Whip inflation now - Gerald Ford

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps track of the average retail price for a number of common items as a U.S. city average. Let’s take a look at a few. We used the price for the month President Obmam was inaugurated, January 2009, and the last month of data available, December 2011. The items are sorted in descending order by the percentage increase of the price during the Obama administration.

Graph of BLS data on average gasoline prices from January 2001 to December 2011

Graph of BLS data on average fuel oil prices from January 2001 to December 2011

Now, we are told repeatedly that inflation is low. We looked at the Consumer Price Index data at the BLS.

The increase for all items works out to be 6.9 percent for the period.

BLS graph of the Consumer Price Index CPI-U for 2009 to 2011. 1984 is base of 100.

The increase for food prices during the period works out to be 4.7 percent.

BLS graph of the CPI-U for food from 2009 to 2011

Something just doesn’t seem right here. How can the CPI show so little increase when compared to some individual items?

Really? OK, so we went to the BLS page with the item data, copied it to a spreadsheet, and deleted unnecessary columns. Here is the BLS list of price changes from December 2010 to December 2011, sorted by percentage change. Two pages of items with price increases year over year and about a half page of price decreases. Take a look and use the comments to comment.

In a study released just before Christmas, researchers estimate that 14,000 Americans died due to the effects of radioactive materials released by the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March 2011. Joseph J. Mangano and Janette D. Sherman authored the paper which was published in the December 2011 International Journal of Health Services. The paper is titled “An Unexpected Mortality Increase in the United States Follows Arrival of the Radioactive Plume from Fukushima: Is There a Correlation?”. The full paper can be found at this link at radiation.org.

The researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The MMWR includes data from 122 U.S. cities reporting deaths for the week. The numbers of deaths for each city are broken down by age group, and the deaths related to pneumonia and influenza are also broken out. All data is preliminary and it takes nearly two years for the CDC to finalize the numbers. This report does not specify the cause of death.

The authors used the data from the MMWR reports for weeks 12 to 25, March 20 to June 25, 2011. That data was compared to the same period in 2010, as well as the fourteen weeks prior.

We took a look at infant deaths, children under 12 months of age. The study reports that infant deaths in the 122 cities rose by 1.8 percent year over year. Year over year for the prior fourteen week period, they declined 8.37 percent. They calculate that 822 infant deaths during the fourteen week study period were “excess”.

Recall that we used the term “preliminary” to refer to this data. We used the CDC’s database to search for the same data for the entire country for the study period. We found that our fourteen week total for infant deaths for 2011 agrees with the study, 2,743 deaths. However, the total for 2010 differs, and alters their analysis. They report 2,722 infant deaths for the period in 2010, while the current CDC count is 2,754. infant deaths went down year over year, not up by 1.8 percent.

Infant mortality in the United States. CDC data as of January 2, 2012. Click on the image for a larger view. Chart by Charles Simmins

Infant mortality in the United States. CDC data as of January 2, 2012. Click on the image for a larger view. Chart by Charles Simmins

Infant mortality in the United States. CDC data as of January 2, 2012. Click on the image for a larger view. Chart by Charles Simmins

Looking at the prior fourteen weeks’ data, MMWR weeks 50-11, the difference is even more striking. In the 2009-2010 period, infant deaths from our CDC data set equal 2,859. For the fourteen weeks prior to the study period, our 2010-2011 infant death total is 2,608. Infant deaths fell far more than the study states.

Among the weaknesses in this study are the failure to correct for pneumonia and influenza deaths. We included 2009 in our data. Weekly infant mortality totals for 2009 in the study period are much higher than for either 2010 or 2011. The novel H1N1 pandemic was affecting mortality in the United States. The flu is a key factor in mortality during the same time periods that the study examined.

The cities represent about 25 percent of the national population. Other questionable assumptions are that any effects from radioactive fallout would be evening distributed throughout the 122 cities in the data and that the effects in the cities would be equal to those in the rest of the nation.

The population rank tables provided in the study, tables four and five, demonstrate mortality variances that do not correlate with geography. One would expect West Coast cities to have a higher exposure to any Fukushima fallout, and thus demonstrate higher mortality rates. Houston leads with respect to an increase in mortality in both tables, not Los Angeles or San Diego.

