OLR Report 2013-R-0015 summarizes what fees a Connecticut merchant is charged when a customer pays for a purchase with a debit card or credit card.
In order to process credit cards and debit cards, a merchant must negotiate a “merchant discount fee” either with his or her financial institution or, for Discover and American Express, with the credit card company directly. The negotiated fee is then subtracted from each customer transaction with a credit or debit card. The “interchange transaction fee,” which is paid to the credit or debit card issuer, makes up the largest percentage of the merchant discount fee and is the focus of this report.
In 2011, the Federal Reserve adopted Regulation II, which limits the amount of interchange fees that debit card issuers can charge for transactions. The rule limits the interchange fee to a maximum of 21 cents plus .05% of the transaction value. The rule exempts financial institutions with less than $10 billion in assets. To date, there are no such laws or regulations limiting the interchange transaction fees an issuer may charge for credit card purchases. Since credit card interchange fees vary significantly from one card to another and from one merchant to another, some merchants may pay higher fees for credit card transactions while others pay higher fees for debit card transactions.
For more information, read the full report.
January 16, 2013
State's 2012 HUSKY Performance Bonus Falls Short Of Prior Year's
Connecticut is one of 23 states awarded performance bonuses for streamlining enrollment and renewal procedures in their Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance (S-CHIP) programs in FFY 12. The state received nearly $2 million for increasing enrollment during that period, down sharply from the approximately $5 million it received in FFY 11.
The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) created performance bonuses to encourage states to enroll more children in Medicaid and S-CHIP (HUSKY B in Connecticut) and reduce the number of eligible children who drop out. In order to qualify, state programs must have at least five of the following features:
The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) created performance bonuses to encourage states to enroll more children in Medicaid and S-CHIP (HUSKY B in Connecticut) and reduce the number of eligible children who drop out. In order to qualify, state programs must have at least five of the following features:
- use of the same application and renewal forms for Medicaid and S-CHIP;
- few or no asset verification requirements;
- procedures allowing applicants to enroll without in-person interviews;
- presumptive eligibility rules, allowing health care providers to conditionally enroll and treat children while official eligibility determinations are pending;
- "express lane" eligibility rules, allowing applicants to enroll if they are participating in other public assistance programs with similar eligibility rules;
- subsidized premiums for S-CHIP enrollees whose incomes or assets are slightly above Medicaid program limits;
- 12 month, continuous eligibility rules, allowing children to remain enrolled for a full year regardless of changes in circumstances that would otherwise make them ineligible earlier; and
- streamlined, automatic or administrative renewal procedures.
Penalties for Being Uninsured in 2014 and Beyond
Beginning in 2014, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires most legal residents of the United States to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. The penalty will be the greater of a flat dollar amount or a percentage of family income as follows:
- In 2014, the penalty is the greater of $95 per adult and $47.50 per child (up to $285 per family) or 1.0% of family income;
- In 2015, the penalty increases to the greater of $325 per adult and $162.50 per child (up to $975 for a family) or 2.0% of family income;
- In 2016, the penalty increases to the greater of $695 per adult and $347.50 per child (up to $2,085 for a family) or 2.5% of family income; and
- After 2016, penalty amounts increase annually by the cost of living.
January 15, 2013
Incidence of New HIV Infections Remains Steady Overall
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the estimated number of new HIV infections has remained stable in recent years. There were approximately 47,500 people in the U.S. diagnosed with HIV in both 2008 and 2010. The rate of new infections in 2010 was 18.8 per 100,000 people.
Other findings include:
Other findings include:
- The number of new HIV infections remained relatively stable across all age groups, and the highest number of new infections was among people ages 25-34;
- The black/ African American population remains disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2010, that population accounted for 44% of new HIV infections, followed by whites (31%) and Hispanics/Latinos (21%);
- The number of new infections decreased among females, and the number of new infections among males continues to be much higher than among females (4.2 times higher); and
- Gay men continue to have the highest HIV infection rates; 63% of new HIV infections overall, and 78% of new infections among men, were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact.
CT Supreme Court Acknowledges Fallibility of Eyewitness IDs
Last fall, the Connecticut Supreme Court, sitting en banc (i.e., with all justices participating), unanimously approved a new evidentiary rule allowing defendants to present expert testimony on the fallibility of eyewitness identifications. In doing so, the Court overruled two decisions precluding the introduction of such testimony. It had reasoned in the earlier cases that expert testimony was unnecessary because the (1) average juror knows about the factors affecting the reliability of eyewitness identifications and (2) expert testimony on this issue is disfavored because it invades the jury's province to determine what weight to give eyewitness testimony.
The Court based the new rule on the fact that courts across the country have accepted that:
The Court based the new rule on the fact that courts across the country have accepted that:
- there is at best a weak correlation between a witness’ confidence in his or her identification and its accuracy;
- the reliability of an identification can be diminished by a witness’ focus on a weapon;
- high stress at the time of observation may render a witness less able to retain an accurate perception and memory of the observed events;
- cross-racial identifications are considerably less accurate than same-race identifications;
- a person’s memory diminishes rapidly over a period of hours rather than days or weeks;
- identifications are likely to be less reliable in the absence of a double-blind, sequential identification procedure;
- witnesses are prone to develop unwarranted confidence in their identifications if they are privy to post-event or post-identification information about the event or their identification; and
- the accuracy of an eyewitness identification may be undermined by unconscious transference, which occurs when a person seen in one context is confused with a person seen in another.
