Program on Applied Demographics

The Program on Applied Demographics (PAD) at Cornell University applies demographics methods and techniques to the latest economic and population trends to provide data and recommendations to institutions and agencies in the public and private sector. Check out ther publications in particular which feature workshop presentations offered at the most recent State Data Center Affiliates meeting.

Current Trends in State Finances

Rockefeller Institute of Government researchers analyzed current state fiscal conditions in recent presentations to the National Tax Association, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston/Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the National Education Writers Association. View the presentations on the State and Local Government Finance section.

Databases & Directories

The Times Union has a list of Databases & Directories. Some of them contain data that can be found elsewhere (FBI Uniform Crime Report, Baby Names from Social Security), or are of local interest (Artists & Artisans, Camp Guide). The piece that caught my attention was the Top Pensions paid to New Yorkers.

The GAO on the 2010 Census

Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released: 2010 Census: Bureau Needs to Specify How It Will Access Coverage Follow-up Techniques and When It Will Produce Coverage Measurement Results. GAO-08-414, April 15.

Highlights.

The public comments on the web about ACS

An Indiana data detective has been been browsing the web to see what news and information is out there about the American Community Survey, noting that "Google yields about 2 million items when searching for American Community Survey and the top links are to the Census Bureau. However, on the first results page there are a number of blogs referenced that purport to be reactions from recipients of the survey..."

Here is just one of the many links found.

It appears that there is a great deal of concern about the "intrusiveness" of the ACS and about privacy, "difficult to assuage in the face of modern technology and general mistrust of 'the government'."

I believe that the Census Bureau, which has little money to publicize the ACS program at all, nevertheless needs to find a way to address these issues. I remember a conversation I had four or five years ago with a data detective. I posited the theory that the USA “PATRIOT” Act and other activities would undermine Census' capacity to gather information in the future. That understandably suspicious future is now.

The data gathered in the ACS, and before that in the long form of the Census, is vitally important to government and industry. Of course, the "short form" questions are required for reapportionment of Congress and state legistures, as well as a myriad of other uses.

Census considers rewards for data

From USATODAY.com

It's not the first time the idea has come up. The Census Bureau explored launching sweepstakes in the 1990s. It rejected the plan partly because of concern that it would cheapen the national population count mandated by the Constitution every 10 years. It's not clear if using budget money to fund prizes is even legal.

Feh. What ever happened to civil duty?

Community-College Utilization and Tuition Vary Widely

Another Rockefeller Institute Study:
Every state offers community colleges as the first rung on the ladder of higher education. They prepare students for four-year colleges, educate key professions like nursing and firefighting, offer job training and basic skills, and bolster economic development. But a new report from the Rockefeller Institute finds that the 50 states differ widely in the extent to which they use their community college systems. Read the press release.

Layered Local Governments in New York

From the Rockefeller Institute of Government:
New York's local governments are among the most heavily "layered" in the nation, Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow Donald J. Boyd writes in a new paper. Unlike most states, New York is characterized by at least two general-purpose local governments in every region except New York City. Boyd was a consultant to the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, chaired by former Lieutenant Governor Stan Lundine. The Commission has just issued a report with recommendations to make local government more streamlined and cost-effective. Robert Ward, the Institute's deputy director, analyzed the Lundine Commission's report in a May 1 commentary for WAMC/Northeast Public Radio.

New York State Statistical Yearbook

The Rockefeller Institute of Government has published the 32nd edition of its popular New York State Statistical Yearbook, providing updated information on a vast array of state data and state agency contacts for news media, citizens, government officials, and others. The 714-page Yearbook contains information ranging from population and health statistics to information on education in the state. Information is freely available online as a series of Excel pages here.

For more information or to obtain a copy, click here. Read the news release.

A New Twist on Spring Cleaning

Economy Has Consumers Feeling the Urge to Purge, which does have its upsides.

Inside the American Community Survey - A Non-Planner's View

The apartment where Ishmael Sanchez lives was randomly selected to participate in the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. He's not a planner or a demographer, and doesn't use or particularly care about Census data. But, because he was required by law to do so, he responded to the survey.
An interesting view of the ACS from one who was surveyed.

Local Area Personal Income

From the Hill Library:

When the BEA says "personal income" they mean wages, health insurance benefits, investments and a bunch of other stuff. Looking at a flat-out personal income figure for a location, comparing locations, or tracking income over time can offer much insight into a place's economy and consumers.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released new estimates on personal income in counties and metro areas across the U.S., with data from 1969 to 2006. This site walks you through the steps of accessing that data. Follow these steps by first selecting a table - or topic - and then selecting a geography and date range.

When the BEA says "personal income," you might say "holy cow this site is overwhelming." If so, check out BEA Regional Facts, where this data is simplified and presented in paragraph form.

Personally, I prefer the tabular form of LAPI to the narrative form of the BEAR Facts.

Caveats for users of ACS tabulations

Sample Size Matters by By Lynn Wombold, ESRI Chief Demographer

Someone who knows a lot more about these things than I noted that "these are issues known to most folks heavily involved with the ACS." Demographic groups have been "encouraging the Census Bureau to find ways to increase the ACS sample from 3 million addresses to the originally (back in the early '90s) 3 percent sample. Given the current federal budget situation, the need for the Census Bureau to convert 2010 Census NRFU to paper, etc. we are not likely to see any increase in the ACS data collection budget until sometime after the 2010 Census."

New postage rates

The Post Office is raising the postal rates starting Monday, May 12 to 42 cents for the first ounce, 17 cents each for the next few ounces, and 27 cents for a postcard. Lots of people I've talked to seem unaware of the rate change. I wonder if the Post Office still has those "forever" stamps?

2010 Census Web site

What You Need to Know about the 2010 Census

PDF Fact Sheets for:
Businesses
Community and Social Service Organizations
Educators
Elected Officials
Faith-Based Organizations
Media
Everyone

Small Business Economic Trends

Monthly Small Business Economic Trends Analysis from the National Federation of Independent Business.

Sales Tax Collections in Most States Declined in First Quarter

State sales tax revenues delivered the weakest performance in six years during the first quarter of 2008, while growth in overall state tax revenues continued to deteriorate, according to preliminary data issued May 1, 2008 by the Rockefeller Institute of Government. With 36 of the 45 states that collect sales tax reporting, revenue from sales taxes declined both nationwide and in 21 states during January to March 2008, compared to the same period a year earlier. Southeastern states were hit the hardest: nine of the 21 states reporting sales tax declines were in that region. When adjusted for inflation, sales tax revenues declined in at least 27 states. For the states reporting so far, the overall level of sales tax collections fell slightly — the first time such revenues have not grown in six years.

Online Advertising Expenditures

Check out Digital Marketing and Media from AdAge.

2010 Census Miscount Fears Raised

Thursday, Apr. 24, 2008; By AP/GARANCE BURKE from CNN and TIME magazine.

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.