Economy
In Tucson, one in eight homes vacant
“The number of vacant homes and rentals has exploded 52 percent in Pima County in the past 10 years, thwarting a housing market recovery and driving even some middle- and upper-income neighborhoods into decline. An Arizona Daily Star analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data shows the spike in unoccupied homes and apartments has pushed Pima…
Read MoreLocal government pays employees thousands for accrued time
“While private employers are consolidating sick and vacation time and limiting the amount of leave workers can collect, governments continue to be more generous with such benefits, said Jeffrey Keefe, a Rutgers University professor.” The Virginian-Post reports that “since January 2010, South Hampton Roads cities collectively paid more than $7.7 million in such payments to…
Read MoreOhio schools rely heavily upon student fees to pay for sports programs
A report by The Plain Dealer reveals that Cleveland State University charges its students “about $600 a year for intercollegiate sports, even if you do not attend a single game.” However, the school is not the only university in Ohio to rely heavily upon student fees to support their sports program. “As students and parents…
Read MorePrivate EMS operators billed Medicare nearly $500 million since 2005
An investigation done by the Houston Chronicle found that private EMS operators are “making millions of dollars off the poor, the sick and the mentally vulnerable, whether they need a costly EMS lift or not.” Surprisingly, “many of the patients are neither physically debilitated nor confined to a sick bed. They are not headed to, or…
Read MoreCA hospital chain’s bill to Medicare raises suspicion
“Prime Healthcare Services bills Medicare for a variety of unusual ailments – among them a brain disease and a condition causing eyes to bleed – that can generate lucrative payments to the chain. A California Watch analysis of newly released data shows that the chain’s Medicare billing for these disorders is far more aggressive than…
Read MoreRegardless of bailout, Gov. Perry has deep ties to one of TX’s largest banks
In his bid for the president, Governor Rick Perry has attacked the Troubled Asset Relief Program numerous times; calling it an “unprecedented assault on free markets.” However, The Dallas Morning News reports that the very bank Perry designated for his campaign finances received more than $87 million in TARP money. That same bank, PlainsCapital, is…
Read MoreMajor increase in spending leads to concerns over health care costs
There’s no doubt that every city should have a children’s hospital, but what about three? Gilbert Gaul with Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with McClatchy, takes a hard look at why Orlando and other cities are building multiple children’s hospital, and who’s behind the push. The leading independent children’s hospitals are nonprofits, but you wouldn’t know…
Read MoreState legislators earning pension before retirement
It may be surprising to learn that after legislators in South Carolina passed a law that would allow them to collect their pension, while still working for the state full time, their annual incomes have nearly tripled. Thomas Frank, of USA TODAY, investigates the disturbing, yet legal, actions our legislators are taking. “More than 4,100 legislators…
Read MoreStimulus money for Florida school districts misused
President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus package granted “millions of federal dollars” to public school districts in Florida. As part of the President’s vision “to accelerate improvement in schools,” the money was meant to provide a means to improve low performing schools and prevent teacher layoffs. However, this investigation by Mc Nelly Torres of the Florida Center for…
Read MoreAfter spending millions on a publicly funded power plant, company has little to show
In a two-part series, the Duluth News Tribune found that despite receiving $42 million in state and federal funding over 10 years, a proposed “clean coal” plant has yet to move a shovelful of dirt. And despite receiving all of its backing from the public trough, the company’s spending records, including its officers’ paychecks, were…
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