January 14, 2013
Art Insurers Take Hit from Sandy
The Insurance Journal reports that fine art insurers may face claims of up to $500 million to compensate owners of artwork destroyed when last October's Storm Sandy flooded New York galleries. This will be the art insurers' largest payout ever and could wipe out a year's worth of revenues, causing prices to increase. Storm Sandy is expected to cost the insurance industry a total of $25 billion, making it the second costliest storm after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor”
…sang Paul Simon. So, it follows that one person’s misfortune is potentially another person’s good fortune. That appears to be the case for families who lost their homes during the subprime mortgage debacle and the investors who bought them at a bargain. But, investors’ good fortune won’t last long if they can’t sell or rent the foreclosed homes. And that’s where the federal Section 8 rent voucher program comes in.
The program, which dates back to the 1970s, subsidizes rents in privately-owned housing that, until recently, was concentrated in densely populated areas. Today, the program offers investors who can’t find buyers a way to recoup their investment and maintain the property. In doing so, it opens up “fresh swaths of suburbia…to the very people it has so often excluded,” the Washington Post reported in 2011.
About two million American families have Section 8 vouchers, a fraction of those who need them. “But they are a lucky fraction. In the recession-era economy, the voucher is becoming a golden ticket to almost anywhere, a point hardly lost on Liza Jackson,” a Section 8 recipient who peruses rentals on Section 8 web sites “that offer everything from chic new condominiums in Miami to four-bedrooms in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.”
The program, which dates back to the 1970s, subsidizes rents in privately-owned housing that, until recently, was concentrated in densely populated areas. Today, the program offers investors who can’t find buyers a way to recoup their investment and maintain the property. In doing so, it opens up “fresh swaths of suburbia…to the very people it has so often excluded,” the Washington Post reported in 2011.
About two million American families have Section 8 vouchers, a fraction of those who need them. “But they are a lucky fraction. In the recession-era economy, the voucher is becoming a golden ticket to almost anywhere, a point hardly lost on Liza Jackson,” a Section 8 recipient who peruses rentals on Section 8 web sites “that offer everything from chic new condominiums in Miami to four-bedrooms in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.”
January 11, 2013
Shopping's Done. Where'd I Leave the Car?
A recent Dutch study found that men and women tend to use different methods to locate their cars in shopping mall parking lots.
Dutch researchers found that men often rely on distance to find their way back to their cars while women tend to rely on landmarks. The study found that 38% of women referred to landmarks compared to 15% of men. About one-quarter of men found their cars based on distance, while only 1% of women did.
Most men and women surveyed said they often used two different ways to remember where they left their cars. Besides estimating distance and looking for landmarks, these methods include parking close to the mall entrance, retracing their path through the lot, or parking in a favorite spot.
Dutch researchers found that men often rely on distance to find their way back to their cars while women tend to rely on landmarks. The study found that 38% of women referred to landmarks compared to 15% of men. About one-quarter of men found their cars based on distance, while only 1% of women did.
Most men and women surveyed said they often used two different ways to remember where they left their cars. Besides estimating distance and looking for landmarks, these methods include parking close to the mall entrance, retracing their path through the lot, or parking in a favorite spot.
Too Much Salt Is Bad For Us, Right?
A recent Health Affairs article explores the research and controversy about salt regulation as an example of the challenges of evidence-based policymaking. The article notes that most public health leaders have long advocated for reduced salt consumption as a way to reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. However, the evidence for salt's impact on these diseases is not universal. While many studies support a reduction in salt intake, others do not, and some recent meta-analyses suggest that the evidence of salt's impact is minor or uncertain.
The authors note that "advocates of salt reduction believe that the lives of hundreds of thousands of people hang in the balance;" but for "those who insist that the evidence for universal salt reduction is weak, the credibility of the scientific enterprise itself is at stake."
The authors argue that policymakers must act even when there is scientific disagreement or uncertainty. Yet, policymakers also should not conceal such uncertainty, because to do so "serves neither the ends of science nor good policy. Simplistic pictures of translation from evidence to action distort our ability to understand how policy is, in fact, made and how it should be made."
The authors also emphasize that judgments and values must play a role in evidence-based policymaking. Certain questions cannot be answered on evidence alone, such as whether the burdens of a public health intervention would be too severe, or the benefits sufficient given the costs.
The authors note that "advocates of salt reduction believe that the lives of hundreds of thousands of people hang in the balance;" but for "those who insist that the evidence for universal salt reduction is weak, the credibility of the scientific enterprise itself is at stake."
The authors argue that policymakers must act even when there is scientific disagreement or uncertainty. Yet, policymakers also should not conceal such uncertainty, because to do so "serves neither the ends of science nor good policy. Simplistic pictures of translation from evidence to action distort our ability to understand how policy is, in fact, made and how it should be made."
The authors also emphasize that judgments and values must play a role in evidence-based policymaking. Certain questions cannot be answered on evidence alone, such as whether the burdens of a public health intervention would be too severe, or the benefits sufficient given the costs.
