The federal government is requiring communities nationwide to change street name signs from all capital letters to capital and lower case letters to make signs easier to read. This is to be done as signs need replacement. However, reflective traffic signs need to meet minimum government standards by 2015 to make them easier to see at night. The community of Iron Mountain, Michigan – population 8,154 - will spend $30-$60 a piece to replace its several hundred signs. Milwaukee, Wisconsin will spend about $1.4 million on new signs. Unfortunately, the government hasn’t “signed on” to help pay for these signs.
The most expensive community for renting a home is San Jose, California. According to the 2010 Census, that Silicon Valley community’s median rent is $1,340. Thousand Oaks, California, a bedroom community of LA, was second – median rent $1,301. Third was Honolulu – median rent $1,237. However, when rent was based on percentage of income, Miami is the least affordable with renters spending 24% of their income on rent. Los Angeles and San Diego tied for second with 23%. All these communities have creative/cultural centers, relatively strong job prospects and/or high population growth with restricted housing supply – that have often “rent” budgets.
The most prosperous country in 2010 is Norway. That’s according to the annual Prosperity Index compiled by the London analytical center, Legatum. The Prosperity Index evaluates 110 countries according to how economic fundamentals, health, freedom, governance, safety, education, entrepreneurial opportunity and social capital influence a country’s economic growth and the happiness of its citizens. Norway is #1 for the second year straight, followed by Denmark, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, Switzerland, Netherlands and the United States. In 2009 the U.S. was #9 – and since then many Americans think the “us” has been taken out of prosperous.
Economists think height equals health. It’s true for babies and economists say it’s true for countries too. Americans used to be the world’s tallest people, but in the 1960’s Americans’ height reached a plateau. The average American man is five feet 9 inches. In 2010 the Dutch are the tallest. The average Dutch man is 6 feet. In addition to having good nutrition and health care during pregnancy and early childhood, the Dutch are guaranteed prenatal care – whereas 17% of Americans don’t have health insurance. Because height reflects good health and nutrition, economists think tall people reflect economic well-being – unless that’s a “tall story”.
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