income
More wives head for work
They are the reluctant breadwinners: Women who wanted to stay home until their income suddenly became critical to the well-being of their families. In some cases, they are increasing their hours to keep the bills paid and others are taking up employment for the first time as their husbands struggle to find work. With the anemic recovery keeping the job outlook uncertain, the accelerated gender shift is likely to stick, creating new challenges for U.S. families. Full article.
President Proposes Tax Breaks for Middle Class
President Obama proposed a set of middle class tax breaks that he will detail in his State of the Union address on 1/27/08. Full Article.
Home-Ownership Program for Low-To-Moderate Income Families
Alexandria will use federal stimulus money to take over adjudicated properties and develop new homes to be purchased by low- to moderate-income families. The city hopes to acquire 53 lots to donate to the Alexandria Urban Renewal Association, a nonprofit entity which the council approved Tuesday night. Full Article.
Why Friends Should Not Run Your Business
As a small business owner, it's your job to know everything that's going on. Little problems can get out of control all too quickly. Full Article.
“Economic Gardening” New Buzz Term
Interesting article that discusses “economic gardening” in terms of helping “second stage” companies, those with 10-50 employees, revenues of $1 million to $25 million, who have survived at least five years, and are growing revenue and adding employees. Worth reading. Full Article.
Avoyelles Parish Ties for Third Lowest Property Tax Average in Nation
The Tax Foundation, an unbiased source of the most accurate and up-to-date tax information in the US, recently released results for its 2006-2008 study of residential property taxes. The report indicated that the residential property tax burden in La is the lowest in the nation. Avoyelles Parish tied for third place for the lowest property tax average in nation.
Retailers Report Higher Sales
Some American retailers report higher sales than expected in September 2009, which gives hope for upcoming holiday season. Full Story
LA Ranks 3rd in Report on Children Under Age 6 Living in Poverty
A recent report from The Carsey Institute & the Univ. of NH indicates that, among rural children in the South under the age of six, 31 percent lived in poverty last year. The study also includes a state-by-state breakdown: MS led all states with a 35 percent child poverty rate, followed by KY at 28.9 and LA at 28.8 percent. Full Article
Census Bureau Releases American Community Survey Information for 2005-2007
According to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey's three-year estimates for 2005-2007, average incomes locally are much lower than at the national level. Full Story. Go directly to Alexandria, LA Census Information.
LA Top State for “Economic Momentum”
Rising personal incomes & a robust energy sector attributed to La’s position as the top state for "economic momentum," according to State Policy Reports, a Washington, D.C. report that tracks economic conditions in every state. Full Article
