From Austin Business Journal, April 16, 2009...
The average worker in Texas needs to earn more than twice the minimum wage to afford a two bedroom apartment, according to a new study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
The study ranks states based on their housing affordability. Texas ranks 32nd on the list behind states such as North Carolina (21st), Minnesota (30th), Pennsylvania (31st) and Georgia (27th). According to the report, individuals in Texas would need to earn $15.38 per hour to afford rent and utilities, assuming a 40-hour work week. Minimum wage is currently $6.55 per hour, though it will increase to $7.25 on July 24.
About 46 percent of renters in Texas can’t afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent, according to the study. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development reports a two-bedroom apartment in Texas rents for an average of $800 a month.
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Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Friday, April 17, 2009
Obama's high-speed rail plan includes Texas
From Austin Business Journal, April 16, 2009...
President Obama has unveiled new components of a plan to build a nationwide high-speed rail system that includes Texas.
The plan could use $8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as well as up to $5 billion over five years from the federal budget as a “down payment” to help create passenger trains.
The Federal Railroad Administration is expected to begin awarding its first round of grants by late summer.
The report from Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood identifies 10 major corridors where high-speed rail would work.
The planned corridors are in California, Washington-Oregon, Texas-Oklahoma-Arkansas, the Gulf Coast including New Orleans and Atlanta, Florida, the Great Lakes centered on Chicago, the Southeast including the Carolinas and Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York and Northern New England.
In Texas, the South Central High-Speed Corridor, would link Dallas-Fort Worth; Austin; San Antonio; Texarkana; Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Okla;. and Little Rock, Ark. A separate line would connect Houston with New Orleans, Mobile and other cities in the Southeast.
Read more...
President Obama has unveiled new components of a plan to build a nationwide high-speed rail system that includes Texas.
The plan could use $8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as well as up to $5 billion over five years from the federal budget as a “down payment” to help create passenger trains.
The Federal Railroad Administration is expected to begin awarding its first round of grants by late summer.
The report from Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood identifies 10 major corridors where high-speed rail would work.
The planned corridors are in California, Washington-Oregon, Texas-Oklahoma-Arkansas, the Gulf Coast including New Orleans and Atlanta, Florida, the Great Lakes centered on Chicago, the Southeast including the Carolinas and Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York and Northern New England.
In Texas, the South Central High-Speed Corridor, would link Dallas-Fort Worth; Austin; San Antonio; Texarkana; Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Okla;. and Little Rock, Ark. A separate line would connect Houston with New Orleans, Mobile and other cities in the Southeast.
Read more...
State jobless rate edges up in March
From KEYE, April 17, 2009...
The Texas Workforce Commission today reports statewide unemployment edged upward -- to 6.7 percent in March.
The state shed 47,100 nonagricultural jobs.
While the Rio Grande Valley showed slight improvement from a month earlier it continued to the lead the state with the highest unemployment rates. Midland delivered the lowest unemployment rate at 4.3 percent.
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The Texas Workforce Commission today reports statewide unemployment edged upward -- to 6.7 percent in March.
The state shed 47,100 nonagricultural jobs.
While the Rio Grande Valley showed slight improvement from a month earlier it continued to the lead the state with the highest unemployment rates. Midland delivered the lowest unemployment rate at 4.3 percent.
Read more...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Texas is king, but Iowa breezes past California
From News 8 Austin, April 13, 2009...
Texas continues to blow away the competition, but Iowa can now generate more wind power than California.
Details are in an industry report being released Monday by the American Wind Energy Association.
The Lone Star state's 7,118 megawatts dwarfs Iowa's 2,791 megawatts and California's 2,517 megawatts.
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Texas continues to blow away the competition, but Iowa can now generate more wind power than California.
Details are in an industry report being released Monday by the American Wind Energy Association.
The Lone Star state's 7,118 megawatts dwarfs Iowa's 2,791 megawatts and California's 2,517 megawatts.
Read more...
Texas receives millions for aging dams
From News 8 Austin, April 7, 2009...
Texas will receive millions of dollars in federal stimulus money to fix aging dams.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said many dams and other important flood control structures across the country “are in a race against time.”
Texas will receive nearly $5 million to repair old dams.
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Texas will receive millions of dollars in federal stimulus money to fix aging dams.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said many dams and other important flood control structures across the country “are in a race against time.”
Texas will receive nearly $5 million to repair old dams.
Read more...
Texas 13th in 'financial happiness'
From Austin Business Journal, April 6, 2009...
Texas ranks 13th in a new “Happiness Index,” based on economic well-being in the U.S.
The survey, from MainStreet.com, a personal finance site, found that the Midwest was one of the most financially content parts of the country.
Nebraska ranked No. 1, followed by Iowa, Kansas, Hawaii and Louisiana.
The ratings were based on a cross-section of key financial factors: average non-mortgage debt relative to average annual income, foreclosure numbers and unemployment rate.
Texas was noted for having lower than average unemployment as well as non-mortgage debt as a percentage of income.
