Smart

There's a recent Business Review story indicating that Albany is 11th smartest metro in the nation, topping all New York cities. The full chart is here.

Ethanol

From the Hill Library:

Ethanol Industry Outlook 2008, a 28-page PDF from the ethanol industry.

Spending on Health Care and Long-Term Care

From the Hill Library:

Outlook for Spending on Health Care and Long-Term Care

Older Americans

From the Hill Library:

Each is a 2-page PDF.
Statistical Profile of Older Americans Aged 65+
Statistical Profile of Black Older Americans Aged 65+

Internet Advertising Revenue

From the Hill Library:

IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report. 19 pages, PDF.

Travel Trends Among Baby Boomers

From the Hill Library:

The Sky's the Limit: Travel Trends Among the Baby Boom Generation from AARP (2-page PDF).

US Disposable Personal Income in the future

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2010 Census at Critical Juncture

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the following testimony:

2010 Census: Census at Critical Juncture for Implementing Risk Reduction Strategies. GAO-08-685T, April 15.

Highlights.

These and other GAO products are available from the "Reports and Testimonies" section of GAO's Internet site, http://www.gao.gov

The new OECD Stats site

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has a new site here. I found using the new software choice worked much better.

Browse Themes for options or download all country measures via General Statistics - Country Profiles.

County and City Data Book: 2007

From Hill Library:

This unassuming little page from the Census Bureau is actually a gateway to a staggering amount of information on U.S. states, counties, and cities.

The 2007 County and City Data Book provides the most current Census data on every U.S. place. Find state government expenditure and population characteristics; statistics on county building permits and labor force; and details on city retail trade and crime - among a slew of other topics.

Download the entire 1,000+ page publication in PDF or maneuver through the table of contents by scrolling down on the main page linked above.

Acronym Finder

Acronym Finder, the "world's largest and most comprehensive dictionary of abbreviations and acronyms", just addded its 600,000th definition.

Congress can save the census

New York Times editorial, April 10, 2008: Another Heck of a Job. (Free registration may be required.)

Last paragraph:
In the next few weeks, President Bush will request an emergency appropriation for Iraq. Lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, must fight to attach the census money to that bill; the amount comes to less than one day’s spending for the war. The census is central to American democracy, used to determine the number of each state’s congressional representatives and electoral votes, the boundaries of electoral districts and the allocation of federal tax dollars. The Bush administration won’t save the census. But Congress can.

Weather Conversion Calculators

Extremely useful! Put in one number and the others show up as well.

The database is a:
Distance Conversion Calculator (Meters, Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles, Nautical Miles)
Speed Conversion Calculator (Meters per Second, Kilometer per Hour, Miles per Hour, Knots per Hour)
Weight Conversion Calculator (Grams, Kilograms, Ounces, Pounds, Troy Pounds)
and several more.

95 Percent Of People Are Sheep

Following Flock In Disaster Scenarios: Have you ever arrived somewhere and wondered how you got there?

Occupational wage data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has occupational wage data for sector, 3-, 4- and 5-digit NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) industries.

Data is for the nation, region, state, and MSA levels.

The Census Taker

I was an enumerator in 1990; seems about right. From Saturday Night Live.

Census Returns to Paper Count

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Technology problems will force the Census Bureau to return to using paper and pencil to count the nation's 300 million residents in the 2010 census.

Stories by the New York Times and NextGov.

"...the government will scrap plans to use handheld computers to collect information from the millions of Americans who don't return census forms mailed out by the government." Of course, if people DO return census forms mailed out by Census, it would save the government (i.e., taxpayers) a whole lot of money.
***
Prepared Statement of Steve H. Murdock, Director of U.S. Census Bureau re: the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget, before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives, 3 April 2008.
***
Serious 2010 Census Challenges to Be Swiftly Addressed. Clear Internal and External Agreement That 2010 Census Can Succeed With Major Operational and Budgetary Changes.

States' Tax Revenues Weaken

States across the country are experiencing "a classic nutcracker effect," as revenues weaken and costs rise sharply, the Rockefeller Institute's latest State Revenue Report finds. After adjusting for inflation and legislated tax changes, states' tax revenues dropped by 4.3 percent in the most recent quarter. Read the press release.

Changes in Family Health Insurance Coverage for Small and Large Firm Workers and Dependents

This study examines the 1996-2006 Annual Demographic Survey of the Current Population Survey (CPS) to determine if the decline in health insurance coverage at large firms has increased financial pressure on plans sponsored by small firms. The study tests whether spouses working for large firms and children previously covered through large firms have shifted to dependent coverage in group plans sponsored by small businesses.

A full copy of this report is available here and the research summary can be found here. Should you need further information, please feel free to contact Victoria Williams at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

My favorite source of news

Seriously.. Especially check the videos.

Megaregions

Top 10 Megaregions. "The core of the U.S. economy is made up of roughly a dozen megaregions that stretch into Canada and, in some cases, Mexico."

What is a Megaregion?

Who's Your City?

NEW YORK STATE’S JOB COUNT SHOWS SMALL DECLINE IN FEBRUARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 27, 2008

New York State’s private sector job count decreased over the month by 6,800, or 0.1 percent, to 7,268,700 (seasonally adjusted) in February 2008, the State Labor Department reported today. Since the beginning of New York’s current economic expansion in July 2003, the state has added 361,400 private sector jobs.

New York State’s unemployment rate, after seasonal adjustment, was 4.5 percent in February 2008, down from 5.0 percent in January. New York City’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in February 2008, down from 5.7 percent in January 2008. The rate in the balance of the state outside New York City was 4.7 percent in February 2008, up from 4.5 percent in January 2008.

“In February 2008, New York State’s private sector job count experienced a small decline, like the nation as a whole. In addition, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased in February, and was below the comparable national rate,” said Peter Neenan, director of the Division of Research and Statistics.
Note: When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison, for example, January 2008 versus February 2008. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month, for example, February 2007 versus February 2008.

1.) Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted):

New York State’s unemployment rate, after seasonal adjustment, was 4.5 percent in February 2008, down from 5.0 percent in January. In February 2007, the state’s rate was 4.4 percent. The nation’s rate was 4.8 percent in February 2008, down from 4.9 percent in January. In February 2007, the nation’s rate was 4.5 percent. In New York City, the unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in February 2008, down from 5.7 percent in January. In February 2007, the city’s rate was 4.8 percent. The sharp drop in the city’s rate in February 2008 departed significantly from recent monthly trends. Since these model estimates are based, in part, on sample-based surveys conducted by the federal government, there is a risk of sampling error. This suggests that at least a portion of the change from the city’s January 2008 rate was a statistical anomaly.

