Most Economically Thriving U.S. Cities Have Greatest Income Inequality allgov.com February 2, 2014
The disparity between rich and poor Americans is most prominently on display in the nation’s urban powerhouses like New York, San Francisco, and other cities thriving economically. In contrast, income inequality is not as big a problem in cities with more modest economic outcomes, like Columbus, Ohio, and Wichita, Kansas. These are two of the most startling findings contained in a new report by the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington D.C. Essentially, cities said to be “vibrant” because of their total amount of income don’t do a very good job of sharing their wealth. That’s why income inequality is so stark in Boston or San Francisco, where rich families might earn 15 or 16 times more than what poor families take home. In places like Virginia Beach or Wichita, the gap can much smaller, about six or seven to one. The Great Recession helped widen the chasm between the haves and have-nots in the wealthiest urban centers. In San Francisco, the average low-income household lost about $4,000 in earnings during the downturn and weak recovery. Meanwhile, the typical rich household in the city saw its income rise by $28,000 over the same period. Even among the less thriving metropolises like Sacramento and Cleveland, income disparity grew worse—primarily because those at the bottom of society sank even further. “High-income households did not lose much ground during the recession,” Alan Berube, who authored the Brookings report, told The New York Times. “Low-income households lost ground and haven’t
gained it back. And the pressures around cost of living are higher at the low end than they are at the high end.� Most low-inequality cities are found in the South and the Midwest, according to the study. Their highest incomes average around $150,000 to $200,000 a year, whereas San Francisco’s is $354,000.
Restaurants Add Health Care Surcharge To Tab Kumasi Aaron News4Jax February 22, 2014
If you dine out at any of the Gator's Dockside restaurants in Jacksonville, you may notice a little extra added to your bill. The chain of restaurants is adding a 1 percent surcharge to their checks, asking customers to help pay for health insurance it will be required to provide for employees under the Affordable Care Act. The owners say the alternative would be cutting employee hours. Glenda Thomas, who visits Gator's Dockside on 103rd Street for the oysters, good service and nice people says it's a small price to pay. "We always have felt very welcome here," Thomas said. "We've been coming here for, gosh, probably a decade, if not longer." The restaurant says the Affordable Care Act surcharge will help the company offset the cost of health care, which will be required for all employees by next year. The owners of Gator's Dockside say this isn't political -- they aren't for or against the new federal health care changes -- they just want to follow the law and take care of their employees. The average meal here is $15, so that means most customers would pay about 15 cents more. Signs are
posted around the restaurant making sure customers know about the new charge. "Do you know how hard their people work? Fifteen cents? And you sit there and you're enjoying yourself?" Thomas says. "I don't have a problem with that." Gator's Dockside rolled out the new surcharge in some of its central Florida restaurants last week and across northeast Florida just two days ago. Managers say the surcharge won't cover the entire cost for 500 employees' health care, but it's a start. "We're trying to be transparent about what our costs are by not raising their costs," said Sandra Clark of Gator's Dockside. "(We're) asking for a penny per dollar to keep our full-time employees going."
Hippocracy: Do As I Say Not As I Do: De Dlasio Caught Speeding Jaywalking After Supporting Ticket Blitz Infowars.com February 21, 2014
Political office in the Big Apple has its perks. From the New York Post: Mayor de Blasio and his security detail crossed a Brooklyn street against the light Friday on his way to his morning workout – just a day after his SUV blew through two stop signs and was speeding in Queens. Exclusive video taken by The Post caught the mayor — dressed in a “Brooklyn” sweatshirt, slacks and sneakers — chatting on his cellphone as he sauntered across 11th Street on 6th Avenue in Park Slope, ignoring the orange hand on the traffic signal that clearly warns pedestrians not to cross. Hizzoner’s NYPD handlers faithfully crossed with him. They were in the crosswalk but were jaywalking because they did not have the light. In January, NYPD precincts launched an aggressive jaywalking ticket blitz that had de Blasio’s support. "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" Laws Are For You (Not The Elite) VIDEO BELOW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iL3sdssw_w
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