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Show Volume XVI Issue VIII The Ogden Valley news Page April 15, 2009 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Early Census Operations Starting Now in Local Communities— By Johan Hattingh Census workers will be visible on neighborhood streets using GPS handheld computers The Census bureau will launch a massive operation in April to verify and update more than 145 million addresses as it prepares to conduct the 2010 Census. Although the count is still a year away, workers will be going door to door, verifying addresses to ensure the accuracy of next year’s Census delivery lists. For the first time ever, field staff will be using GPS-enabled handheld computers to make census delivery lists as accurate as possible. Steps have been taken to make sure that these workers with handhelds are easy to recognize. Every temporary Census employee will have an official identification badge with the employee’s signature and an expiration date. They will also carry a tote bag with the words Census 2010 and will have an identification card for the inside of their car. Whenever possible, workers have been hired directly from local communities where they are familiar with the neighborhoods and with the people who live in them. “A complete and accurate address list is the cornerstone of a successful census,” said Cathy Illian, Director of the Denver Regional Census Center. “Work done by our field staff in early operations updates the address list for the delivery of next year’s questionnaires. This ensures more people receive their forms and more people return them.” The GPS-enabled handheld computers will help ensure geographic accuracy. The ability to capture GPS coordinates for most of the nation’s housing units will greatly reduce the number of coding questions caused by paper maps in previous counts. This further increases the accuracy of delivery lists. One of the largest community-mobilization efforts of the decade, Census work is completed in communities and benefits local residents. Through the lifecycle of the 2010 Decennial Census, it will employ workers for thousands of temporary, full- and part-time positions working in neighborhoods throughout the ten state Denver Region. Nationally, $300 billion in federal funding each year will come back to local areas based, in part, on Census data. Dollars will be used for roads, schools, education, housing and other community-based projects. All Census information collected, including addresses, are confidential and protected by law. The Census Bureau, and all workers, is bound by law to protect the confidential information collected. Staff also receive extensive Title 13 training on confidentiality and are sworn to secrecy. A violation of that oath is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or up to five years in jail. The 2010 Census is the largest peacetime operation conducted by the federal government and is the basis for the reapportionment of congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. For more information about the Census, visit <www.2010Census.gov> . Utah Receives Economic Recovery Funding from U.S. EPA to Reduce Diesel Emissions, Create Jobs In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for the people of Utah, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $1.73 million to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ). The funding can be used to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation’s existing fleet of over 11 million diesel engines. “This is part of the nationwide clean energy transition that is clearing the air and creating millions of jobs across America,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Communities using innovative measures to cut harmful diesel emissions are cutting costs, creating jobs, and keeping people healthy.” The funds provided by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 will ne used by UDEQ to fund the retrofitting of approximately 300 school buses throughout the state with diesel oxidation catalysts and closed crankcase filtration units. The funding will also be used to replace more than 20 existing school buses with newer, cleaner school buses. In addition to helping to create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects will contribute to a reduction in premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other negative health impacts. Under ARRA’s State clean diesel funding program, $88.2 million is divided equally through a noncompetitive allocation process, meaning that all 50 states and the District of Columbia will receive $1.73 million. States, local governments, non-profits and tribal agencies can also compete for a portion of $206 million under ARRA’s National clean diesel funding program. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at <Recovery.gov> For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit <http://www.epa.gov/ recovery> For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit <http://www. epa.gov/cleandiesel> What do we do when things don’t go according to script? As when you’re within five years of retirement, you followed all the investment “rules,” had the required diversified portfolio, and you still lost 30% or more of your retirement savings. The Standard and Poor 500 Index was down over 40% for the 12 months ending February 28, 2009. Interest rates have fallen and “safe” money earns very little interest. International funds have taken a double beating due to bad returns and the strengthening of the dollar. The value of your home has plummeted and that second home you bought for retirement is now a major liability. How are you going to make up your losses before reaching retirement? Or fund your daughter’s college education? There is no doubt that a very wide range of people who have been affected by the downturn in the economy. With the shift from Defined Benefit Retirement Plans to Money Purchase Plans, such as a 401(k) or a 403(b) plan, most people have been making their investment choices on their own. Financial planners and brokers very often do not provide advice on such investments, either because of a concern about fiduciary responsibility or simply because they don’t control the funds and consequently don’t earn any commissions or fees. Consequently, many participants have been making these decisions based on the past performance of the funds available within a plan, which is often a recipe for disaster. Let’s start by looking at the Ugly. Major financial institutions that are household names, such as AIG, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, and Citigroup have either collapsed or have been relying on the government to prop them up. Subprime mortgages, packaged into trade-able securities and were often given high ratings by the ratings agencies, have wreaked havoc with the financial system and the broader economy. Lending has dried up, cutting off T-Ball ~ Coach Pitch ~ Softball ~ Baseball Join the Ogden Valley Youth Recreation! 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(Ask about toddler classes) Fun, creative, social learning environment children and parents will love! www. pineviewpreschool-asjenks.blogspot.com (801) 782-3018 Or call for more information (801) 782-3018 much needed credit for businesses—big and small. Car sales have dropped by more than 40% over the last year. Even the credit union movement needed support when the National Credit Union Administration Board placed two corporate credit unions, namely U.S. Central Federal Credit Union, Lenexa, Kansas and Western Corporate (Wescorp) Federal Credit Union, San Dimas, California, into conservatorship on March 20, 2009 to “stabilize the corporate credit union system and resolve balance sheet issues.” These corporate credit unions do not directly serve consumers, but provide products and services to the Credit Union System. U.S. Central has approximately $34 billion in assets and serves 26 retail credit unions and Wescorp has $23 billion in assets and serves approximately 1,100 retail credit union members. In short, we have been forced to question many of our beliefs like never before. Questions like “How could this happen?” and “What went wrong?” abound. How could the leaders in the financial industry screw up so badly? What happened on Wall Street with all the sophisticated products and the Ivy League educated mavens? How did the oversight authorities allow this to happen? How could a Bernie Madoff get away with what he did for so many years? What do guarantees mean these days and which guarantees can we trust? GOOD, UGLY cont. on page 11 |