Unemployment Rates (seasonally adjusted)
Feb08 Jan08 Feb07
New York State 4.5 5.0 4.4
United States 4.8 4.9 4.5
New York City 4.1 5.7 4.8
NYS, exc. NYC 4.7 4.5 4.2

2.) Job data (seasonally adjusted):

New York State and the nation, January 2008 - February 2008:

The number of private sector jobs in New York State decreased by 6,800, or 0.1 percent, to 7,268,700 in February 2008, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Nationally, the number of private sector jobs decreased by 0.1 percent over the same period. After seasonal adjustment, the number of nonfarm jobs in the state decreased over the month by 6,200, or 0.1 percent, to 8,779,400 in February 2008. Nationally, the number of seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs decreased over the month by less than 0.1 percent.

3.) Nonfarm jobs since February 2007 (not seasonally adjusted):

Total nonfarm jobs +80,000
Private sector jobs +67,700

Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs in New York State increased by 80,000, or 0.9 percent, and the number of private sector jobs increased by 67,700, or 1.0 percent. Nationally, the number of nonfarm jobs increased by 0.6 percent and the number of private sector jobs increased by 0.5 percent between February 2007 and February 2008.

Educational and health services added the largest number of jobs (+39,900) over the February 2007-February 2008 period, with most of the increase in health care and social assistance (+31,900). Employment also increased in leisure and hospitality; government; trade, transportation and utilities; construction; other services; information; professional and business services; and financial activities.

Manufacturing (-15,800) registered the largest over-the-year drop among declining industries. Manufacturing job losses were mostly in non-durable goods. The over-the-year decline in non-durable goods employment (-9,800) was centered in chemical manufacturing (-3,800) and apparel manufacturing (-3,300). Employment losses in durable goods (-6,000) were centered in computer and electronic product manufacturing (-1,700) and transportation equipment manufacturing (-1,700). Employment also decreased over the year in natural resources and mining.

Industries With Job Gains:
Educational & Health Services +39,900
Leisure & Hospitality +14,600
Government +12,300
Trade, Transportation & Utilities +9,700
Construction +6,500
Other Services +5,000
Information +3,500
Professional & Business Services +3,300
Financial Activities +1,100

Industries With Job Losses:
Manufacturing -15,800
Natural Resources & Mining -100


4.) Nonfarm jobs since January 2008 (not seasonally adjusted):

Total nonfarm jobs +33,300
Private sector jobs +12,800

In February 2008, New York State had 8,651,500 total nonfarm jobs, including 7,130,200 private sector jobs. From January 2008 to February 2008, the number of nonfarm jobs increased by 33,300 and the number of private sector jobs increased by 12,800. On average, in the previous ten years, the number of nonfarm jobs in New York increased by 48,100 from January to February, and the number of private sector jobs increased by 25,400.

The not seasonally adjusted job count increased over the month in educational and health services (+33,900), government (+20,500), leisure and hospitality (+8,700), other services (+1,200), information (+1,000), and financial activities (+100). The job count decreased over the month in trade, transportation and utilities (-22,900), construction (-8,400), manufacturing (-600), and professional and business services (-200). Natural resources and mining employment was unchanged over the month.

5.) New York State nonfarm job highlights since January 2008 (not seasonally adjusted):

Educational and health services
Over-the-month employment increases were mostly due to seasonal gains at colleges, universities and professional schools.

Government
The increase in public sector employment reflected the return of local elementary and secondary schools, as well as public colleges and universities, from winter break.

Leisure and hospitality
Leisure and hospitality employment increased, with hiring focused in accommodation and food services, particularly food services and drinking places.

Other services
This sector’s over-the-month employment gain was centered in religious, grantmaking, civic, professional and similar organizations.

Information
Motion picture and sound recording accounted for February’s gain in sector employment.

Financial activities
Results in this sector were mixed as job gains in finance and insurance just outpaced losses in real estate and rental leasing.

Natural resources and mining
Natural resources and mining employment was unchanged in February.

Professional and business services
Job losses in administrative support services and in management of companies and enterprises outpaced seasonal gains in professional, scientific and technical services.

Manufacturing
Manufacturing’s job count dropped over the month due to losses in non-durable goods, particularly in printing and related support activities.

Construction
Construction sector employment decreased seasonally, especially in specialty trade contractors.

Trade, transportation and utilities
Most of this month's employment decrease reflected seasonal losses in retail trade, particularly in clothing and clothing accessories stores and general merchandise stores.


6.) Metropolitan Areas:

Job Growth and Unemployment Rates (not seasonally adjusted):

Albany-Schenectady-Troy: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 500, or 0.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 500, or 0.2 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in February 2008, compared with 5.0 in January and 4.4 in February 2007.

Binghamton: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 800, or 0.7 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 800, or 0.9 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in February 2008, compared with 5.6 in January and 5.3 in February 2007.

Buffalo-Niagara Falls: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 2,200, or 0.4 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 300, or 0.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 6.3 percent in February 2008, compared with 6.1 in January and 5.4 in February 2007.

Glens Falls: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 800, or 1.5 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 700, or 1.7 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in February 2008, compared with 6.1 in January and 5.6 in February 2007.

Ithaca: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 500, or 0.8 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 500, or 0.9 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in February 2008, compared with 3.9 in January and 3.3 in February 2007.

Kingston: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 300, or 0.5 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 400, or 0.8 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in February 2008, compared with 5.4 in January and 4.5 in February 2007.

Nassau-Suffolk: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 13,800, or 1.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 12,000, or 1.2 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in February 2008, compared with 4.5 in January and 4.1 in February 2007.


New York City (five boroughs): Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 46,900, or 1.3 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 44,900, or 1.4 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in February 2008, compared with 6.1 in January and 5.0 in February 2007.

Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 700, or 0.3 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 100, or 0.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in February 2008, compared with 4.9 in January and 4.4 in February 2007.

Putnam-Rockland-Westchester: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 6,300, or 1.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 5,000, or 1.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in February 2008, compared with 4.4 in January and 3.9 in February 2007.

Rochester: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has decreased by 200, or less than 0.1 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has decreased by 1,500, or 0.4 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in February 2008, compared with 5.5 in January and 4.9 in February 2007.

Syracuse: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 3,200, or 1.0 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 2,900, or 1.1 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in February 2008, compared with 5.5 in January and 5.1 in February 2007.

Utica-Rome: Since February 2007, the number of nonfarm jobs has increased by 900, or 0.7 percent, and the number of private sector jobs has increased by 600, or 0.6 percent. The area’s unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in February 2008, compared with 5.9 in January and 5.4 in February 2007.

Note: Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs data for New York are obtained from a survey of 18,000 business establishments. Jobs data exclude agricultural workers, the self-employed, unpaid family workers and domestic workers in private households.

Hi -Tech Census Costs, Accuracy in Doubt

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Big worries for the nation's first high-tech census should have been obvious when the door-to-door headcounters couldn't figure out their fancy new handheld computers.

