The Black Informant

The family: An old institution worth fighting for

Found this on one of my favorite blogs–oldtruth.com

“We are technologically superior to previous generations. But are we losing too much in the process? First we walked, then galloped, then road on rails together. Now we drive, largely alone with the window up, and go home to [air conditioned and heated] homes, only coming out to take out the trash or grab the newspaper. Once we entertained ourselves at home by reading books aloud. In the 1920s, families gathered around the radio. In the 1950s, they gathered around the TV. Now there is a TV in each room. Computers will only make it worse. Once the home was a castle, a place of refuge for the family. When behind its doors, the family conducted its affairs without interruption and without outside influence. Now one can hardly eat a meal or conduct family worship without the phone ringing. Sacrosanct family time is violated daily. Friends and strangers alike barge right into the middle of the family’s most private and intimate moments via technology. Again my question is, is this progress? ”

[…]

“Growing prosperity and technological advancement do not necessarily or automatically mark human progress. I have labored this point because I believe the church has largely failed to recognized the death of family and community or compensate for it. Rather than reaffirm traditional practices that build family life and stimulate community, it has tended to baptize secular trends that do the opposite. The small neighborhood church has given way to the large commuter church. The friendly country parson has been replaced by the suburban CEO/pastor. Older practices such as the “family altar” and the “family pew” have received token attention while new programs have been devised that divide families and segregate the ages. In many ways we have become too clever for our own good.” [Terry L. Johnson from the book “Family Worship: A Resource Book For Family Devotions”] (more…)

There have been many of nights in my household where the laptop, cell phone and television have been permanent fixtures at the dinner table. It all seemed “normal” to me until one day I noticed that saying grace had become reduced to that thing we say before we eat. I especially noticed it with the kids. Prayer at the table coming from them sounded more like a silent mumble that sounded more like they were praying to some statue than the living God who had truly blessed us with the resources to get the food we want and the time we have together.

It did not take long for me to realize that I was the one that needed to make the adjustment, not them. My example at the table was a total joke and I had to do something about it. I have not reached the level of perfection in this department, but looking back we have made some progress.

While blogging can be enjoyable, I oftentimes find that it is easy to miss the true personality of an individual. Depending on the topic, responses to comments are well researched and bullet pointed. However, if you were to actually meet that individual, all the formality is virtually non-existent. And what you are left with is a person who is just as vulnerable, unpolished and nutty as you. Welcome to life beyond the keyboard. (a little off topic here—sorry!)

As much as I love technology, the one thing that will always remain valuable to me is good ol’ face to face conversation. Allowing technology to replace good ‘ol fashioned family time is anything but advancement for the family.

Happy Momma’s Day!

Plain and simple. Thanks to all the mommas out there who do their part to help groom the next generation.

Man!

“And while 11,519 black Baltimoreans are living with HIV/AIDS, the figure for whites is just 1,302, she said.” (One of many issues discussed he Greater Baltimore Urban League’s report, “The State of Black Baltimore”)

[Link]

Developer finds success in SanFran market

Michael Johnson: Taking Urban Development to Another Level
thewesternedition.com

When you mention the Fillmore Heritage Center to Michael Johnson, he smiles as he reflects on the development he helped to create. The almost one-year-old $102 million project is a mixed use housing development, which features condominiums, a parking garage, the restaurant 1300 On Fillmore, a jazz music and education non-profit organization (the Jazz Heritage Center), and Yoshi’s new San Francisco location.
This complex is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Western Addition on Fillmore Street.

“The Fillmore Heritage Center has become a legacy project for me and our company,” said Johnson. “It combines a lot of things that are important for community development in African American neighborhoods such as mixed use housing and commercial space.”

The project has helped to signal the rebirth of the Western Addition area, and is the latest urban development project in the city of San Francisco.

“This would not have happened without the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and the Western Addition community,” continued Johnson. “Everyone believed that if we did not get the project built on that site that it would not happen.”

But it did, after years of project proposals and disappointments. The Fillmore Heritage Center is one of the largest projects developed by an African American developer in California.

Johnson, president and founder of EM Johnson Interest, Inc. has over 20 years of experience in urban real estate development around the country. A native of Philadelphia, Johnson studied architecture at the University of Maryland and then went on to Georgia Tech, where he got a Masters Degree in Real Estate Development.

