 7 to 9 pm. Speakers will be the city managers and planners from Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty.

For a more independently run forum, the League of Women Voters also is sponsoring an informational night Thursday April 16th at the Iowa City Public Library at 7pm. Tom Slockett will spend 10 minutes describing the law and how it works. Each city and the county will describe their ballot and what the money would be used for. The Pro and Con representatives will have 5 minutes to state their cases and there will be 30 minutes of written questions. Committed Mayors are from Iowa City, Coralville, University Heights, Shueyville, Oxford, and a representative from the Board of Supervisors.

Cramer v. Cramer: The Dance on the Daily Show

Jim Cramer, who recently came to The University of Iowa to shape young business school minds with his brand of financial prognostication is schooled by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show.

Weigh In on Roosevelt: Take this survey

For residents of Johnson County, below is a link to a survey that has been developed by Charles Stanier about the Roosevelt School issue. You do not need to be a parent of a Roosevelt School student to complete it, as this is a community-wide issue.

http://sites.google.com/site/schoolsiowacity/survey

and while you're at it, take a minute to sign this petition: http://edvoters.org/petition/

A Polk in the Eye for Iowa Homeowners: Foreclosure Rises

The rate of housing foreclosure filings nationally jumped dramatically in February. According to Realty Trac

Foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 290,631 U.S. properties during the month, an increase of nearly 6 percent from the previous month and an increase of nearly 30 percent from February 2008. The report also shows one in every 440 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in February.

With one in every 70 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in February, Nevada continued to document the nation’s top state foreclosure rate. Foreclosure filings were reported on 15,783 Nevada properties during the month, a 9 percent increase from the previous month and a 156 percent increase from February 2008.

Arizona posted the third highest state total in February, with 18,119 properties receiving a foreclosure filing during the month — a 23 percent increase from the previous month and an 88 percent increase from February 2008.

Nevada, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Georgia and Virginia also reported foreclosure totals that were among the nation’s 10 highest.

In Iowa, things are not as bleak as the national picture, but in several key counties, things could be better. Polk County has the highest foreclosure rate where 1 in every 518 housing units is in foreclosure. Rounding out the top six are:

Scott - 1 in 1192
Pottawatamie - 1 in 1276
Harrison - 1 in 1391
Clinton - 1 in 1487
Linn - 1 in 1911

Johnson County is 9th on the list with 1 in 3644 homes in foreclosure.

Well-Being in the Iowa 2nd Congressional District

Gallup-Healthways have put out a new survey assessing the well-being of people in the USA. The research and methodology underlying the Well-Being Index is based on the World Health Organization definition of health as "not only the absence of infirmity and disease, but also a state of physical, mental, and social well-being." Below is how Iowa's Fightin' 2nd District looks according to those nimble number crunchers at Gallup.

The Well-Being Index is comprised of over 40 questions providing an Overall Composite metric based on six individual and interrelated Domains and Indices of Well Being: Life Evaluation, Emotional Health, Physical Health, Healthy Behavior, Work Environment, and Basic Access.

Raw Score: 65.6
National Rank: 200/435
State Rank: 4/5

Life Evaluation This Index combines the evaluation of one's present life situation with one's anticipated life situation 5 years from now.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index asks Americans to evaluate their lives by imagining a "ladder" with steps numbered from 0 to 10, where "0" represents the worst possible life and "10" represents the best possible life.
Evaluation of present life situation
Anticipated life situation 5 years from now

Raw Score: 39.3
National Rank: 239/435
State Rank: 2/5

Work Quality This Index surveys workers on several factors to gauge their feelings and perceptions about their work environment. Prior large-scale meta-analyses have shown important linkages between worker engagement and several organizational performance outcomes, such as worker attendance, retention, productivity, profitability, safety, and customer ratings.

Positive work environments are characterized as those where workers express satisfaction with their work, report using their strengths in their area of work, and work in a culture of trust and partnership. Conversely, negative work environments lack satisfying work and are characterized by poor supervision.

This index is based on asking workers the following questions each day:
Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your job or the work you do?
At work, do you get to use your strengths to do what you do best every day, or not?
Does your supervisor at work treat you more like he or she is your boss or your partner?
Does your supervisor always create an environment that is trusting and open, or not?

Raw Score: 49.6
National Rank: 281/435
State Rank: 5/5

Basic Access The Basic Access Index is based on thirteen items measuring resident's access to food, shelter, and healthcare, and a safe and satisfying place to live.
Satisfaction with community or area
Area getting better as a place to live
Clean water
Medicine
Safe place to exercise
Affordable fruits and vegetables
Feel safe walking alone at night
Enough money for food
Enough money for shelter
Enough money for healthcare
Visited a dentist recently
Have a doctor
Have health insurance

Raw Score: 85.6
National Rank: 127/435
State Rank: 4/5

Healthy Behavior The Health Behavior index includes items measuring life style habits with established relationships to health outcomes. This index is based on four key items relating to smoking, a healthy diet, and exercise.
Raw Score: 61.6
National Rank: 309/435
State Rank: 2/5

Physical Health The projected cost of American healthcare by 2017 has been estimated at over $4 trillion. At least 50% of these costs will be due to preventable disease, including diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and strokes.

The physical health index is comprised questions related to:
Estimates of Body Mass Index
Disease burden
Sick days
Physical pain
Daily energy
History of disease
Daily health experiences

Raw Score: 78.7
National Rank: 94/435
State Rank: 1/5

Emotional Health This index is primarily a composite of respondents' daily experiences. It includes one item that probes for prior history of diagnosed depression. In the remaining items, respondents are asked to think about how they felt yesterday, from the morning until the end of the day - who they were with, what they did, and how they felt based on responses to the following nine items:
Smiling or Laughter
Being treated with respect
Enjoyment
Happiness
Worry
Sadness
Anger
Stress
Learning or doing something interesting

Raw Score: 79.0
National Rank: 201/435
State Rank: 5/5