MORE.

I've seen these handheld machines up close for only a brief time; they SEEMED easy enough...

Depository Libraries-GIO: Ask a Librarian

by Barbara Quint

A formal agreement between the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO; www.gpo.gov) and a network of 20 depository libraries has relaunched and expanded the scope of a virtual reference service called Government Information Online: Ask a Librarian (GIO; http://govtinfo.org). Be careful about using the dot-org. Typing "govtinfo.gov" will switch you to the USA.gov site. That may not be too much of a mistake in time. One of the primary strategies of the GIO service is to promote its existence through links from other leading dot-gov sites, such as USA.gov and Thomas. The engineering of such linkages falls mainly to GPO. The depository library participants, led by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and managed by the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC; www.cic.net), will handle providing the free chat- and email-based virtual reference service.

Reference librarians from 20 academic, state, and public depository libraries will be available to direct users to information from government agencies, in particular federal, but state, regional, and local agencies as well. The federal government coverage should be consistently strong, as all the libraries involved are federal depositories. Coverage of state and local collections will vary, along with other expertise. John Shuler, project manager and bibliographer for urban planning and government information at UIC, describes the expertise of participant library collections and staff as stretching outside the GPO collection. "We draw on multiple sources and all levels, including specific local expertise. While all have generalized expertise for the federal

[ MORE]

Spring 2008 Local Government Workshop – May 9, 2008

For Brochure and Information Visit here.

In most cases the Local Government Workshop fulfills NYS law requiring training for local planning officials. Some sessions include Continuing Legal Education and Code Enforcement credit.

Voluntourism

A growing trend is taking hold in the travel industry: "voluntourism." In a combination of vacationing and volunteering, some Americans are foregoing time-shares and are instead sharing their time with people in need. In fact, surveys conducted by Travelocity, Orbitz, and the Travel Industry Association show that the number of groups offering these volunteer vacations has doubled over the past three years. The demographics of "voluntourists" vary widely: young, old, singles, families, and even honeymooners are taking advantage of this win-win situation.

Read more here.
Learn more here.

Population Estimates

I came across one of those depressing Population losses continue across WNY, according to Census estimates stories in the Buffalo News
"Erie County lost 5,001 residents last year, continuing a decade-long trend of annual population losses seen here and across upstate New York, according to new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau."
What was interesting in the story, though, was a link to Population Change in all U.S. Counties: A searchable database. The details of the population growth or decline shows births and deaths for the past seven years. Of course, it's a variation of The Population Estimates from the Census Bureau, released on March 20, 2008, but it's still rather nifty.

The Impact of a New Recession on State and Local Governments

Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow Donald J. Boyd examines the impact a new recession is likely to have on state and local governments. Boyd warns that, unless the economy rebounds, volatility in most state revenue systems may force midyear spending reductions this year and other unpopular policy actions in 2009. Boyd’s new research on both states and localities, in a March 14 presentation to analysts at Fidelity Investments, expands upon his recent paper that analyzed how state finances would be affected by a recession. Both reports are available here.

Agricultural Stats

A librarian friend of mine, who used to work at the NYS Small Business Development Center, e-mailed me Starting an Agriculture Business. I mention it here because the early pages discuss the great import of agriculture in the Empire State, a fact I suspect people from other parts of the country would be surprised by.

Cheap gas prices

OK, not really. But getting the CHEAPEST gas prices can be found here at Gas Buddy.com. My wife's already susssed out the cheapest gas in Albany, alas. Some ZIP Codes don't work, but check by state, then county, then place.

Even easier to use Gas Prices at Mapquest, where one sees a map of the area to discover that there is, at this writing, even cheaper gas in Troy.

UN Data

The Hill Library Business Web Site of the Week:

A restaurant in the Twin Cities has a billboard campaign claiming that their international kitchen is like the UN, but productive. Zing. Clearly, however, this restaurant has not seen data.un.org.

This tool, hosted by the United Nations, collects in-depth statistics on countries, commodities, products, and people. Using the site, one can get historical, current, and - often - projected statistics on such varying topics as the amount of chewing gum imported to the Philippines, the literacy rate in Saudi Arabia, population growth in Panama, or the number of divorces in Croatia.

Search the site by country name, demographic keyword, or product type - or browse the individual databases to get a feel for the breadth of information available. At least statistic-gathering-wise, the UN is totally productive.

Project Sunlight

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Want to find out what your state and local elected officials are up to?

New York State has a new Web site that makes that task much easier. It's called Project Sunlight, a Web site created by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo under a law passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Spitzer. It puts better government accountability a click away.

The new Web site strips away the bureaucracy that surrounds much of how public policy is influenced in state government.

There's information on each piece of legislation, which lawmakers are sponsoring it and which lobbyists are supporting or opposing the measure. You can also check on campaign contributions and how much pork-barrel spending lawmakers are getting for their home districts.

The Web site's address is www.sunlightny.com.

Economic stimulus payment update

If you or someone you know that generally does not have to file a 2007 return but must do so for the economic stimulus payment:

Last week, IRS announced that the IRS Free File program is now available for nonfilers who must file a 2007 return to receive an economic stimulus payment.

IR-2008-34 has more information.

Income is not income

Money: A song written by Berry Gordy, first recorded by Barrett Strong, then a bit later by a British band called the Beatles.

But income is not income. If you check the results of the Census/ACS and BEA for similar time frames, you'll see two different definitions of income. The Census/ACS definition is MONEY income. BEA measures PERSONAL income.

Data Detective Lenny explains:
Money income is essentially gross cash received on a regular basis (inheritence, etc. are not included). So wages and salaries are measured before taxes are removed.

According to the BEA web site:
Personal Income is the income that is received by all persons from all sources. It is calculated as the sum of wage and salary disbursements, supplements to wages and salaries, proprietors' income with inventory valuation and capital consumption adjustments, rental income of persons with capital consumption adjustment, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and personal current transfer receipts, less contributions for government social insurance.

The personal income of an area is the income that is received by, or on behalf of, all the individuals who live in the area; therefore, the estimates of personal income are presented by the place of residence of the income recipients.

This includes such income as housing subsidies, Medicare/Medicaid payments to hospitals on behalf of individuals, etc. even though the individual does not personally see it. The idea is that this is money supporting individuals. So the BEA figures will be significantly different ($10k higher) then the Census Bureau's.

Wal-Mart Takes a Chance on Bloggers

Bloggers with Attitude...Inside Wal-Mart? By David Weir (March 3rd, 2008 @ 3:14 pm).

Is BOCES A Model for Municipal Reform?