January 10, 2013
What do health care reform and gun ownership have in common?
The 2010 federal health care reform law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Educational Reconciliation Act) contains second amendment gun rights provisions. Specifically, it limits what gun ownership information can be collected from individuals who obtain health insurance under the Act.
For example, it prohibits a wellness and health promotion activity implemented under the Act to require the disclosure or collection of any information relating to either the (1) presence or storage of a lawfully possessed firearm or ammunition in someone’s home or on his or her property or (2) the individual’s lawful use, possession, or storage of the firearm or ammunition.
It also prohibits (1) increasing a premium rate; (2) denying health insurance coverage; or (3) reducing or withholding a discount, rebate, or reward offered for participating in a wellness program under any health plan issued pursuant to the Act based on the individual’s lawful firearm or ammunition ownership or use.
It also protects individuals from being required to disclose such information under any data collection activity authorized by the Act.
For example, it prohibits a wellness and health promotion activity implemented under the Act to require the disclosure or collection of any information relating to either the (1) presence or storage of a lawfully possessed firearm or ammunition in someone’s home or on his or her property or (2) the individual’s lawful use, possession, or storage of the firearm or ammunition.
It also prohibits (1) increasing a premium rate; (2) denying health insurance coverage; or (3) reducing or withholding a discount, rebate, or reward offered for participating in a wellness program under any health plan issued pursuant to the Act based on the individual’s lawful firearm or ammunition ownership or use.
It also protects individuals from being required to disclose such information under any data collection activity authorized by the Act.
Superstorm Sandy Tops 2012 Insurance Claims
According to a recent Associated Press article, natural disasters cost insurers $65 billion last year, with the United States accounting for nine-tenths of the bill. The reinsurer Munich Re estimates that Superstorm Sandy was the most costly disaster, with insured losses of $25 billion and total losses of $50 billion, though it cautioned that the figures are "still subject to considerable uncertainty."
The lengthy drought that seared much of the nation last summer produced 2012's second largest insurance bill. Munich Re said the insured losses, which are covered by a public-private crop insurance program, totaled between $15 billion and $17 billion — most of the $20 billion worth of overall crop losses.
Still, world-wide total economic costs from natural disasters, including uninsured losses, were $160 billion in 2012, compared with the previous year's $400 billion.
The lengthy drought that seared much of the nation last summer produced 2012's second largest insurance bill. Munich Re said the insured losses, which are covered by a public-private crop insurance program, totaled between $15 billion and $17 billion — most of the $20 billion worth of overall crop losses.
Still, world-wide total economic costs from natural disasters, including uninsured losses, were $160 billion in 2012, compared with the previous year's $400 billion.
January 9, 2013
College Savings Plan Participation Lags
January 8, 2013
Why Can’t HOME Deliver the Affordable Housing Goods?
In the late
1980s, a Connecticut
A recent Washington Post article hints there are similar issues with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME program. It describes how HOME dollars allocated for specific affordable housing projects either weren’t spent or failed to deliver the promised number of units. The fallout: “Congress last month cut the HOME program’s budget by $600 million—nearly 38 percent—citing mismanagement.” Housing advocates countered that this was a bad move, “estimating that the program will produce 31,000 fewer homes this fiscal year.”
A recent Washington Post article hints there are similar issues with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME program. It describes how HOME dollars allocated for specific affordable housing projects either weren’t spent or failed to deliver the promised number of units. The fallout: “Congress last month cut the HOME program’s budget by $600 million—nearly 38 percent—citing mismanagement.” Housing advocates countered that this was a bad move, “estimating that the program will produce 31,000 fewer homes this fiscal year.”
Was
Congress wrong to cut a program that apparently isn’t delivering the goods? Charlotte, North Carolina’s housing director
Pamela Wideman thinks so, citing several successfully completed HOME-funded
projects. But, she also provided a clue as to why other HOME-funded projects
couldn’t put numbers on the housing boards. “In the past…local housing
officials sometimes partnered with smaller nonprofit developers, a HUD requirement,
and cut checks before construction started.” She even described a proposed
25-unit project that received $160,000 in HOME money in 2001 that today is an
empty lot.
Wideman’s
solution: more-aggressive HUD involvement in the projects. “In my mind,” she
said, “it’s been reactive from HUD when pressure is coming. It should not be in
this reactive or crisis mode.”
Protect Yourself Against Hackers
You would
think that a tech reporter for the hi-tech magazine Wired would know how to best protect himself against hackers. But
someone managed to gain access to, and destroy,
much of Wired reporter Mat Honan's
on-line information - and it all began with a simple call to Apple's customer
service line.
The
Connecticut New Junkie reports
on the hi-tech attack, and suggests ways to help prevent it from happening to
you.
January 7, 2013
Engineered Salmon Could be Coming to Your Dinner Plate
The New York Times reports
that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that a
genetically engineered, fast growing salmon is safe to eat and would have no
significant impact on the environment.
The FDA's environmental assessment will be open to public comment for 60
days, but it appears likely that the agency will allow the salmon to enter the
U.S. food supply. AquaBounty
Technologies, the company that developed the salmon, says the engineered fish
grows to market weight in 18 months, rather than three years.