After graduating from Georgia Tech, Johnson stayed in the Atlanta area where he worked at the Community Design Center of Atlanta, which offered free architecture services for community organizations. He then went into private business with Ron Wilson - a real estate salesman, and Richard Dagenhart - an architect, to form Wilson, Dagenhart, and Johnson, a firm that focused on urban and economic development in minority communities.

“We were together for 11 years and we worked throughout the country in Birmingham, Memphis, Dallas - with most of the focus on urban redevelopment,” says Johnson. “We worked on the Martin Luther King Historical District in Atlanta, which includes Ebenezer Baptist Church. We helped to create what is now a national park.”

After being in Atlanta for a number of years, Johnson wanted a change of pace and in 1989 began looking at various cities to move to. He decided to move to the Bay Area, where he went to work with the Neighborhood Housing Services of America, based in Oakland, which provides funding for other non-profits that develop affordable housing.

He stayed out of development for a few years, but he got back into it in1993, founding EM Johnson Interest, Inc. He would begin working on projects in various states including Oregon, Idaho, and Georgia. He did not enter the San Francisco market until 1998, when he decided to bid on the St. Regis project on Third and Mission Streets, a mixed use, housing, hotel and open space, which would eventually become the Museum of African Diaspora. (more…)

Time will ultimately tell

Black lawmakers consider bids for Congress as independents
By The Associated Press | The Natchez Democrat

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Three black state lawmakers say they are weighing whether to run for three U.S. House seats this fall as independents, a move that could splinter Democratic support in the races.

Sen. Don Cravins Jr., Sen. Lydia Jackson and Rep. Michael Jackson say the state and national Democratic parties have failed to recruit and support black candidates to run for federal and statewide offices. They said there’s disparity between how the party treats black and white candidates.

“For many, many years, the African-American community has been very supportive of Democrats, and many of us feel that has not been reciprocated,” said Cravins, D-Opelousas.

Louisiana has only one black member of Congress: U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat who represents a majority black district.

All seven of Louisiana’s U.S. House seats come up for election in November.

Cravins said he is considering a run as an independent for the 7th U.S. Congressional District that is held by U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany Jr., R-Lafayette.

Though he said the Democratic Party supports him as a state senator in a majority black district, Cravins said he worries that financial and organizational help would evaporate once he ventures into a congressional district that is majority white.

“When an African-American candidate runs in a majority white district, race is always an issue,” said Cravins.

Cravins’ father — Opelousas Mayor Don Cravins Sr. — ran for Congress in 2004 and lost, and at the time, Cravins Sr. criticized members of the Democratic Party for not providing enough support for his candidacy. (more…)

I am already laughing (and I haven’t seen it yet)

Both Ben Stiller and Jack Black are crazy ANYWAY. Putting them together with Downey’s roll is going to be a trip. Here is an excerpt from a review on the movie-

“While I see no problem with this, I guess the studio is expecting some major controversy and has even screened the movie for all African-American audiences to see their reactions (which were very positive), but honestly, if anyone gets upset over that in a zany satirical comedy, they really need to take a step back to look at themselves, reflect, then jump off a bridge.” (more…)

Favorite line from the previews comes from Downey’s character: “What do you mean ‘Your people’?” (Brandon T. Jackson’s character ‘Alpa Chino’) “What do YOU mean ‘Your people’?”

Follow the green dot

What was discussed back in 2007

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“In 2000, about 6% of U.S corn production went into ethanol. In 2005, this had jumped up to 14% of the corn crop for biofuels. In 2006, 20% was converted into motor ethanol, the same percentage of production that typically has gone into U.S. corn exports in recent years.

For 2007, the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture projection is that 27% of U.S. corn production will go to ethanol, and corn exports will decline to 19%. But this is just early June, and the bounty of the harvest is far from certain. Given that the United States has accounted for some 40% of all corn traded worldwide, any decrease in U.S. corn for food or livestock feed automatically constitutes a major grain supply problem internationally.”