While critics, including Governor Spitzer, say New York State has too many local governments, a promising cost-saving reform may be creation of still more local entities — regional cooperative entities similar to the BOCES organizations that serve school districts — the Rockefeller Institute’s deputy director, Robert B. Ward, suggests. His article, BOCES: A Model for Municipal Reform?, appears in the Winter 2007 edition of the New York State Bar Association’s Government, Law and Policy Journal.

Rebuilding the Government Statistics Infrastructure

The Committee on National Statistics of the National Academies issued a report in January 2006 on the first-ever review of the work of the Governments Division of the U.S. Census Bureau. Panel member Yolanda Kodrzycki of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston prepared a policy brief on the work of the panel and its findings.

As the full report ($55) reads: "Since the early days of the nation, the federal government has collected information on the revenues, expenditures, and other features of state and local jurisdictions and their operations. Today, these data are collected primarily by the Governments Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, which has conducted a census of governments every 5 years since 1957. The division also manages a program of related annual and quarterly surveys, as well as a comprehensive directory of state and local governments. All of this work is now taking place in an environment of constrained resources, and there have been cutbacks in the availability and dissemination of the data."

Department of Correctional Services reports

A variety of Research Studies and Legislative Reports is now available online from the Department of Correctional Services. Titles include the Annual Shock Legislative Report, Profile of Inmate Population Under Custody, Inmate Escape Incidents, and Female Homicide Commitments.

1 in 100 Adults Now in Prison

2,319,258 Americans Behind Bars in 2008, Most of Any Nation.

Postage going up

Starting May 12; those "forever stamps" are still available...

Foreclosures increase 8% in January 2008

RealtyTrac®, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, released its January 2008 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ this week, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, auction sales notices and bank repossessions — were reported on 233,001 properties during the month, an increase of 8 percent from the previous month and an increase of nearly 57 percent from January 2007.

State Economic Competitiveness Index

Newt Gingrich noted recently a recent report from the American Legislative Exchange Council called Rich States, Poor States. It's based on the ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index and is compiled by by Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore. It notes how these factors affect out-migration:
Highest marginal personal income tax rate
• Highest marginal corporate income tax rate
• Progressivity of the personal income tax system
• Property tax burden
• Sales tax burden
• Tax burden from all remaining taxes
• Estate tax/Inheritance tax (Yes or No)
• Recent Tax Policy Changes 2005-06
• Debt service as share of tax revenue
• Public employees per 10,000 residents
• Quality of state legal system
• State minimum wage
• Workers’ Compensation costs
• Right-to-work state (Yes or No)
• Tax/Expenditure Limit
• Education Freedom Index

New York does not fare well. Here's a story about the California experience.

Access info on the individual states here.

1918 Flu Pandemic

Researchers Explain Why 1918 Pandemic Flu Spread Quickly, killing at least 50 million people. "The work could help scientists detect and contain a future bird flu outbreak among humans."

Switching faiths

Religion Survey Finds Many Americans Swap Faiths.

From NPR: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life surveyed tens of thousands of Americans and found that more than 40 percent will switch from the faith of their upbringing. Includes a 4-minute audio describing the results.

The complete results of the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey.

The Entire Communications Industry, in Less than 200 Pages

As the Hill Library blog puts it, "The 2007 Digital Economy Fact Book (pdf) is a tightwad researcher’s dream: In-depth, statistic-heavy, well-cited, and freely-available online. One could hardly ask for more."

Growth of the Internet (page 1)
Hardware Sector (page 15)
Communications (page 37)
Digital media (page 63)
Electronic commerce (page 83)
Threats to the Digital Economy (page 97)
Worldwide Digital Economy (page 109)

Census Product Update

Like many data detectives, I subscribe to the Census Product Update, "A Biweekly Bulletin from the U.S. Census Bureau". The February 22, 2008 release featured:

USA Counties has just been quarterly updated and is now available on the web. USA Counties now features more than 5,900 data items for the United States, the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), and all of the nation’s 3,141 counties and county equivalents, and covers areas such as age, agriculture, ancestry, banking, building permits, business patterns, crime, earnings, education, elections, employment, government, health, households, housing, income, labor force, manufactures, population, poverty, retail trade, social programs, veterans, vital statistics, water use, and wholesale trade. It is the most comprehensive source for data on counties in the United States."

U.S. Total Business Sales for December 2006 were $1,147.3 Billion, down 0.5 Percent from the previous month. No surprise.

THIS surprised me: Majority of Children Live With Two Biological Parents. The actual FACT didn't surprise me - "Nearly 45 million (61 percent) of the nation’s 73 million children younger than 18 lived with their biological mother and father in 2004." Maybe I just had an Ozzie and Harriet/Father Knows Best/Donna Reed Show upbringing and had blocked out the proliferation of divorce, single parents and blended families.

To subscribe to Census Product Update, go here.

The Daily Digit

From Data Detective Lenny:

The Daily Digit, from Governing.com provides an interesting statistical factoid related to government. For example, today's fact is:

Number of workers without proper immigration documents caught by Suffolk County, N.Y., officials in two sweeps of a total of 33 contractors working for the county after a law was approved requiring 6,000 county contractors to affirm that their employees were not illegal immigrants:

One
Source: New York Times, 2/19/08

I was intrigued by this one:

Number of votes received by Sen. Hillary Clinton from Syracuse, N.Y., voters in the Feb. 5 Democratic primary, according to unofficial results:
6,001

Number of votes received by Sen. Barack Obama in Syracuse:
6,001

Odds of such a tie occurring, according to a Syracuse University mathematics professor:

Less than 1 in a million
Source: Syracuse Post-Standard, 2/7/08

U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050

If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, and 82% of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants, according to new projections developed by the Pew Research Center.

The link is to the summary; from there, you can go to a 55-page PDF.

Thanks to the Hill Library blog.

Fight Forgetfulness the Fun Way

Can't remember things like you could 10 years--or even a few months--ago? Clear out brain fog with games scientifically designed to strengthen the mind. Whether you want to improve your focus, sharpen your recall, or master multitasking, our games will supercharge your mind.

And when you're at work playing games on your computer, please tell your boss that you're only doing them to become a better employee.

Race: Are We So Different?

Data Detective Ed disccovered this web site:

Race: Are We So Different? - The project is full of census data, personal interviews, specialized bibliographies, quizzes, genetic data and a beautifully done interactive timeline on the race debate.

Construction

Census has monthly construction stats, but what if your folks are looking for forecasts?

That was the question posed to my Business Librarians listserv, and here is the collective wisdom:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs003.htm
http://www.huduser.org/publications/econdev/mkt_analysis.html
http://www.hoovers.com/residential-real-estate-construction/--ID__19--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml
http://www.nahb.org/showpage_details.aspx?showPageID=311§ionID=1163
http://www.agc.org/cs/industry_topics/construction_economics
http://www.abc.org/Newsroom2/Construction_Executive/Cover_Story.aspx

Articles from general business journals may also be helpful.