Read more...
Texas ranks 13th in a new “Happiness Index,” based on economic well-being in the U.S.
The survey, from MainStreet.com, a personal finance site, found that the Midwest was one of the most financially content parts of the country.
Nebraska ranked No. 1, followed by Iowa, Kansas, Hawaii and Louisiana.
The ratings were based on a cross-section of key financial factors: average non-mortgage debt relative to average annual income, foreclosure numbers and unemployment rate.
Texas was noted for having lower than average unemployment as well as non-mortgage debt as a percentage of income.
Read more...
Bills would ban restaurant trans fats in Texas
From KEYE, April 6, 2009...
Texans who love their cheesy enchiladas and chicken-fried steak, take heart.
Lawmakers who want to ban trans fats in Texas restaurants say there's no need to worry about losing any flavor in their favorite foods if healthy oils and ingredients are used instead.
Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso and Rep. Carol Alvarado of Houston, both Democrats, introduced legislation that would phase in bans of trans fats in restaurants. They say the move would help fight the obesity epidemic and help reduce health insurance costs.
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Texans who love their cheesy enchiladas and chicken-fried steak, take heart.
Lawmakers who want to ban trans fats in Texas restaurants say there's no need to worry about losing any flavor in their favorite foods if healthy oils and ingredients are used instead.
Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso and Rep. Carol Alvarado of Houston, both Democrats, introduced legislation that would phase in bans of trans fats in restaurants. They say the move would help fight the obesity epidemic and help reduce health insurance costs.
Read more...
Is Texas running dry?
From KVUE, March 25, 2009...
There is one word in the English language that stands for all living things -- water.
Without it nothing is possible. In Texas, at times, we have too much, and other times we have too little. Experts are warning -- if we don't do something quickly, Texas could run dry.
Read more...
There is one word in the English language that stands for all living things -- water.
Without it nothing is possible. In Texas, at times, we have too much, and other times we have too little. Experts are warning -- if we don't do something quickly, Texas could run dry.
Read more...
Texas is second to Alaska in acres of forest land
From KVUE, March 25, 2009...
The first detailed statewide tree count in Texas history is headed toward this conclusion: Texas is No. 2, second only to Alaska.
The Texas Forest Service said Wednesday initial results of the first inventory outside East Texas indicate that the state has 60 million acres of forest land. That ranks second to Alaska and is about 23 percent of the forestation in the southern U.S.
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The first detailed statewide tree count in Texas history is headed toward this conclusion: Texas is No. 2, second only to Alaska.
The Texas Forest Service said Wednesday initial results of the first inventory outside East Texas indicate that the state has 60 million acres of forest land. That ranks second to Alaska and is about 23 percent of the forestation in the southern U.S.
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Friday, January 23, 2009
Texas receives nearly $400,000 grant to fight foreclosures
From Austin Business Journal, January 16, 2009...
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs won a $387,000 grant from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program.
The state agency will use the funds to help stem the tide of home foreclosures across the state and to help bring stability to families, neighborhoods and local government finances.
Read more...
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs won a $387,000 grant from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program.
The state agency will use the funds to help stem the tide of home foreclosures across the state and to help bring stability to families, neighborhoods and local government finances.
Read more...
Texas drought worsens, cattle dying
From News 8 Austin, January 15, 2009...
Seventy-one percent of Texas is in some stage of drought.
That means conditions are worsening. Last week, only about 58 percent of the state was dealing with drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map.
The drought is especially taking its toll on cattle. Some are keeling over in parched pastures and dying in the dry conditions, and others are getting hurt trying to get water from drying stock ponds.
Read more...
Seventy-one percent of Texas is in some stage of drought.
That means conditions are worsening. Last week, only about 58 percent of the state was dealing with drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map.
The drought is especially taking its toll on cattle. Some are keeling over in parched pastures and dying in the dry conditions, and others are getting hurt trying to get water from drying stock ponds.
Read more...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Texas bills designed to improve nursing shortage
From KEYE, January 14, 2009...
Texas is facing a critical nursing shortage, and some say it's putting patients in jeopardy. Now some state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are trying to stop the problem before it gets worse.
Nurses at University Medical Center at Brackenridge in Downtown Austin say their hospital has managed to avoid real problems.
But CBS 42 is told some hospitals are turning more and more to nursing assistants because they just don't have enough registered nurses. Wednesday some lawmakers filed legislation they hope will put more nurses at patients' besides.
Read more...
Texas is facing a critical nursing shortage, and some say it's putting patients in jeopardy. Now some state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are trying to stop the problem before it gets worse.
Nurses at University Medical Center at Brackenridge in Downtown Austin say their hospital has managed to avoid real problems.
But CBS 42 is told some hospitals are turning more and more to nursing assistants because they just don't have enough registered nurses. Wednesday some lawmakers filed legislation they hope will put more nurses at patients' besides.
Read more...
Comptroller: Funds down by 10.5%
From Austin Business Journal, January 12, 2009...
