Sunday, September 20, 2009

The Stew: China may kick out American chicken feet

escalating chicken-for-tires trade skirmish,

China. It buys and eats an estimated $700 million in U.S. chicken each year -- half of it in feet alone.

China, this week, launched an investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by American chicken importers that could threaten chicken foot traffic to the Asian country.

The Stew: China may kick out American chicken feet

Banks' Overdraft Fees Under Fire in Congress

Moebs Services projects that the industry will make $38.5 billion off the fees this year, up from $18 billion in 1999, in part because the average fee large banks charge for each overdraft has climbed by $10, to $35.

Banks' Overdraft Fees Under Fire in Congress - washingtonpost.com

ACORN scandal: How much federal funding does it get?

the group has received $53 million in federal funds since 1994

it doesn't get much funding from the federal government. But the gesture's ripple effect – in influencing states and charities to also cut off funds

By law, ACORN is not allowed to use federal dollars to conduct voter registration

Click on the following for more details:  ACORN scandal: How much federal funding does it get? | csmonitor.com

US no longer insures your money-market fund, but that’s good news | csmonitor.com

 

Withdrawing federal insurance is part of a broader exit strategy from the government's emergency supports for the economy, expected to gather steam this year.

Last year, one of the original money-market funds, the Reserve Primary Fund, “broke the buck” because some of it had investments issued by a certain firm called Lehman Brothers.concern about a broader “run” by money-market depositors caused the Treasury to step in with an unusual guarantee

The guarantees come to a stop Friday, however.

The program insured as much as $3 trillion in money-market fund holdings, and earned about $1.2 billion in participation fees paid to the Treasury by money-market funds

US no longer insures your money-market fund, but that’s good news | csmonitor.com

Boone County corrections officers to receive back pay, raises

McHenry County Correction[http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/jobpostings/Pages/CorrectionalOfficer.aspx] starts at $40,660 (that is 4.8% higher than Boone County) with a top salary of $68,868. 

Three years’ worth of raises
As of Dec. 1, 2009, starting officers would make $18.68, which would be $38,800, Terrinoni said, noting many of the officers are in their early years with an average pay of $21 an hour or $43,000 a year as of December 2009

Boone County corrections officers to receive back pay, raises - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

State: Genoa route likely best bet for Amtrak

faster, cheaper and more popular than the Belvidere route

“We’ll go with the route with the best opportunity to get funding. ... Our best opportunity is with the (Genoa) route for right now,” said George Weber, head of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s railroads bureau.

Click on the following for more details:  State: Genoa route likely best bet for Amtrak - - BusinessRockford.com

Could anything be clearer as to what happened to Boone county home sales?

home sales in boone county

Home sales in McHenry County

The question is:  will the numbers come back?  Boone County had less than 100 sales in 1st Quarter 2009;  McHenry County 500.  It appears that prices may be back to 2004 levels—please note that assessors.

What will the 2009 numbers for permits be?

Single-family new house construction building permits for the City of Belvidere:

  • 1996: 72 buildings, average cost: $108,900
  • 1997: 80 buildings, average cost: $96,700
  • 1998: 95 buildings, average cost: $105,600
  • 1999: 169 buildings, average cost: $106,500
  • 2000: 152 buildings, average cost: $121,500
  • 2001: 232 buildings, average cost: $116,400
  • 2002: 160 buildings, average cost: $125,600
  • 2003: 171 buildings, average cost: $146,700
  • 2004: 202 buildings, average cost: $130,300
  • 2005: 200 buildings, average cost: $143,000
  • 2006: 196 buildings, average cost: $189,000
  • 2007: 106 buildings, average cost: $204,900
  • 2008: 14 buildings, average cost: $252,700

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Belvidere-Illinois.html#ixzz0RhPr1IGQ

State will declare public health emergency

next week was "batted around" on internal phone calls with Public Health officials, said Melaney Arnold, IDPH communications manager.

On Thursday September 17, Chance told the Journal Star and other news organizations that Quinn was to make the emergency declaration next week. 

The declaration does not necessarily indicate that we're at the extreme measure as it relates to H1N1, but it provides the tools necessary, especially from a public health response, related to the mass vaccination programs that will be a challenge for all public health departments," Chance said.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday a definative date has not been set for the emergency declaration

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  State will declare public health emergency - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com

Four-Fifths of Businesses Foresee Severe Problems Maintaining Operations If Significant H1N1 Flu Outbreak - September 09, 2009

 Concerning study by Harvard Medical School.

only one-third believe they could sustain their business without severe operational problems if half their workforce were absent for two weeks due to H1N1 (also known as "swine flu"). Just one-fifth believe they could avoid such problems for one month with half their employees out. The survey also found that while 74% of businesses offer paid sick leave for employees, only 35% of businesses offer paid leave that would allow employees to take care of sick family members, and even fewer would allow paid time off to care for children if schools/daycares were closed (21%).

Click on the following for further details:  Four-Fifths of Businesses Foresee Severe Problems Maintaining Operations If Significant H1N1 Flu Outbreak - September 09, 2009 -2009 Releases - Press Releases - Harvard School of Public Health

Elgin to audit more for illegal city workers

The city spent about $700 for a Wisconsin-based human resources firm to double check that all workers at the temp agency had identification, their paperwork was in order and they didn't have "no match" letters, which are warnings issued by the federal government when a worker's Social Security number and name don't match in federal records.

E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. It is free and voluntary, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services Web site.

As of Sept. 8, all federal contractors were required to use the system.

Click on the following for the complete story:  Daily Herald | Elgin to audit more for illegal city workers

Video gambling fees likely to keep some from going all in - - BusinessRockford.com

Here is the first time in long time that the Rockford Register Star has mentioned video poker.

Revenue from the next-generation terminals could funnel more than $300 million a year to the Illinois Department of Revenue, according to state estimates. But some locales, including Rosemont, DuPage County, Rochester and Country Club Hills, have banned the machines within their borders, leaving state officials wondering precisely how much cash will flow to state coffers

Thirty percent of the revenue from the machines will go to the state, with the rest divided between the establishments with the machines and a third party who may own and maintain the machines

Click on the following for the rest of the story:  Video gambling fees likely to keep some from going all in - - BusinessRockford.com