EconomicIndicators.gov - R.I.P.

Forbes has awarded EconomicIndicators.gov one of its “Best of the Web” awards. As Forbes explains, the government site provides an invaluable service to the public for accessing U.S. economic data:

This site is maintained by the Economics and Statistics Administration and combines data collected by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, like GDP and net imports and exports, and the Census Bureau, like retail sales and durable goods shipments. The site simply links to the relevant department’s Web site. This might not seem like a big deal, but doing it yourself–say, trying to find retail sales data on the Census Bureau’s site–is such an exercise in futility that it will convince you why this portal is necessary.

Yet the Bush administration has decided to shut down this site because of “budgetary constraints,” effective March 1.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/13/economic-indicators/

Siena Sports Fanship Poll

Here are the headlines:
73% of All NY’ers are Sports Fans: 89% of Men, 58% of Women
Athletes Poor Choice for Role Model; Jeter, Tiger exceptions
Kids learn teamwork, discipline from sports; But, Lighten Up Coach

Here are the results.

Tracking state expenditures online

Here is a website that follows efforts of transparency of state expenditures.

Rural and Urban Establishment Births and Deaths

Rural and Urban Establishment Births and Deaths Using the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Information Tracking Series presents an analysis of establishment birth and death rates by rural and urban counties. Surprisingly, the differences in the average rates of establishment births and deaths for urban and rural areas are extremely small. Therefore, the general dynamic of economic activities is not a function of rural versus urban conditions. Also, the underlying datasource of establishment births and deaths by county from 1990 to 2003 used in the paper is documented for future research use.

A full copy of this report is available here (PDF), and the research summary can be found here (PDF). If you need further information, please feel free to contact Brian Headd at (202) 205-6533 or advocacy@sba.gov.

Industry Economic Accounts

From the Dept. of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis: "Annual Input-Output Accounts for the U.S. Economy" report, plus info on Research and Development, Travel and Tourism, and Transportation.

Google Uncle Sam

Government Information on the Web

Use Google Uncle Sam, also called Google U.S. Government Search, to find online federal, state, or local government information.
From Hill Library:

Google Uncle Sam will limit your search to government Web sites only. This specialized Google service can be helpful if you are looking for government information related to your business, such as economic reports, tax legislation, employment regulations, patents or trademarks.

To access Google’s U.S. Government Search:

* Go to http://www.google.com/ig/usgov.
* Enter keywords.
* Click on the “Search Government Sites” button.

I like it because it captures all those sites I used to try to get by searching, individually, all the .gov, .mil and .us sites.

While Google is the most ubiquitous name in online search, it’s not the only government search engine on the Web. The U.S. government provides its own portal to online government information at USA.gov. In addition to its search engine, USA.gov provides a helpful directory of online government information.

Underground Railroad Conference - February 22-24, 2008

FREEDOM'S SONGS - Voices of the UGR

The Underground Railroad History Project/URHPCR of the Capital Region, Inc. will present Kim and Reggie Harris and Nzinga's Daughters in concert on Saturday evening, February 23rd, 2008, at 7:30 PM at St. Joseph's Hall at the College of Saint Rose on Madison Ave in Albany, NY.

Based in Hartford, Connecticut, "Nzinga's Daughters" is a women's performing ensemble of professionals and trained semi-professionals. The ensemble presents varied programs of African, Caribbean and African-American music, dance, storytelling and poetry. The Underground Railway is a favorite focus. The February 23rd performance will "start in Africa and bring you to America, and end with the Emancipation Proclamation."

Kim and Reggie Harris have been singing and telling stories together for nearly two decades. As singers, songwriters, storytellers, educators, interpreters of history, and cultural advocates, they have developed a stunning reputation amongst college presenters and folk audiences. Their music, alternating between contemporary and historically-based songs, is always rich in emotion, powerful and draws one into its rhythm and beat, and their stunning voices and intelligent harmonies prompted one reviewer to describe them as "vocal acoustic joy!!"

The presentation will bring to an end a full day of workshops and events that comprise part of the 7th annual conference on the Underground Railroad Movement in New York State: "The Underground Railroad: How It Worked: Two Centuries of Resistance, Escape, and the Underground Railroad in New York and Across the Continent."

The Conference will be held in Albany, NY, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 22, 23, 24, 2008. It will begin on Friday evening at the Best Western Sovereign, 1228 Western Avenue, Albany, NY, with dinner and a speech by Spencer Crew, Director of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Saturday's
events will be at the College Of Saint Rose. The fee for Saturday evening is $10. There will be open seating.

The conference schedule, description of featured events, a list of workshops, and an online registration form are available at the URHPCR web site.


Underground Railroad History Project
P.O. Box 10851
Albany, NY 12201
518-432-4432
Contact: Katherine Storms
Phone: (518) 427-7168 or 265-3418 (cell)

Consumer Electronics Customer Support Contact List

From Hill Library:

Most businesses these days rely heavily on PCs, laptops, PDAs, cell phones and other consumer electronics. But what happens when these items don’t work? Panic, probably, followed by a mad dash to get them up and running.

The CE Customer Support site can help add a bit of ease to that mad dash. Organized by consumer electronic brand name, you’ll find links to customer support Web pages, phone numbers, and email addresses along with full-text manuals, and in some cases, listings of authorized service centers.

This site may not directly help you fix your electronics problems, but it will help you quickly and efficiently get in touch with someone who can.

February 12 due date for return of Economic Census forms approaches

Back in December, more than 4 million American businesses, including 320,000 businesses in New York, received a 2007 Economic Census form. Many very small businesses were not sent a form, and no action is required from them, but businesses that received a form are required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code) to complete and return it.

Commerce Department Secretary Carlos Gutierrez calls answering the Economic Census "an act of an act of corporate good citizenship". The Fed's Ben Bernanke calls the census "indispensable" and adds "returning your economic census form helps us all."

So, if your company still has the 2007 Economic Census, please fill it out and send it in today. You can get help with your paper form, or even file your information online, at www.census.gov/econhelp. If you prefer, call 1-800-233-6136.

If you are an entity that deals with businesses, help get out the word now, before the February 12 due date. Among other things, the followup process is far more expensive for taxpayers than returning the form before the deadline.

Pandemic

I got this e-mail:
The Essential Pandemic Kit
To respond effectively to a pandemic – its duration, reach and unpredictability - you need more than just a basic crisis communication system.

Varolii's Pandemic Communication Solution is designed for an event of global proportions by protecting employees and core systems, disseminating status updates, and supporting crisis collaboration.

Kit includes:
Forrester report on responding to the avian flu
Whitepaper on pandemic communication
And more

The link was here. Free registration is required and you'll need WinZip. If you can't access it, let me know and I'll try to e-mail the components.