[…]

These biofuels-induced shifts in agriculture occur at a time of record low food reserves. The May 11 USDA report projected that worldwide grain stocks of all kinds (wheat, rice, corn) at the end of the 2007/2008 crop year will fall to 305.08 million metric tons (mmt), significantly below 319.79 mmt in the 2006/2007 crop year, and far below the 390.14 million metric tons for 2005/2006 ending stocks. Grain stocks per capita are at danger ratios. (from the article “Biofuels Are Famine Policy; Food Shortages Are Hitting” by by Marcia Merry Baker)

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Is America Headed for a Food Shortage?
A new study suggests that ethanol production could drive up corn prices, leaving U.S. grains and meat in short supply (read)

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U.N. official says crops as biofuel ‘crime against humanity’
By The Associated Press - 10/27/07
UNITED NATIONS — A U.N. expert on Friday called the growing practice of turning crops into biofuel “a crime against humanity” because it has created food shortages and sent food prices soaring, leaving millions of poor people hungry.

Jean Ziegler, who has been the U.N.’s independent expert on the right to food since the position was established in 2000, called for a five-year moratorium on biofuel production to halt the growing “catastrophe” for poor people. (more…)

And now all of a sudden folks are surprised?

The part of the story that will get lost in the noise

“Ramsey said that the latest incident occurred after a team of narcotics officers with the 25th Police District in North Philadelphia witnessed a triple shooting during a drug surveillance at 4th and Ansberry streets. The officers were hoping to arrest drug suspects and question them about the slaying of Andrew Coach on Sunday, Ramsey said.”

“Police watched as four men got out of a gold Mercury Grand Marquis and walked to the corner. One of them then fired upon three other men standing on the corner. The man who fired took off running and his three companions got back in the Grand Marquis and drove off, with police in pursuit, Ramsey said.”

[…]

“The three shooting victims are recovering from their gunshot wounds, police said.”

[…]

“Dyches, Hopkins and Hall have been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons possession and criminal conspiracy. Bail was set at $300,000 for Hall and $1 million for Hopkins.” (more…)

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If the cops stepped over the line in how they handled this arrest, then may they get what is coming to them. In the meantime, I not about to throw all my anger towards the cops when these boys just finished trying to add to the growing body count of young Black men in that city.

Daddy government cannot deliver for Black children

State closes “flawed” office to help black children in welfare system
By Maureen O’Hagan

Seattle Times staff reporter

The Office of African-American Children’s Services — once considered a national model in the way it tried to address the high number of black kids in the child-welfare system — has officially closed.

The state office, touted as a promising new concept when it opened in 2003, shut down in March, after a federal civil-rights investigation deemed it “deeply flawed.”

The very thing that set it in motion — the apparent differential treatment of kids based on race — also led to its downfall. The federal government said Washington can’t transfer children into programs simply because they’re black.

The closure was lauded in some circles, where OAACS was seen as discriminatory or ineffective. But its demise also has deeply disappointed supporters, who saw it as their best hope for addressing troubling patterns.

“I think they had a very strong practice model, and I think they had strong support from the community,” said Nancy Roberts-Brown, who works with the King County Coalition on Racial Disproportionality. “They did not have … strong management and administration that was able to benefit from a really good idea.”

Welfare concerns

The idea behind OAACS (pronounced “oasis”) came from decades of concern about African-American kids in the child-welfare system, according to Germaine Covington of the Black Child Development Institute’s Seattle office.

Nationally, black kids wind up in foster care at a higher rate than white kids and tend to languish there longer. According to a 2004 study, African-American kids make up 30 percent of kids in long-term foster care but only 7 percent of King County’s population.

In 1999, the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) opened a pilot project that would handle cases involving African-American kids in King County. With such intense focus, the thinking was, families could get the services they needed and their kids wouldn’t get lost in the system.

Four years later, OAACS opened as a full-blown office. Workers were to receive training in “cultural competency” — the social-work equivalent of diversity training — to deal more effectively with African-American families.

And most cases involving African-American kids were transferred to that office, no matter where in the county they originated. At one point, the office juggled 800 cases.

From the beginning, however, there were problems. Caseloads were high. Turnover was unstoppable. New managers came and went. (more…)

Tokyo Rose lives!

Rush Limbaugh has been pulling a Tokyo Rose on Democrats during this primary, and I must admit it has been hilarious to say the least. You may not like his politics, but the man is smarter than what his critics publically are willing to credit him.

It may not pan out the way he is predicting, but he has certainly made the process fun to watch for a change.

80,000

That is the number of casualties that are being estimated in Burma due to Cyclone Nargis hitting that country over the weekend. With all the election stuff going on, I want to make sure that I keep some perspective on the goings on around the world. 80, 000 people dying is pretty major.