Hot Report: Generators at Gas Stations
OLR Report 2012-R-0539 summarizes the legislative proposals in Connecticut and other states to require gas stations to have electric generators and (2) how the recent Connecticut legislation regarding microgrids and critical facilities relates to this issue.
A Connecticut legislator raised the idea of requiring generators at gas stations in 2011, but did not propose a bill.
Florida and Louisiana appear to be the only states that require motor fuel facilities, including certain gas stations, to be able to switch to an alternative energy source during a power outage. They do not actually require the stations to have generators on-site.
In New Jersey, one pending bill would require that generators be installed at gas stations, while another would impose requirements similar to the Florida and Louisiana laws. In New York, a bill similar to these laws has been recently proposed; it would also provide financial incentives for stations that voluntarily install generators. A 2011 California bill would have provided financial incentives for stations that installed generators, but it was not adopted.
PA 12-148 establishes a program to fund micro-grids to support onsite electricity generation for critical facilities. Gas stations are not specifically included in the list of critical facilities, but might qualify. The program does not fund generators themselves, but could be used to pay for engineering and related costs in connection with them.
For more information, read the full report.
A Connecticut legislator raised the idea of requiring generators at gas stations in 2011, but did not propose a bill.
Florida and Louisiana appear to be the only states that require motor fuel facilities, including certain gas stations, to be able to switch to an alternative energy source during a power outage. They do not actually require the stations to have generators on-site.
In New Jersey, one pending bill would require that generators be installed at gas stations, while another would impose requirements similar to the Florida and Louisiana laws. In New York, a bill similar to these laws has been recently proposed; it would also provide financial incentives for stations that voluntarily install generators. A 2011 California bill would have provided financial incentives for stations that installed generators, but it was not adopted.
PA 12-148 establishes a program to fund micro-grids to support onsite electricity generation for critical facilities. Gas stations are not specifically included in the list of critical facilities, but might qualify. The program does not fund generators themselves, but could be used to pay for engineering and related costs in connection with them.
For more information, read the full report.
January 4, 2013
How is Violence Like the Common Cold?
It turns out that both are contagious, or at least that was the theme explored at a recent workshop hosted by the National Academies of Sciences' Institute of Medicine. Presenters noted that, as in the case of infectious diseases, violent acts have a tendency to cluster; spread from place-to-place; and mutate. And like those who contract infectious diseases, people exposed to violence have varying levels of resilience and susceptibility, with environmental influences playing a major role in symptomatology and transmission.
One expert carried the analogy farther, contending that strategies proven effective in managing contagious diseases also work in reducing violence. These include:
• detecting and interrupting ongoing and potentially new infectious events;
• identifying those in the protected population who are most likely to cause further infections and then reducing their likelihood of developing or transmitting the disease; and
• changing the underlying social and behavioral norms or environmental conditions that directly relate to the spread of the infection.
One expert carried the analogy farther, contending that strategies proven effective in managing contagious diseases also work in reducing violence. These include:
• detecting and interrupting ongoing and potentially new infectious events;
• identifying those in the protected population who are most likely to cause further infections and then reducing their likelihood of developing or transmitting the disease; and
• changing the underlying social and behavioral norms or environmental conditions that directly relate to the spread of the infection.
January 3, 2013
Reboot Civilization and Spur Innovation
Marcin Jakubowski told Bloomberg Businessweek he's "conducting a civilization reboot experiment" on his 30-acre compound near Maysville, Missouri, which he calls, Factor e Farm. He wants the farm to produce its own food, energy, and tools and raw materials for making those tools, a quest he started in 2007 when he "began working on a minimum set of machines to necessary to sustain modern civilization." In doing so, he wants to prove that people can live without corporations.
Okay, but when did this economic development-related entry morph into something from a survivalist blog? Oh, this posting's about economic development. Jakubowski expects people around the world to "use his tools, spurring an explosion of innovation as people take his tractors and drills and build even better ones." And will they know about his tools? They'll know about them thanks to Internet, which Jakubowski is using to "open-sourcing" his entire production system for all to see, copy, and improve.
Sounds crazy? Well Jakubowski's picked up a global following after 1 million people viewed his TED talk on YouTube. South African billionaire Mark Shuttleworth's foundation contributed $360,000 to farm and about 500 people who donate $10 a month to "subscribe" to the Jakubowski's farm. The Businessweek article describes the farm's successes and failures, including a greenhouse that grows nothing but weeds and the farm's continued reliance on Wal-Mart for food.
But consider Jabukowski's method for spurring innovation: "open sourcing." The farm is "just one node in the network he envisions. The answers will not come from him or the farm. Other people will improve the designs, and, in time, "a distributed enterprise will arise--a society in which the people will have taken back control of technology and lowered the basic cost of existence by several orders of magnitude."
Sounds crazy? Well Jakubowski's picked up a global following after 1 million people viewed his TED talk on YouTube. South African billionaire Mark Shuttleworth's foundation contributed $360,000 to farm and about 500 people who donate $10 a month to "subscribe" to the Jakubowski's farm. The Businessweek article describes the farm's successes and failures, including a greenhouse that grows nothing but weeds and the farm's continued reliance on Wal-Mart for food.
