Category Archives: Places

Affordable housing in suburbia

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This recent article from the Chicago Tribune discusses Naperville’s efforts to provide affordable housing. The opening paragraph sets up the issue:

“Naperville officials are grappling with how best to achieve two goals that sometimes are in direct conflict: adding more affordable housing for low- and moderate-income senior citizens and residents with disabilities while not costing the cash-strapped city budget anything extra.”

This is not a unique issue to many suburbs, particularly those with little or no remaining land for greenfield development. However, the position of Naperville is instructive of the issue in suburbia: Naperville leaders are most interested in providing affordable housing for a different group than many may think when they hear the term “affordable housing.” Rather than looking to build housing for low to middle income workers who can’t buy into Naperville’s relatively expensive market, the city wants housing for the elderly and the disabled.

In both cases, these two groups primarily already live in Naperville – and affordable housing would help them stay there. This is an issue particularly for the elderly: once retired, high property taxes often make it difficult to remain in a suburban home. Downsizing within one’s long-time community would often be desirable rather than having to move away after retirement. A suburban community that consistently loses its older residents may lose touch with its past and become known as a more transient place.

The rest of the article also describes critiques of Naperville’s planning from a local housing group, DuPage United.

#1 manufacturing nation: soon to be China

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Maybe this is a foregone conclusion to many, but this Financial Times article suggests 2011 is the year when China will exceed the manufacturing of the United States.

This would end a 110 year period when the US led world manufacturing. This “American Century” (plus 10 years) contained an impressive display of produced items: steel, early cars, to household appliances, to military weapons, airplanes, personal computers, and more.

Even with a global shift to an “information economy,” many countries would give a lot to have more manufacturing jobs. Manufacturing is not just about raw goods: it involves local communities who then contain factories and working classes. Places like Detroit are infamous for going from economic powerhouses to empty cities within four decades. Other cities, like New York and Chicago, have made the shift from manufacturing to other sectors, primarily finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE), within the same four decades.

From the article:

“Last year, the US created 19.9 per cent of world manufacturing output, compared with 18.6 per cent for China, with the US staying ahead despite a steep fall in factory production due to the global recession.

That the US is still top comes as a surprise, since in 2008 – before the slump of the past two years took hold – IHS predicted it would lose pole position in 2009.”

Interestingly, the return for China to the top adds to China’s long manufacturing edge before the modern era. Perhaps the “American Century” was just a blip on the screen of history:

“If China does become the world’s biggest manufacturer, it will be a return to the top slot for a nation which – according to economic historians – was the world’s leading country for goods production for more than 1,500 years up until the 1850s, when Britain took over for a brief spell, mainly due to the impetus of the industrial revolution.”

Best home improvement payoff: a little less junk

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A look at the returns sellers can expect from certain home improvements. The best: decluttering. The worst: a family room addition. And deeper in the article: “All this is anathema to retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Williams-Sonoma and Lumber Liquidators. They all benefit from the myth that pumping money into your house pays off later on the auction block.”

One soccer match = World War II battle?

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Great headline from The Sun regarding England’s 0-0 draw with Algeria earlier today in the World Cup: “Never in the field of World Cup conflict has so little been offered by so few to so many (with apologies to Winston Churchill).”

Apparently, it is the 70th anniversary of Churchill’s famous speech during the Battle of Britain. For many fans around the world, soccer/football might truly be on the scale of wars between nations. For many Americans, even with all-out coverage this year from ESPN/ABC, it is merely a diversion.

Odds not good for IL and CA finances

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From CNNMoney.com:

“How ugly are the state budget problems?

Nasty enough that traders are betting that two big U.S. states, California and Illinois, are just as apt to default on their bonds as Portugal — and almost as likely as Iraq…

The going rates in the CDS market say traders believe there is an equal chance — about 1-in-4 — that California, Illinois, Portgual or Iraq will default on their obligations within five years.”

Unknown SC Senate candidate

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Alvin Greene, the man who is the virtually unknown Democratic US Senate candidate in South Carolina, says he is the best candidate…and also is ready to be the Man of the Year:

“To Vic Rawl, his well-funded opponent, Greene is the possible beneficiary of a historic voter-machine malfunction or, worse, a stolen election. Greene maintains that the answer is much simpler. “I am the best candidate for the United States Senate in South Carolina,” he says, hitting his talking points, as he is apt to do. “And I am also the best person to be TIME magazine’s Man of the Year.””

The state Democratic party, among others, is looking to see how in the world he won the primary election. It’s always interesting to watch a Political Party try to figure out what to do when it doesn’t like its own candidate…

Blues Brothers 30th Anniversary

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The 30th anniversary of the Blues Brothers is coming up – and tributes are being written.

From the Chicago Tribune: Apparently John Belushi had to go to the mayor, Jane Byrne, to ask that the movie could be shot in Chicago.

“I know how Chicago feels about movies,” the comedian said to the mayor. Byrne nodded. Belushi said the studio would like to donate some money to Chicago orphanages in lieu of throwing a big, expensive premiere. “How much money?” she asked. He said, “$200,000.” She nodded again.

“And so he kept talking,” Byrne recalled. “Finally, I just said, ‘Fine.’ But he kept going. So again I said, ‘Look, I said fine.’ He said, ‘Wait. We also want to drive a car through the lobby of Daley Plaza. Right though the window.’ I remember what was in my mind as he said it. I had the whole 11th Ward against me anyway, and most of Daley’s people against me. They owned this city for years, so when Belushi asked me to drive a car through Daley Plaza, the only thing I could say was, ‘Be my guest!’ He said, ‘We’ll have it like new by the morning.’ I said, ‘Look, I told you yes.’ And that’s how they got my blessing.”

And that, more or less, is how Chicago became a regular location for movie production.”

Reuters reporting from the Vatican: “On the 30th anniversary of the film’s release, “L’Osservatore Romano,” the Vatican’s official newspaper, called the film a “Catholic classic” and said it should be recommended viewing for Catholics everywhere.”

$1.2 billion for walking and cycling

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The Obama Administration has committed $1.2 billion to walking and cycling. Sounds like a big figure – but nothing compared to what is spent on roads/highways, cars, trucks, etc.

And how exactly does one permanently change transportation behaviors? I bet an immediate $2 federal tax on every gallon of gasoline might do the trick…