Burma death toll ‘likely to hit 80,000′
By ABC correspondent Peter Lloyd and wires

An aid official in Burma says the death toll from Cyclone Nargis may be 80,000 or more.

Kyi Minn is health adviser for World Vision in Burma and he says that on top of the 22,000 the military regime has admitted have died, there are another 60,000 missing - presumed dead.

ABC correspondent Peter Lloyd reports there are also indications that the massive aid effort is being hampered by a lack of organisation and infrastructure in Burma to distribute the urgently needed supplies. (more…)

An addendum to yesterday’s post

Since writing a bulk of the post on the Black hair care and beauty industry back in 2006, BOBSA (Black Owned Beauty Supply Association) has made some additions to its services for those interested in entering this field. I am posting the following because I am still getting e-mails/comments from folks looking for advice on how to get into the business.

Beauty Supply Store Consulting Services
BOBSA’s mission is to assist entrepreneurs in their goal of owning and operating Black Owned Beauty Supply Stores Nationally and Internationally.

Through experience and partnerships with many of the nations leading experts in the hair care and cosmetic industries, inventory control systems, commercial real estate and brick and mortar store operations management, BOBSA is in a position to offer you ‘insider’ level information that provides for a greater opportunity of business success.

Whether you are opening a new brick and mortar beauty supply store, or need help with your existing store front, we provide consulting services from industry professionals who are committed to your entrepreneurial venture.

Our Business Offerings Include:

Business Plan Services
Retune or develop a solid business plan leveraging the experience of industry financial professionals

Contract Review Services
Before you sign on the dotted line, ensure that you are making a sound business decision based on industry standards or your specific business needs.

Inventory Services
Gain an understanding of how the right product mix can be the key to your business success.

Inventory Control Services
Manage your inventory through one of the many Point of Sale Solutions available to you.

Product Merchandising Services
Understanding product placement is just as important as purchasing the right product. Placement helps decide if a product ’sits’ on the shelf or in your customer’s hands.

Marketing Services

BOBSA Brand Licensing
Carving out a name for your business in such a crowded market can be difficult. Obtaining a license to use the BOBSA brand has immediate recognition nationally and internationally.

Private Label Product Development Services
When it’s time to take that great product idea and make it a reality, our experience in Private Label Product Development Services could make the different between a rewarding experience and financial headache.

[Read the rest by clicking here]

HIGHER learning

I knew San Diego State was a party school, but this is crazy!

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96 Students, Others Arrested in Massive Drug Raid at San Diego State University
foxnews.com

SAN DIEGO — Ninety-six students, local gang members and others were arrested Tuesday in a massive drug raid at San Diego State University.

Drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana and methamphetamines were confiscated in the sting, which came as the result of a months-long undercover operation, according to officials with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Click here to see photos

Many of the students arrested were members of the Theta Chi and Phi Kappa Psi fraternities. One of the gang members taken into custody allegedly has ties to Mexican drug cartels.

The DEA said a member of the Theta Chi fraternity sent out a mass text message to his “faithful customers” stating that he and his “associates” would be unable to sell cocaine while they were in Las Vegas over one weekend.

In addition to large quantities of narcotics, money and weapons were also seized from sellers and buyers in the bust.

Authorities confiscated two kilograms of cocaine, about 350 ecstasy pills, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, hash oil, methamphetamines and illicit prescription drugs, as well as several guns and at least $60,000 in cash. (more…)

“They took it from us!”

In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, she was expressing her anger about how the Asian community “took away” our share of the Black beauty industry and that they should be made to reinvest some portion of their earnings back into the Black community. Interesting enough, I actually wrote about this very issue back in 2006 (“Are they taking over or did we give them the keys?”). I am going to repost that entire article in a moment, but first, allow me to elaborate a little on a point that was not talked about enough in that particular article.

Living and doing business out here in California has given my wife and I a very interesting perspective on how other ethnic groups do business. From our experience, when it comes to large investments such as buying a home or business it is not uncommon to see how the entire family is pulled into the process. On the flip side, many Blacks that I have encountered over the years usually go into these major investments alone. For the Black-owned businesses I have seen that are successful, the family core played a major role in their success.