But consider Jabukowski's method for spurring innovation: "open sourcing." The farm is "just one node in the network he envisions. The answers will not come from him or the farm. Other people will improve the designs, and, in time, "a distributed enterprise will arise--a society in which the people will have taken back control of technology and lowered the basic cost of existence by several orders of magnitude."
January 2, 2013
Hot Report: Bans on Smoking in Vehicles Carrying Children
OLR Report 2012-R-0541 describes laws in other states banning smoking in vehicles when children are present and summarizes any data on the effects of such laws.
Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have each enacted such legislation. The maximum age of children covered varies from 13 to 18. Fines range from $25 in Arkansas to a maximum of $250 in Puerto Rico (for a first offender).
According to the advocacy group Global Advisors for Smokefree Policy, legislation banning smoking in cars with children has been proposed in 21 states, including Connecticut. In addition, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (national center), a division of the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reports that six states and the District of Columbia restrict smoking in vehicles carrying children in the care of childcare facilities. We have attached the center's list of state restrictions on smoking in motor vehicles in effect as of June 30, 2012.
We were unable to find any studies that specifically address the effectiveness of banning smoking in vehicles. However, the Community Preventive Services Task Force, an independent board of experts appointed by the CDC director, strongly recommends smoking bans and restrictions “on the basis of strong scientific evidence that they reduce exposure” to second-hand smoke (http://www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/Tobacco.pdf). In addition, a number of studies have noted the dangers of second-hand smoke in general, and of second-hand smoke in vehicles in particular.
“Second-hand smoke exposure is associated with acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, delayed lung growth, and more severe asthma,” a 2012 study noted. “Nonsmoking youth are…particularly vulnerable to second-hand smoke due to their limited ability to avoid smoke-permitted environments, higher breathing rates, and the developing nature of their respiratory, immune, and nervous systems.”
Researchers say that second-hand smoke can be particularly hazardous in the relatively confined space of a car. Opening car windows or vents can reduce, but not eliminate, the danger. A 2011 research paper that monitored car trips involving smokers found that the concentration of fine particulate matter in cars where smoking occurred greatly exceeded international indoor air quality standards and posed a health threat to children. Similarly, the national center states that smoking just one cigarette in a vehicle with the windows closed can generate more than 100 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 24-hour recommended exposure limit to fine particles. These particles, about 1/30th the width of an average human hair, contain cancer-causing chemicals, and can lodge deep in a person's lungs, irritating the respiratory system.
A Pediatrics study whose results were published online in February 2012, found that “despite a significant decrease in second-hand smoke exposure in cars among non-smoking U.S. middle and high school students between the years of 2000 and 2009, that in 2009, more than one-fifth of these students were still exposed to second-hand smoke in a car in the previous seven days.” http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0334.pdf.
For more information, read the full report.
Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have each enacted such legislation. The maximum age of children covered varies from 13 to 18. Fines range from $25 in Arkansas to a maximum of $250 in Puerto Rico (for a first offender).
According to the advocacy group Global Advisors for Smokefree Policy, legislation banning smoking in cars with children has been proposed in 21 states, including Connecticut. In addition, the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (national center), a division of the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reports that six states and the District of Columbia restrict smoking in vehicles carrying children in the care of childcare facilities. We have attached the center's list of state restrictions on smoking in motor vehicles in effect as of June 30, 2012.
We were unable to find any studies that specifically address the effectiveness of banning smoking in vehicles. However, the Community Preventive Services Task Force, an independent board of experts appointed by the CDC director, strongly recommends smoking bans and restrictions “on the basis of strong scientific evidence that they reduce exposure” to second-hand smoke (http://www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/Tobacco.pdf). In addition, a number of studies have noted the dangers of second-hand smoke in general, and of second-hand smoke in vehicles in particular.
“Second-hand smoke exposure is associated with acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, delayed lung growth, and more severe asthma,” a 2012 study noted. “Nonsmoking youth are…particularly vulnerable to second-hand smoke due to their limited ability to avoid smoke-permitted environments, higher breathing rates, and the developing nature of their respiratory, immune, and nervous systems.”
Researchers say that second-hand smoke can be particularly hazardous in the relatively confined space of a car. Opening car windows or vents can reduce, but not eliminate, the danger. A 2011 research paper that monitored car trips involving smokers found that the concentration of fine particulate matter in cars where smoking occurred greatly exceeded international indoor air quality standards and posed a health threat to children. Similarly, the national center states that smoking just one cigarette in a vehicle with the windows closed can generate more than 100 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 24-hour recommended exposure limit to fine particles. These particles, about 1/30th the width of an average human hair, contain cancer-causing chemicals, and can lodge deep in a person's lungs, irritating the respiratory system.
A Pediatrics study whose results were published online in February 2012, found that “despite a significant decrease in second-hand smoke exposure in cars among non-smoking U.S. middle and high school students between the years of 2000 and 2009, that in 2009, more than one-fifth of these students were still exposed to second-hand smoke in a car in the previous seven days.” http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0334.pdf.
For more information, read the full report.