I'm not hot on worrying about a pandemic, but it is interesting reading.

Rockefeller Fiscal Report for State Governments

Looking at the past five recessions, Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow Donald J. Boyd addresses the question — "What could happen now to state government finances in a recession?" Data are presented on all 50 states. To read the report, go here.
***
Publication 58 (1/08), Information for Income tax Return Preparers for tax year 2007.

City Data

The Hill Library's weekly "Business Web Site of the Week" is City-Data.com.

"Enter a county, city, or zip code – or browse by state – to find pages and pages of information on U.S. places. Included are statistics on everything from age and income to ancestral heritage; from population change due to commuting to crime rates; from most common occupation to climate trends."

HOWEVER, it goes on to say, "The page just keeps scrolling, and the mind reels about where all this information comes from. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t make that clear. Because of this, please do attempt to verify any City Data you plan to use."

Eight menu trends for 2008

From Bakery-Net.com:

Mini desserts, whole grains and superspices are among the top menu trends bakers should watch this year, according to Mintel Menu Insights, a national restaurant-tracking service.

Primary Information

From the NYS Board of Elections re: the February 5 (Presidential) and September 9 (unofficial date for other offices) New York State 2008 primaries.

In New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie, POLLS OPEN AT 6 AM - CLOSE AT 9 PM. In all other counties, POLLS OPEN AT 12 NOON and CLOSE AT 9 PM.

Here's a list of candidates' delegates.

Census/Popular Culture History

Lenny found this:

The Look-back blog "Modern Mechanix" has posted another scanned article on the Census from our near-past. This time it's an article from Popular Mechanics from April of 1960: Nose Count, 1960.

You may recall a similar article back in November. That one was from 1940.

There is also one from 1950.

Going Postal

This is what the State Data Center, or any other group that does good stuff, but who are not well-known by the general public, ought to do: design a logo, and then get postage stamps made by Zazzle or Your Stamps. There's my mid-winter wisdom.

Using ACS Data for Transportation Planning

"A Guidebook for Using American Community Survey Data for Transportation Planning" was published as part of the National Highway Research Program. Data Detective Nate was a member of the research project panel and notes that there are many useful examples, especially in the first 6 chapters, that may benefit all regarding the ACS and how to use it.

Here's the link (285-page PDF).

Customer Service

I found this post on a website for a car wash association.
(Laurie Sherman is Co-owner of Blendco Systems, LLC. Blendco manufactures a full line of detergents and waxes for the professional carwash industry. You can contact Blendco at: www.blendco.com.)

I've totally removed the car wash references, and it still makes sense.

Great operators are always raising the bar on themselves. Not content with the status quo, these operators are constantly seeking to improve their operations, add new services, and generally improve the overall 'customer experience'.

It really does take an amazing, sustained focus and commitment to keep a business running at the 'top of its game', let alone continue to improve it. In the quest for day-in and day-out excellence, one very important tool is customer feedback. To get better, you need to know what's not working for your customers. To get better, you actually need… customer complaints!

The problem with complaints is that they are hard to make, and hard to take. Many customers will avoid making a complaint for fear that the complaint may be misunderstood or reacted to in a defensive manner. It is no real surprise then that many legitimate complaints go unvoiced — to the detriment of your business. You really need to know that the credit card acceptor isn't in an accepting mood today. But your customers may just drive off feeling less than satisfied by their experience.

A daily check list and a good maintenance program will address most of the mechanical issues involved in delivering a customer experience, but you still need direct customer feedback. You need complaints, and you need to make sure complaints are being heard. You need them as a tool to get better.

Why not take a page out of the Starbucks play book? Starbucks is focused on delivering great coffee and a pleasant customer experience, and their challenge is to do this literally millions of times a day at more than 15,000 stores worldwide. This is no small task.

One of Starbucks' tools is something called a Customer Snapshot. It is basically just the use of a Secret Shopper, but Starbucks has taken pains to keep the system very simple. A secret customer (and in Starbucks parlance, a customer is always a "Guest") visits a given Starbucks store every few weeks to judge the store's performance, using the following 5 criteria for the person serving them:

Did you make eye contact?
Did you greet the guest?
Did you thank the guest?
Did you initiate conversation?
Did you recognize the guest by drink or name?

Notice that the quality of the coffee isn't even mentioned — and Starbucks is no doubt doing many things to make sure that the coffee is outstanding. Instead, they emphasize providing the guest with a positive experience. By design, the Customer Snapshot is simple and it is focused on creating a personal, social interaction for their guests. The Snapshot results are posted at the store for the employees to see, and whenever all 5 criteria are met, the store is recognized for giving "Legendary Service".

Think about this system in the context of your place of business. Your secret customer snapshot might emphasize the overall experience — were they greeted, were they thanked for their business or asked to 'come back soon!', was care taken to show concern and respect for them.

Your secret customer can be a trusted friend, a business advisor, your accountant, or your barber.

The payback to you and your business can be immeasurable. You will see your business through your customers' eyes, and be able to use their perspective to improve their overall experience, day-in and day-out.

75+ Tips on Becoming a Better Networker

From Bootstrapper.

Cyber Security Tips

The Hill Library suggests people look at Cyber Security Tips,
compiled by the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team. "(T)hese tips explain the most common computer security issues in short, digestible snippets. Written with the non-technical computer user in mind, the site offers highly practical information and advice."

Census Job Listings Online

Both 2010 Census employment and Regional Office employment opportunities are listed for the New York Regional Office in NYC. Upstate NYS jobs can be accessed through the Boston office here.

State Tax Revenue Faltering Again

As the national economy has slowed, state tax revenues showed further deterioration in the third quarter of 2007, a new State Revenue Report from the Rockefeller Institute of Government finds. After adjusting for inflation and legislated tax changes, revenues fell by 0.6 percent ­- the first such decrease in four years. To view the report and read the associated Wall Street Journal article, please visit www.rockinst.org.

'SwitchGrass' is the Word

You'll recall a recent State of the Union address discussing SwitchGrass as a fuel supplement in order to make the United States less energy dependent on foreign oil. I was reminded of this by an e-mail from the Business Librarians' listserv, with these links:

Switchgrass ethanol: better than corn?

Switchgrass-to-ethanol comes out clean in study

A study published last week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that switchgrass contains five times more energy than it takes to grow it, which makes it significantly more cost-effective than corn. Switchgrass Yields Five Times More Energy Than is Used to Grow It.

PDF Online

I KNOW most of you have Abode Acrobat installed on your home and work computers, but in case you don't, PDF Online may be the answer. "This site takes numerous types of documents – such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint – and converts them into PDF. Just upload your original, give a name to your file, and enter your email address. Within minutes you’ll have a professional, secure, and portable PDF file in your inbox."