Here in southern California, frozen yogurt chains are popping up all over the place. One of the more popular chains is Pinkberry. According to wikipedia, a single store can bring about $250k per month. Guess who is behind this particular trend? You guessed it–Koreans. While this is part of a trend that originated in Korea, they were able to import it here to America and pretty much corner that entire market. Even their competition is Korean-owned. No doubt, there is a concerted effort to keep this business “in-house” (family and community), and from what I have seen they are doing a pretty good job. Again, on the flip side I have seen Black-owned beauty shops and salons either go under or get bought out by Hispanics or Asians for one of two reasons (or both). 1 - Other Black-owned beauty shops/supply stores are seen MORE as a competitor than a co-laborer or in the same field. This oftentimes result in that particular business becoming an island all to itself and 2 - No real concerted effort to control distribution.

Now, as far as the “They took it from us!” accusation, here is what I posted back in 2006.
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“Betrayal epitomizes the historical occurrences, which have hindered the recognition and respect of our greatness in the Black Hair Care & Beauty Industry today. Though many groups perpetuate crimes of economic parity, we are found to be the most guilty.

Black Americans handle vast sums of money, but somehow we have been taught to see our-selves as poor people. We are not poor–we just handle money poorly. Out of every dollar we spend, 95 cents is spent outside of our community and only 5 cents of every dollar within our own community…

If, we are in control of our money, we have only ourselves to blame for giving our economic power away. Many of us do not realize how much damage we cause when we choose to spend our money elsewhere. Likewise, we do not realize how economically empowering it can be to spend our money in the community.

Consider that other communities are thriving because they understand this principle. If we continue to choose “lazy economics” instead of “industrious economics” we will succumb to the pressures of the open market. Agressively, capitalizing on economic opportunities and not ALLOWING them to diminish, we improve our communities instantly!” (source unknown).

As a entrepreneur, I really took the issues raised in this documentary to heart. Couple that with reading the excerpt above and it just made it even more difficult for me to sit down to write this post. While the economics of the hair care industry may not be considered “blog material”, as I stated in an earlier posting this industry represents our last great opportunity to secure the financial independence of our community. To not take this issue seriously would be a costly mistake. More »

University administrator gets suspended for not buying into the “Gay is the same as being Black” line

University suspends staffer over view of homosexuality
African-American condemned for stating in local paper being ‘gay’ not the same as being handicapped or black
wnd.com

The University of Toledo suspended an administrator for stating in a guest column in a local newspaper that choosing homosexual behavior is not the same as being black or handicapped.

Associate Vice President of Human Resources Crystal Dixon wrote in response to a newspaper editor’s column criticizing a lack of equality for homosexuals that, “I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are ‘civil rights victims.’ Here’s why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman.’”

Her piece in the Toledo Free Press quickly got her a suspension from officials at the University of Toledo, who condemned her beliefs, according to a report in the newspaper.

The newspaper said a spokesman for the college confirmed Dixon had been placed on paid leave but declined further comment. A WND request for comment elicited no response from the office of the president, Lloyd Jacobs.

The situation developed when Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller wrote a column boasting of his support for the “gay” community.

“I have been tangentially immersed in the gay culture for so long, it’s a natural and common aspect of life. Three decades of loving these friends and family and sharing their successes in managing careers and raising families has jaded me to the hatred and prejudice many people had against the gay community. … As a middle-aged, overweight white guy with graying facial hair, I am America’s ruling demographic, so the gay rights struggle is something I experience secondhand, like my black friends’ struggles and my wheelchair-bound friends’ struggles,” he wrote.

>>>>Now here is what she wrote in response—

“I respectfully submit a different perspective for Miller and Toledo Free Press readers to consider. … First, human beings, regardless of their choices in life, are of ultimate value to God and should be viewed the same by others. At the same time, one’s personal choices lead to outcomes either positive or negative,” she said.

“As a black woman who happens to be an alumnus of the University of Toledo’s Graduate School, an employee and business owner, I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are ‘civil rights victims.’ Here’s why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman. I am genetically and biologically a black woman and very pleased to be so as my Creator intended. Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few.