December 31, 2012
Kansas City Bishop Convicted of Shielding Pedophile Priest
The New York Times has reported on what is believed to be the first conviction of a Roman Catholic bishop for failing to notify authorities about a pedophile priest. The bishop had received reports from several reliable sources, including an elementary school teacher and the computer technician who had discovered a cache of pornographic pictures of children stored on the priest's hard drive.
When the priest admitted to having a "problem with pornography," the bishop ordered him to undergo a psychological evaluation, live in a convent, and stay away from children. The priest continued to interact with children and take pornographic photos of young girls for five more months, until other church officials contacted the police, without the bishop's approval.
At the end of a one-hour, truncated bench trial, the bishop was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor failure to report child abuse and sentenced to two years of court-supervised probation. The maximum penalty for this crime is imprisonment for one year, a $1,000 fine, or both.
When the priest admitted to having a "problem with pornography," the bishop ordered him to undergo a psychological evaluation, live in a convent, and stay away from children. The priest continued to interact with children and take pornographic photos of young girls for five more months, until other church officials contacted the police, without the bishop's approval.
At the end of a one-hour, truncated bench trial, the bishop was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor failure to report child abuse and sentenced to two years of court-supervised probation. The maximum penalty for this crime is imprisonment for one year, a $1,000 fine, or both.
December 28, 2012
Working-Age Adults Visiting Doctor Less Often
A recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that working age adults are going to doctors or other medical professionals less often than a decade ago. In 2010, people age 18 to 64 visited medical professionals, on average, 3.9 times per year, compared to 4.8 visits in 2001. The findings were reported in the Census Bureau report, Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010.
As reported in the New York Times, the reasons for the decline were not entirely clear. Demographic change may account for part of the decline. Also, the share of uninsured working-age people has increased over the last decade.
The report found that the uninsured were far less likely than the insured to have at least one medical visit in 2010 (24% compared to 72%).
As reported in the New York Times, the reasons for the decline were not entirely clear. Demographic change may account for part of the decline. Also, the share of uninsured working-age people has increased over the last decade.
The report found that the uninsured were far less likely than the insured to have at least one medical visit in 2010 (24% compared to 72%).
December 27, 2012
Creating Fiscally Sound State Tax Incentives: Advice for Legislators
More and more states are establishing and expanding tax incentives to promote economic development. While incentives can help generate jobs and economic activity, they can also generate nasty revenue surprises for state budgets unless they are carefully designed. Louisiana's severance tax exemption for natural gas producers using horizontal drilling is one example. The cost of that exemption, a mere $285,000 in FY 07, jumped to $239 million in FY 10 after the 2008 discovery of a large new natural gas deposit in the state and changes in drilling industry technology.
A new report from the Pew Center for the States highlights these and other tax incentives that turned, unexpectedly, into “blank checks.” Because incentives often function as entitlements, it can be difficult for legislators to rein them in after enactment. Even if the incentives are later eliminated or scaled back, the credits businesses have already accumulated can continue to create revenue losses over several more years.
To help avoid such pitfalls, Pew recommends that legislators take the following steps before enacting new tax incentives:
A new report from the Pew Center for the States highlights these and other tax incentives that turned, unexpectedly, into “blank checks.” Because incentives often function as entitlements, it can be difficult for legislators to rein them in after enactment. Even if the incentives are later eliminated or scaled back, the credits businesses have already accumulated can continue to create revenue losses over several more years.
To help avoid such pitfalls, Pew recommends that legislators take the following steps before enacting new tax incentives:
- Insist on reliable cost estimates produced through a professional and transparent process. Estimates should project both annual revenue losses over several fiscal years and the expected timing of those losses.
- Because all estimates are uncertain, (1) set regular budgets for tax incentives with annual limits on the total amount of tax incentives and (2) reconsider existing incentives periodically to ensure they are still working as intended.
December 26, 2012
Connecticut Poised to Remain Insurance Capital
The Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services Cluster (IFS) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released a November 2012 report on Connecticut's insurance market that shows Connecticut is well positioned to remain the U.S. insurance capital, according to the Insurance Journal.
Connecticut is first in the nation in terms of insurance employment as a percentage of overall employment. The Insurance Journal reports that the insurance industry represents approximately 3% of Connecticut’s workforce, 6% of the state’s payroll, and 9% of the gross state product. According to the IFS and PwC report, close to 61,600 people in Connecticut were directly employed by the insurance industry in 2011. Insurance industry employment is expected to grow about 10% over the next decade. For each new job in the insurance industry, the state economy adds about 1.46 jobs.
Connecticut is first in the nation in terms of insurance employment as a percentage of overall employment. The Insurance Journal reports that the insurance industry represents approximately 3% of Connecticut’s workforce, 6% of the state’s payroll, and 9% of the gross state product. According to the IFS and PwC report, close to 61,600 people in Connecticut were directly employed by the insurance industry in 2011. Insurance industry employment is expected to grow about 10% over the next decade. For each new job in the insurance industry, the state economy adds about 1.46 jobs.
December 25, 2012
Is Price Gouging Actually Bad?
According to a recent Time article, the majority of states, including Connecticut, have some sort of price gouging law. These laws prevent businesses from charging unconscionably high prices, especially after natural disasters such as the recent hurricane.