I tried it, and while it took longer than promised (maybe 15 minutes), it did work.

The state of the state of New York

From Jay Gallagher of the Star-Gazette: some pertinent facts about the state of the state of New York at the beginning of 2008 (many courtesy of the Public Policy Institute).

The Usual Thing

I'm going to request (again) all of your nifty articles about whatever data stuff catches your fancy. Meanwhile, check out this piece about environmental businesses.

Empire State to lose seats in Congress

After the 2010 Census, New York’s Representation Will Shrink, as projections suggest that the state will lose two seats in Congress. The state lost two seats after Census 2000.

Biz Researchers Heart Census Bureau

From the JJ Hill library blog.

Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008

Every year, Census sends out a press release highlighting some interesting factoids in the new Statistical Abstract; here is this year's model. If you just want to find the book electronically, go here; you'll also find instructions to buy the print version for $39.

2008

As our nation prepares to ring in the new year, the U.S. Census Bureau projected that the Jan. 1, 2008, population will be 303,146,284 -- up 2,842,103 or 0.9 percent from New Year's Day 2007. In January, the United States is expected to register one birth every eight seconds and one death every 11 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person every 30 seconds. The result is an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 13 seconds.

Small Businesses Lead U.S. Growth

Report Documents Small Firms’ Significant Economic Impacts in 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Small businesses continued to lead growth in the U.S. economy in 2006, according to a report issued last week by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The report "shows that overall, small firms continue to drive a resilient U.S. economy," said Advocacy Chief Economist Chad Moutray. "In releasing this annual small business research report, we are pleased also to showcase new research by economists in the field of small business and entrepreneurship." Moutray released the report at a December 19 meeting of the Rotary Club of Washington, DC. The study, The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President for 2007(PDF) is the Office of Advocacy’s annual report on the state of small business in America.

The report reviews the economic environment for small businesses in the year 2006, including the financial and federal procurement marketplaces. New research focuses on minority- and veteran-owned businesses, social entrepreneurship, and pre-venture planning. Other chapters and appendices provide data on small business and an update on Office of Advocacy initiatives. The Office of Advocacy, the "small business watchdog" of the federal government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats, and it funds research into small business issues.

For more information and a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy website. Print copies are also available upon request to the Office of Advocacy (202) 205-6933.

Gateway to Associations

The Hill Library notes: "Industry associations want businesses in their industry to succeed, and because of this will often give away highly valuable information." Check out this gateway to associations from the American Society of Association Executives.

Winter 2007 Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Review

Newsletter of the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council. Features one very large fish.

1990 Census Block Data

Because I was curious, I wrote to Census, and got this reply:

Data from the 1990 census at the block level are available from 1990 Summary Tape File 1B (Tape or CD-ROM). You can contact your local State Data Center (http://www.census.gov/sdc/www/) for assistance or purchase the tape or CD-ROM from our Customer Services Center. Their telephone number is 301-763-4636.

We are in the process of decommissioning the e-mail address . Please submit future request to our "Ask Questions" link at http://www.census.gov. From the center of our web site, select the radio button "FAQs" and then go over to the right and click on the "GO" button. Select "Ask A Question." If you forget your password, please contact the Customer Services Center on 301-763-4636.

Again, we appreciate your interest in our data.

So, no, 1990 block data is NOT available from American Factfinder. 1990 block group data, yes; 2000 block data, yes.

Merry Christmas

And in the spirit of regifting, a swipe from the NYS SBDC blog about the holiday.

Plus: from The Office of Fire Prevention and Control, distributed by SUNY System Administration – Department of Public Safety

Guard Against Holiday Fire Safety Hazards

The holiday season brings a sense of celebration and goodwill -festive meals; candlelight; warm, glowing fires; trees and wreaths are among some of our finest holiday traditions. But….they are also some of leading causes for so many destructive fires during the holiday season. The Office of Fire Prevention and Control reminds all New Yorkers to be aware of the dangers inherent to the holiday season and offers the following fire safety tips.
CHRISTMAS TREES: When buying a natural tree, the most important safety factor is freshness. The higher the moisture content the less likely it is to dry out and become a fire hazard. To keep your tree fresh longer, cut off two inches of the trunk and mount in a sturdy water holding stand with wide spread legs. Locate the tree away from fireplaces, wall furnaces and other heat sources. Do not block stairs or doorways. Dispose of the tree when needles begin to fall off in large quantities.
COOKING: Untended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. Never leave food unattended and watch small children around the stove.
CANDLES: Candle fires are on the rise in recent years. Never leave candles burning unattended or burning around small children or pets. If you do use candles, keep them in proper glass containers.
HOLIDAY LIGHTING: Use only lighting approved by a testing lab. Inspect electrical lights for broken or cracked sockets and frayed wires. Do not use indoor lights outdoors or visa-versa and be very careful to not overload extension cords. Never use lighted candles on or near a tree or other decorations.
FIREPLACES: Fireplaces are very popular during the holidays. Before starting a fire, remove all decorations from the area and be sure that the flu is open. Do not burn wrappings or evergreen boughs, they can burn extremely fast, throwing off sparks and burning debris. Safely dispose of wrapping paper with your normal trash collection.
SMOKE DETECTORS: Make sure your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are working and mounted properly. Fire extinguishers should also be checked.
The Office of Fire Prevention and Control would like everyone to be fire safe during the holiday season. Following the simple preventative measures outlined above, can significantly help prevent a tragedy. To learn even more about holiday fire safety, please download our Holiday Fire Safety Bulletin. For another Holiday Saftey Bulletin presented by the Division of Code Enforcement and Administration and OFPC, please Click Here.
For an important PSA on educating children of the dangers of lighters and matches this holiday season, please Click Here.
For some additional information and pamphlets with helpful fire safety tips to better prepare you for a safe holiday season, please Click Here.

Disaster Preparedness

"An estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety." Here's a link to the SBA/Nationwide Disaster Preparedness Guide.

"The 10-page guide provides information business owners need to develop an effective plan to protect customers and employees in the event of a disaster. The guide provides key disaster preparedness strategies to help small businesses identify potential hazards, create plans to remain in operation if the office is unusable, and understand the limitations of their insurance coverage."

The world's largest cities

City Mayors.com has nifty statistics in terms of the largest urban areas, fastest growing urban areas, richest cities by GDP, riches cities by personal earnings, and other world and national figures.

An answer to city blight

Paul Bray, founding president of the Albany roundtable civic lunch forum, noted in the Albany Times Union recently that Rochester, NY is a pioneer in partnering with nonprofit housing organizations to deal with the problem of vacant and abandoned buildings.

Holiday Facts

From the US Census:

Facts for the 2007 Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, reflection, and thanks. To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents the following holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection.