The state of Texas will have $77.1 billion in funds available for general purpose spending for the 2010-2011 fiscal years, a new report from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said Monday. This figure is 10.5 percent lower than the general purpose spending funds available in 2008-2009.
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The state of Texas will have $77.1 billion in funds available for general purpose spending for the 2010-2011 fiscal years, a new report from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said Monday. This figure is 10.5 percent lower than the general purpose spending funds available in 2008-2009.
Read more...
Report: Texas attracts most relocations
From Austin Business Journal, January 12, 2009...
Texas has taken its place as the No. 1 destination state for residential relocations for the fourth year in a row, according to Allied Van Lines’ 41st Annual Magnet States Report.
Read more...
Texas has taken its place as the No. 1 destination state for residential relocations for the fourth year in a row, according to Allied Van Lines’ 41st Annual Magnet States Report.
Read more...
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Lawmakers say Texas needs statewide smoking ban
From News 8 Austin, December 25, 2008...
Some Texas lawmakers said they'll use the just expanded smoking ban in Dallas to help them get a statewide smoking ban passed when the Legislature meets in January.
The Dallas City Council recently voted to expand its smoking ban to bars and pool halls, effectively making it illegal to light up in most Dallas workplaces.
The ban, which will take effect April 10, also prohibits smoking within 15 feet of most business entrances.
Read more...
Some Texas lawmakers said they'll use the just expanded smoking ban in Dallas to help them get a statewide smoking ban passed when the Legislature meets in January.
The Dallas City Council recently voted to expand its smoking ban to bars and pool halls, effectively making it illegal to light up in most Dallas workplaces.
The ban, which will take effect April 10, also prohibits smoking within 15 feet of most business entrances.
Read more...
Hefty fees, fines going uncollected in Texas
From KEYE, December 26, 2008...
Some state funded-agencies have as much as $1 billion in uncollected fees, fines and penalties for fiscal years 2006 and 2007.
That's according to a survey from the Legislative Budget Board provided to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Fees drive a significant portion of the state's almost $168 billion for 2008-09 biennium -- allowing local government to keep taxes down.
Read more...
Some state funded-agencies have as much as $1 billion in uncollected fees, fines and penalties for fiscal years 2006 and 2007.
That's according to a survey from the Legislative Budget Board provided to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Fees drive a significant portion of the state's almost $168 billion for 2008-09 biennium -- allowing local government to keep taxes down.
Read more...
Texas gasoline prices slip to average $1.54
From KEYE, December 23, 2008...
Gasoline prices in Texas slipped by 1 cent to reach an average $1.54 a gallon during the holiday week.
AAA Texas on Tuesday reported that retail gasoline prices appear to continue declining, but at a slower rate.
Nationwide gasoline prices averaged $1.65, compared to $1.67 last Thursday, the end of the previous weekly reporting period by the association.
Read more...
Gasoline prices in Texas slipped by 1 cent to reach an average $1.54 a gallon during the holiday week.
AAA Texas on Tuesday reported that retail gasoline prices appear to continue declining, but at a slower rate.
Nationwide gasoline prices averaged $1.65, compared to $1.67 last Thursday, the end of the previous weekly reporting period by the association.
Read more...
Census: Texas the fastest-growing state
From Austin Business Journal, December 22, 2008...
Texas gained more residents than any other state between July 2007 and July 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau .
The state gained about 484,000 people during the 12-month period. Second was California, which added 379,000 people, followed by North Carolina with 181,000, Georgia with 162,000 and Arizona with 147,000.
Read more...
Texas gained more residents than any other state between July 2007 and July 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau .
The state gained about 484,000 people during the 12-month period. Second was California, which added 379,000 people, followed by North Carolina with 181,000, Georgia with 162,000 and Arizona with 147,000.
Read more...
Texas unemployment rate up, despite new jobs
From News 8 Austin, December 19, 2008...
The unemployment rate in Texas edged up in November.
The rate in October was 5.6 percent, last month it went to 5.7 percent. Last year in November the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.
In Austin and Round Rock, the unemployment rate went up from 3.5 percent in November 2007, and 4.8 percent in October, to 5 percent in November.
The Texas Workforce Commission said the state saw hints of economic recovery from Hurricane Ike with a slight increase in the number of jobs in the southeast.
Read more...
The unemployment rate in Texas edged up in November.
The rate in October was 5.6 percent, last month it went to 5.7 percent. Last year in November the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.
In Austin and Round Rock, the unemployment rate went up from 3.5 percent in November 2007, and 4.8 percent in October, to 5 percent in November.
The Texas Workforce Commission said the state saw hints of economic recovery from Hurricane Ike with a slight increase in the number of jobs in the southeast.
Read more...
Friday, December 12, 2008
Texas gas prices average $1.57 per gallon
From News 8 Austin, December 12, 2008...
The price of gas keeps tumbling across Texas, settling at $1.57 per gallon this week.
Read more...
The price of gas keeps tumbling across Texas, settling at $1.57 per gallon this week.
Read more...
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