However, some economists oppose price gouging laws and instead favor allowing the laws of supply and demand to work. Opponents assert that if retailers could raise prices, it would make consumers think harder about what they really needed. Additionally, it would reward retailers who managed their inventories well.
However, some economists oppose price gouging laws and instead favor allowing the laws of supply and demand to work. Opponents assert that if retailers could raise prices, it would make consumers think harder about what they really needed. Additionally, it would reward retailers who managed their inventories well.
December 24, 2012
Prison Projects for the Public Good
The New York Times (NYT) reported earlier this year about a Washington State program called the Sustainability in Prisons Project that provides prisoners with the opportunity to engage in habitat and wildlife restoration, among other activities. The program is a partnership between Washington's Department of Corrections and The Evergreen State College. According to the program's website, its mission is to bring science and nature into prisons by conducting ecological research and conserving biodiversity. It also provides financial and social benefits.
The program helps address a budget gap in habitat restoration by performing certain environmental conservation tasks at prison wages. Prisoners benefit by being introduced to a scientific process with a societal benefit. It also encourages good inmate behavior because those participating in the program must not commit violent infractions. Currently, three conservation projects are offered in Washington State's program: (1) raising Taylor's checkerspot butterflies and Oregon spotted frogs, two Washington endangered species, and (2) raising rare, threatened, or endangered native plants for transplant to restoration sites.
According to the NYT article, prisons in other states are seeking ways to operate more efficiently and provide additional benefits. For example, in 2008 Wisconsin began having inmates grow food for prison use. Federal prisons are aiming for zero-net energy use by 2030. And again in Washington State, inmate-operated recycling and composting has reduced the amount of offender-generated waste from 2.9 pounds per day in 2004 to 1.4 pounds per day.
Locally, a program operated jointly by Connecticut's departments of corrections and agriculture cares for and rehabilitates abused large animals with the help of inmate labor. The "Second Chance" Large Animal Rehabilitation Facility is located at the York Correctional Facility in Niantic and, according to the facility's website, over 200 horses have been cared for at the facility.
The U.S. as an Oil Exporter?
The December 18th edition of Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the U.S. expanded its oil production this year by the most since the first commercial well was drilled in 1859. Domestic output grew by a record 766,000 barrels a day, to the highest level in 15 years, government data show, putting the nation on pace to surpass Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest producer by 2020. Net petroleum imports have fallen by more than 38% since the 2005 peak and account for 41% of demand, down from 60% seven years ago, moving the U.S. closer to energy independence than it has been in decades.
This oil rush was spurred by new technology that has made drilling faster, cheaper, and more effective at recovering oil from rock formations. At the same time, it has raised alarms among environmentalists about the potential danger to drinking-water supplies and intensifying greenhouse-gas emissions.
The surge in oil output, coupled with record natural gas production, allowed the U.S. to meet 83% of its own energy needs in the first eight months of 2012, on track to be the highest since 1991, Energy Department data show.
Potentially, the U.S. could become an oil exporter, although exports are limited by rules imposed by Congress following the 1973 Arab oil embargo.
This oil rush was spurred by new technology that has made drilling faster, cheaper, and more effective at recovering oil from rock formations. At the same time, it has raised alarms among environmentalists about the potential danger to drinking-water supplies and intensifying greenhouse-gas emissions.
The surge in oil output, coupled with record natural gas production, allowed the U.S. to meet 83% of its own energy needs in the first eight months of 2012, on track to be the highest since 1991, Energy Department data show.
Potentially, the U.S. could become an oil exporter, although exports are limited by rules imposed by Congress following the 1973 Arab oil embargo.
December 21, 2012
What's a Good Economic Development Strategy?
In a nutshell, one that results from hard thinking and hard choosing. "Strategy involves focus and, therefore, choice," wrote UCLA Anderson School of Management professor and business consultant Richard P. Rumelt in Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters (2011), which focuses mainly on business and military strategy. Unfortunately, bad strategy is the norm. "Bad strategy tends to skip over pesky details such as problems. It ignores the power of choice and focus, trying instead to accommodate a multitude of conflicting demands and interests."
Based on Rumelt's work, a good economic development strategy should look like a kernel containing a diagnosis, guiding policy, and coherent actions. The diagnosis defines the problem or challenge, "linking facts into patterns and suggesting more attention be paid to some issues and less to others." It represents a choice between competing theories and allows one to determine how the parts of the strategy align.
The guiding policy lays out the approach or method chosen to "cope with or overcome the obstacles identified in the diagnosis." It "channels action in certain directions without defining exactly what shall be done."
The coherent actions are the coordinated steps chosen to implement the guiding policy. "To have punch, actions should coordinate and build upon one another, focusing organizational energy."
Making hard choices is a central theme running through Rumelt's work. Choosing is hard because the resources needed to address competing needs are scarce. "To have a strategy, rather than vague aspirations, is to choose one path and eschew others. There is difficult psychological, political, and organizational work in saying 'no' to the whole worlds of hopes, dreams, and aspirations."
Here's a brief video of Rumelt explaining the essence of strategy.
The guiding policy lays out the approach or method chosen to "cope with or overcome the obstacles identified in the diagnosis." It "channels action in certain directions without defining exactly what shall be done."