It's in the Mail
20 billion
Pieces of mail the U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

48,695
The number of malls and shopping centers dotting the U.S. landscape as of 2005, an increase of approximately 12,000 since 1990.

Holiday Names
Places whose names are associated with the holiday season include North Pole, Alaska (population 1,828 in 2006); Santa Claus, Indiana (2,324); Santa Claus, Georgia (245); Noel, Missouri (1,555); and - if you know about reindeer - the village of Rudolph, Wisconsin (419) and Dasher, Georgia (803). There is also Snowflake, Arizona (5,157).

$31.4 billion

Retail sales by the nation's department stores in December 2006. This represented a 44 percent jump from the previous month (when retail sales, many holiday-related, registered $21.8 billion). No other month-to-month increase in department store sales last year was as large.

Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between November and December 2006 were book stores (86 percent); clothing stores (49 percent); jewelry stores (155 percent); radio, TV, and other electronics stores (60 percent); and sporting goods stores (65 percent).

$142.6 million
The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and June 2007 was $142.6 million. China was the leading country of origin for such items. Similarly, China was the leading foreign source of artificial Christmas trees shipped to the United States ($13.4 million
worth) during the same period.

104
Number of establishments around the country that primarily manufactured dolls and stuffed toys in 2005; they employed 2,480 people. California led the nation with 18 locations and 76 people employed.

1.7 million
The number of people employed at department stores in December 2006.
Retail employment typically swells during the holiday season, last year rising by an estimated 40,600 from November and 174,700 from October.

15,924
The number of electronic shopping and mail-order houses in business in 2005. These businesses, which employed 253,677 workers, are a popular source of holiday gifts. Their sales: $162 billion, of which 40.5 percent were attributable to e-commerce. California led the nation in the number of these establishments and their employees, with 2,383 and 30,800, respectively.

$21 billion
Value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2006 - the highest total for any month last year.

$1.3 billion
The value of candles shipped in 2002 by the nation's manufacturers. Many of these candles are lit during Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations.

Hi, FRED

The FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data) database contains over 15,000 downloadable U.S. economic time series in the areas of
Banking
Business/Fiscal
Consumer Price Indexes (CPI)
Employment & Population
Exchange Rates
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Components
Interest Rates
Monetary Aggregates
Producer Price Indexes (PPI)
Reserves and Monetary Base
U.S. Trade & International Transactions
U.S. Financial Data
Regional Data

For instance, in Employment & Population, you'll find not only Civilian Employment and Labor Force, but Average (Mean) Duration of Unemployment, all going back to 1948.

Design of Desire

From the Hill Library:

Why do people purchase the things they do? Is it neurological? Cultural? Social? American RadioWorks, public radio’s documentary unit, set out to find the answer.

What they came up with is this site: Design of Desire. It chronicles the biological impulses of purchase decisions (Tightwads and Spendthrifts), the ways in which retail design affects buyers (Buying the Tribe), and how branding gets personal online (A Brand of Me).

If you’ve bought or sold anything recently – and we think you probably have – this site might shed some light on that purchase. Think of it as the "why" of buying.
***
The Story of Stuff.

What’s In A Name

I’ve mentioned the Wall Street Journal’s The Numbers Guy, who questions the conventional wisdom about statistical report before. Recently, he took on studies suggesting that major league baseball players with first or last initial K were more likely than average to strike out; and business graduate students with initials C or D had lower grades, on average, perhaps reflecting an unconscious affinity to the grades corresponding to their initials. Why IS that, and is that really what's going on?

Front page

Today's Front Pages has over 500 images of front pages from over 50 countries. The Newseum also displays some archived daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form.

Agricultural Stats

I was working on a question about agricultural land sales. The LEXIS Deed Transfer file covers all NY counties and includes a field that denotes land use. Using agricultural as the keyword, and inserted a date range, you'll get over 3000 results for NY for one year so you'll need to add the county name to the search. The records also include the number of acres and sale price.

Some sites:
www.farmlandinfo.org has info by state and includes some limited statistics and some farmland protection plans (some of those include some statistics). Within that site, you can change the state in dropdown. Lists ag land converted to developed use 92-97; also see Recommended Data Sources at bottom, then National Resources Inventory (2003) has Land Cover/Use by state.

This site is PA only. Data is by county, gives number of farms/land in various years.

Of course, there's the Census of Agriculture. This table shows Farms, Land in Farms, Value of Land and Buildings, and Land Use for 2002 and 1997. The 2007 stats won't be out until 2009 (they will be sending surveys out to farmers this month). This table is for NY only. There should be similar ones for each state. To access go to http://www.nass.usda.gov/ and see "Statistics by State" at bottom of left column.

Wyoming county projections/land use trends. Is there more about other counties on this site?

"Rural Landowner Survey 2005" for NY is available on the Ag and Mkts site.

In the NYS Statistical Yearbook, 2006, there is a table of Farm Acreage by Land Use (table N-3, page 559). The same table is available here; click on Farmland Use.

Thanks to the New York State Library for much of this information.

2007 Legislative Report from the Assembly Committee on Real Property Taxation

What I found interesting about this report is the survey of county and local officials, assessors, tax receivers, and taxpayer groups, the results of which may have an impact on state tax policy in the future.

Counties in New York Are Still Among Most Heavily Taxed, according to the Empire Center for New York State Policy.

Ethnic Events

From the Hill Library folks:

Targeting your marketing message to a particular group of people can be a powerful strategy, but also a daunting task. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get out into a community and just talk to folks, face-to-face?

With Ethnic Events you can find cultural events, festivals, and get-togethers in your area. Search by ethnicity, event date, and event location and then contact the event organizers and ask about sponsorship or the possibility of setting up a booth.

Multicultural marketing doesn’t have to involve a big advertising team and slick, expensive design elements. It can just be you, talking to people about how your product or service can help them. Ethnic Events can help you find those people.

Independent Contractor or Employee?

Some employers have furloughed their employees, only to hire them back as "independent contractors" to avoid governmental obligations that an employee requires, such as matching Social Security payments. Can they do that? Well, "it depends."

The IRS has a PDF document here that describes the definitions of an employee and an independent contractor. (Saying they are independent contractors does not necessarily make them so.)

Eat Out and Eat Right

Yesterday, I gave you some restaurant caloric horror stories.

Today,, the flip side. If you do "points", a reasonable number of points per meal is between 6 and 8.

The 20 worst foods in America

From Men's Health magazine: "The U.S. food industry has declared war on your waistline. Here's how to disarm its weapons of mass inflation.

Sure, a turkey burger sounds healthy. But is it, really? Not if you order the Bella from Ruby Tuesday, which packs a whopping 1,145 calories. (And yes, that's before a side of fries.)"

More scary stuff here.