Urban Infrastructure Recovery Fund

Even before the Obama jobs program, there was the Bush jobs program, which pumped millions and millions into cities to "revitalize" various neighborhoods. Very few poor people benefitted, unless they worked in one of the building trades that did the work. Many of those homes are now boarded up. These were bad investments for everyone concerned. And actually, I can't even blame Bush II because this was going on for about 20 years--maybe back to Carter, but on a smaller scale. In Columbus, you might find $60,000 homes in the central city getting $200,000 worth of renovations. The roofing programs were--out the roof. But, and this is no pun intended, get a load of this one for "assley resurfacing." Either someone hacked the site, or a PIC worker typed it. Look it up in an urban dictionary. I kid you not; I've cut and pasted from this web page

The program funds several million dollars of capital improvements per year in Central City Neighborhoods. Residents propose projects based on a premise they know their neighborhood needs. Since 1992, $36 million in public roadway and public park improvements were constructed such as street paving, assley resurfacing, street lighting upgrades, street trees, curbs and sidewalks, playground equipment, and neighborhood gateways.

We will probably get to tear down our 20 year old City Center Mall and build another unsafe park! That, Mr. and Mrs. America, is just a downpayment on Mr. Obama's programs for the nation--assley covering.

Asia's new threat

Is it an increase in cancer, or is it the social justice crowd looking for a cause. This looks a bit odd to me.

"Asia is on the cusp of a cancer epidemic of unprecedented proportions. Projections suggest that the number of new cases of cancer in Asia will increase from 4·5 million in 2002 to 7·1 million by 2020 if existing prevention and management strategies remain unchanged." Lancet Asia Medical Forum 2007 [may require registration]

Is there really more cancer, or is there just better screening, diagnosis, and treatment, like the breast cancer scare tactics (the increase is really better screening which finds lumps earlier)? OK, here it is. We knew this was coming, despite the unproven connection between industrialization and cancers (unless you count factory-made cigarettes, commercially prepared, high calorie foods, and plants which produce alcoholic beverages).

"The rapid rate of economic development in some Asian countries, along with the accompanying industrialisation and urbanisation, are contributing to an ever-increasing risk of common cancers."

Does this sound like a reason for rich western environmentalists to discourage development in Third World countries? God forbid that any country would ever aspire to the standard of living of a Norway or Germany.