The coherent actions are the coordinated steps chosen to implement the guiding policy. "To have punch, actions should coordinate and build upon one another, focusing organizational energy."
Making hard choices is a central theme running through Rumelt's work. Choosing is hard because the resources needed to address competing needs are scarce. "To have a strategy, rather than vague aspirations, is to choose one path and eschew others. There is difficult psychological, political, and organizational work in saying 'no' to the whole worlds of hopes, dreams, and aspirations."
Here's a brief video of Rumelt explaining the essence of strategy.
Hartford's Preschooler Obesity Rate Alarming
The UConn Center for Public Health and Health Policy (CPHHP) recently reported that 20% of Hartford preschoolers are obese and 17% are overweight. "The prevalence of overweight and obesity was twice as high as [federal] guidelines for age and gender," the report said.
The findings were the result of a study involving 1,120 Hartford preschoolers at 35 randomly selected child-care sites across the city. The results also indicated that:
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra characterized the findings as "extremely alarming."
On a more positive note, Ferris and city officials noted that the Hartford's high preschool enrollment rate (73%) may make a system-wide intervention a plausible option.
The findings were the result of a study involving 1,120 Hartford preschoolers at 35 randomly selected child-care sites across the city. The results also indicated that:
- Boys were as likely to be overweight as girls;
- Latino children were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese than African-American children; and
- Four- to five-year olds were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese than younger children.
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra characterized the findings as "extremely alarming."
On a more positive note, Ferris and city officials noted that the Hartford's high preschool enrollment rate (73%) may make a system-wide intervention a plausible option.
December 20, 2012
Court Grants Preliminary Injunction Against DSS for Its Failure To Process SNAP Applications On Time
In another blow to an agency that has been the object of considerable scrutiny for the way it runs its programs, a U.S. District Court judge granted a preliminary injunction against the Department of Social Services (DSS) for its "ongoing, persistent systemic failure" to process Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, a/k/a Food Stamps) applications in a timely manner. SNAP is a federal program that DSS administers.
By law, DSS has 30 days to grant most requests for SNAP, but it must process applications sooner in an emergency. While the judge acknowledged that the department has faced a burgeoning caseload since the recent economic downturn began (over 210,000 households were receiving benefits in November), DSS reduced its staffing by 19% between 2002 and 2009, and by another 8% in September and October 2011.
The judge cited figures in the complaint, including that (1) in November 2011, 40% of SNAP applications were pending and (2) between January 2010 and February 2012, at least 20% of applications were acted upon a month late.
The next step is a hearing to determine the appropriate injunctive relief and to define who will be included in the plaintiff class, according to Greater Hartford Legal Aid's litigation director.
By law, DSS has 30 days to grant most requests for SNAP, but it must process applications sooner in an emergency. While the judge acknowledged that the department has faced a burgeoning caseload since the recent economic downturn began (over 210,000 households were receiving benefits in November), DSS reduced its staffing by 19% between 2002 and 2009, and by another 8% in September and October 2011.
The judge cited figures in the complaint, including that (1) in November 2011, 40% of SNAP applications were pending and (2) between January 2010 and February 2012, at least 20% of applications were acted upon a month late.
The next step is a hearing to determine the appropriate injunctive relief and to define who will be included in the plaintiff class, according to Greater Hartford Legal Aid's litigation director.
Limited Dispute Resolution Options for Checking Account Holders
According to a recent Pew Charitable Trusts report, 90% of Americans have checking accounts, but "often are unaware of the terms of their checking account agreements." The report revealed the prevalence of dispute resolution clauses in such agreements.
Researchers examined checking account agreements from 85 banks and seven credit unions. They found that larger financial institutions were more likely to require checking account holders to agree to mandatory binding arbitration in the event of a dispute. The report defines such arbitration as "a private dispute resolution in which a third-party decision maker resolves disputes between opposing parties…the arbitration decision is binding with narrow opportunity to appeal." Out of the 50 largest financial institutions examined, 56% included mandatory arbitration clauses in their checking account agreements. Of the next 50 largest institutions, only 30% included such clauses.
The researchers also surveyed 603 consumers about their attitudes towards mandatory binding arbitration clauses. Approximately 90% of the consumers expressed concern about the mandatory binding arbitration process and more than two-thirds felt that, in the event of a dispute, they should be able to choose between arbitration and taking the matter to court.
Researchers examined checking account agreements from 85 banks and seven credit unions. They found that larger financial institutions were more likely to require checking account holders to agree to mandatory binding arbitration in the event of a dispute. The report defines such arbitration as "a private dispute resolution in which a third-party decision maker resolves disputes between opposing parties…the arbitration decision is binding with narrow opportunity to appeal." Out of the 50 largest financial institutions examined, 56% included mandatory arbitration clauses in their checking account agreements. Of the next 50 largest institutions, only 30% included such clauses.
The researchers also surveyed 603 consumers about their attitudes towards mandatory binding arbitration clauses. Approximately 90% of the consumers expressed concern about the mandatory binding arbitration process and more than two-thirds felt that, in the event of a dispute, they should be able to choose between arbitration and taking the matter to court.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)