“Economic data is irrefutable: The normative statistics for a homosexual in the USA include a Bachelor’s degree: For gay men, the median household income is $83,000/yr. (Gay singles $62,000; gay couples living together $130,000), almost 80% above the median U.S. household income of $46,326, per census data. For lesbians, the median household income is $80,000/yr. (Lesbian singles $52,000; Lesbian couples living together $96,000); 36% of lesbians reported household incomes in excess of $100,000/yr. Compare that to the median income of the non-college educated Black male of $30,539. The data speaks for itself,” she said. (more…)

Should could have added some more data to the mix to underscore her main point. The biggest difference here is that by choosing a lifestyle that oftentimes does not involve children Gays are at a much better economic advantage that Blacks. So this comparison to the struggles of Black folks is just bogus.

Although I have written about such comparions many times on this site, here is a post I did back in ‘06 that talk a little bit about trend.

Black history is everybody’s history…to use

Black-owned bank reports growth

7th Largest Black-Owned Bank Reports 37% Increase in First Quarter Net Earnings

LOS ANGELES, CA (BUSINESS WIRE) - Broadway Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: BYFC), parent company of the 7th largest Black-owned bank in America Broadway Federal Bank, today reported first quarter net earnings of $607,000, or $0.32 per diluted share, up $163,000, or 36.71%, when compared with net earnings of $444,000, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2007. The increase in net earnings was primarily due to increased interest-earning assets and a higher net interest margin.

Chief Executive Officer Paul C. Hudson stated, “Bank earnings are benefiting from strong loan demand and increasing net interest margins.” He went on to state, “Going forward, we are focusing on deposit growth and asset credit quality.” (more…)

Deconstructing the “Equal Pay” argument

Steve Chapman wrote the following for Reason Magazine in his article entitled “The Truth About the Pay Gap: Feminist politics and bad economics”

[…]

On its face, the evidence in the AAUW study looks damning. “One year out of college,” it says, “women working full-time earn only 80 percent as much as their male colleagues earn. Ten years after graduation, women fall farther behind, earning only 69 percent as much as men earn.”

But read more, and you learn things that don’t get much notice on Equal Pay Day. As the report acknowledges, women with college degrees tend to go into fields like education, psychology and the humanities, which typically pay less than the sectors preferred by men, such as engineering, math and business. They are also more likely than men to work for nonprofit groups and local governments, which do not offer salaries that Alex Rodriguez would envy.

As they get older, many women elect to work less so they can spend time with their children. A decade after graduation, 39 percent of women are out of the work force or working part time — compared with only 3 percent of men. When these mothers return to full-time jobs, they naturally earn less than they would have if they had never left.

Even before they have kids, men and women often do different things that may affect earnings. A year out of college, notes AAUW, women in full-time jobs work an average of 42 hours a week, compared to 45 for men. Men are also far more likely to work more than 50 hours a week.

Buried in the report is a startling admission: “After accounting for all factors known to affect wages, about one-quarter of the gap remains unexplained and may be attributed to discrimination” (my emphasis). Another way to put it is that three-quarters of the gap clearly has innocent causes — and that we actually don’t know whether discrimination accounts for the rest.

I asked Harvard economist Claudia Goldin if there is sufficient evidence to conclude that women experience systematic pay discrimination. “No,” she replied. There are certainly instances of discrimination, she says, but most of the gap is the result of different choices. Other hard-to-measure factors, Goldin thinks, largely account for the remaining gap — “probably not all, but most of it.” (more…)

Over 40 million of us

Minorities reach 34% of population: Census Bureau

The United States grew steadily more diverse last year.

Hispanics held on to their rank as the nation’s largest and fastest-growing minority group — a trend with far-reaching implications for American politics and immigration policies.

Newly released figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the nation’s Hispanic population grew by 1.4 million in 2007 to reach 45.5 million people, or 15.1 percent of the total U.S. population of 301.6 million.

African Americans ranked as the second-largest minority group, at 40.7 million people. (more…)

Someone had some sense

Oprah Winfrey was uncomfortable with Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sermons, Newsweek says
Talk-show host left church, didn’t want to offend her audience, associates say

By Mike Dorning | Tribune reporter

Associates of Oprah Winfrey tell Newsweek that she stopped attending the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.’s Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago during the 1990s in part because of the tone of his sermons.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright’s more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America’s favorite daytime talk-show host.

“Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost,” said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey’s personal sentiments. “She’s always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn’t be smart. She’s been around black churches all her life, so Rev. Wright’s anger-filled message didn’t surprise her. But it just wasn’t what she was looking for in a church.” (more…)

Yeah, bail them out

Living here in ground zero of the sour real estate market (Inland Empire), I can tell you that stories like the following are very common.

Owners trash, strip their foreclosed homes
Fixtures, cabinets, tubs, sinks, even stairways face wrath of dispossessed
By Jerry Kronenberg

Jack O’Leary has seen foreclosed homes where ex-owners put paint on the carpets, anti-bank graffiti on the walls or took everything but the kitchen sink - then stole that, too.

“I’ve gone into houses where the light fixtures are gone, the toilets are gone, the kitchen is gone. And when I say ‘gone,’ we’re talking stripped down to the bare walls,” said O’Leary, a Brockton Re/Max real estate agent who specializes in foreclosed homes.

With a growing number of Massachusetts homes falling into foreclosure, real estate agents say more and more ex-owners and tenants are vandalizing properties on their way out the door.

People rip up walls, kick in doors or take bathroom fixtures or copper wiring - sometimes to sell, other times just to get back at lenders.

Broker John Agostinelli just put a Watertown condo on the market where someone removed all doors, kitchen cabinets, appliances, gas fireplaces - even the light switches.

“This property has the most damage we have seen of approximately 30 properties we’re (currently) listing,” said Agostinelli, who’s selling the place “as is,” knocking down the price some $90,000.

O’Leary has reduced an Easton split-level ranch’s cost by about $200,000 because someone ripped out appliances, sinks, toilets and more. (more…)
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For sale: Local homes left in shambles
By Sam Spatter and Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

[…]

Watkins and Truong found one of the worst properties they’ve encountered on Yukon-Ruffsdale Road in Ruffsdale, Westmoreland County, a four-bedroom house.

They found debris throughout, such as wood piled on the floor, plaster ripped from walls with large holes and some of the wiring pulled loose.

“Most often we find properties have been trashed or have nonworking appliances, clothing, broken and damaged furniture or garbage on the premises,” Watkins said. “That’s not always the case since some houses are spotless, but the vast majority have these items left in them.”

Broken windows are boarded up, and where the plumbing has been removed, it is not replaced, Watkins said. His work includes cutting the grass, trimming shrubs and trees, and providing yard maintenance. If he finds a workable appliance left in the house, he removes it, and often offers it free to a needy person. Discarded clothes are usually donated to the Salvation Army. (more…)

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Trashed Foreclosed Homes
kold.com
Karla Ronquillo

A new trend is being seen more and more among foreclosed homes. Homeowners are taking out their anger by trashing the home before moving out. Realtors are seeing everything from piled trash in the yard, missing cabinets, to gutted appliances.

It is too costly for banks to fix the damage, so they end up losing money by selling the home “as is”. But when homes are damaged, the property is much more difficult to sell.

Foreclosed homes are usually a bargain for house hunters. In cases of damaged homes, the cost of cleaning, fixing and replacing is up to the buyer.

Some lenders are offering “Cash For Keys” to people who are losing their homes. (more…)

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Loan crisis pushes owners to trash homes
By RAY WEISS
Staff Writer

With its English, country-like elegance, the brick house on a hill in Ormond Beach would fit on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens.

But behind the walls is a vacated interior that lacks the most basic essentials, including appliances and toilets. They are gone like the owners who once lived there, a casualty of foreclosure.

“We see people who vacuum and clean when they leave. And then we get other houses that are trashed, stripped,” said Frank Cardarelli, a Port Orange real estate broker who has specialized in foreclosures for 25 years. “Anything that’s built or attached is part of the mortgage, and banks can go after them.”

But broke is broke.

Cardarelli, who works for RE/MAX All Pro Realty, said he has seen air conditioning units, hot water heaters, sinks, closet doors, even heating vents ripped out and taken when owners left their homes, no longer able to pay mortgages.

“It goes from mild to severe. Some people take everything. It’s incredible,” he said. “But there’s not much value for what they’re taking, like a used ceiling fan or rusted water heater.”

Larry Silvia of Ormond Beach said he’s paying the price of living next door to an empty, foreclosed house. High weeds bordering the houses have brought unexpected visitors. (more…)
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Before someone tries to go there, NO I am not suggesting that this is representative of all homeowners who had to go through foreclosure. This is just a friendly reminder of who is included in that proposed wide net of government benevolence.