We believe that the study’s authors have not proven their thesis. The current data refutes part of their analysis with respect to infant mortality. The authors use of just one prior year fails a commonsense test that you need more than two data points to establish a trend. They authors have not corrected the data with respect to the actual geographic distribution of fallout, nor did they make any attempt to correct for the effects of seasonal influenza or other variables such as violent deaths. Without a cause of death, any “excess deaths” which may be found cannot be related to Fukushima radiation and fallout.

At this point, if excess deaths exist, it is just coincidental that measurable amounts of radioactive byproducts from the Fukushima nuclear accident were found in the U.S. during the same time period.

The slideshow illustrates the unemployment data for each July for the last decade, 2002 to 2011.

Bureau of labor Statistics graph of black unemployment rates 1982-2011

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has kept data on unemployment among American blacks since 1972. The record high rate of unemployment was in June 1983, 20.7%. The record low was in April 2000 at 7%. For June 2011 the black unemployment rate is 16.2%.

The last thirty years have seen four peaks for black unemployment and three troughs.

The highest rate of black unemployment in the Obama era was 16.5% in March and April 2010. It has now been fourteen months since that peak. Black unemployment has dropped to 16.2%.

In comparison, after the first peak in the table, black unemployment had dropped from 20.7% to 16% in fourteen months. After the second peak it went from 14.7% to 12.7%. The fourteen months after the third peak saw black unemployment go from 11.5% to 10.5%.

The last Census report on poverty in America was released in September 2010 for the year 2009. Black poverty was up from its record low rate in 2000 of 22.5%. In 2009 just over one in four American blacks lived in poverty. For blacks living in a household headed by a woman, 40% lived in poverty.

Over the last generation, reductions in black unemployment have become increasingly more difficult to achieve. Even the record low rate set in 2000 was the highest of any minority and came during the one of the greatest economic upturns since World War Two. In the midst of an economic boom, seven percent of blacks remained unemployed.

Black unemployment, like black poverty, contains a core group that may not be reachable by economics and the free market as we know it. This hardcore cluster of poor blacks was created by social dynamics and governmental policies that may have created a permanently disenfranchised class lacking the ability to change their own condition.

The January 2011 unemployment numbers have been released by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We have placed the records for each statistic into this table. The records clearly demonstrate the Clinton era boom when unemployment was extremely low. As prior stories have reported, the Bush era maintained near record lows until the last year of his administration.

Nearly 1 million Americans have left the labor force since Barack Obama was inaugurated. The average number of weeks on unemployment has nearly doubled.

Hispanic unemployment has increased by 20% in the last two years but has more than doubled since its record low in 2006. Unemployment for blacks has gone up nearly 25% under this administration and has more than doubled since its record low in 2000.

The unemployment rate for women reached a modern low in December of 2000 at 3.3%. In January 2009 it was 6.4% and it was 7.9% in January 2011. As other media outlets have reported, unemployment appears to be affects far more men than women.

The names of the first 111 exemptions from the Obama Health Care Plan have been located. We undertook an examination of the contributions by these entities, or their principal officers, to see which party received the most contributions. Many corporations use their own PACS or donate to other PACS. The unions do the same.

Curiously, it appears that Republican donors did well in obtaining exemptions and donated much less so far in 2010.

One of the exemptions seems to have gone to an organization that benefits only non-citizens. The CWVBEA is a group that provides insurance to legal non-citizen workers in the U.S. from various Caribbean nations.

The full report, showing all 111 exemptions, may be found in PDF format at this link.

The information in this report is not complete. It includes PAC contributions and contributions from corporate officers to candidates and committees that were clearly Democratic or Republican. Most donations to candidates by PACS in the record were not researched.

The information used in this report was culled from two FEC pages, Advanced Transaction Query By Individual Contributor and Summary Reports Search, and from Open Secrets.

The blogger known as Patterico is involved in a back and forth with some folks on the left. He’s been accused of all sorts of nastiness, especially being truthful, which hurts the left most of all.

Two organizations are involved in this spat. One is the Justice Through Music Program (JTM), and the other is Velvet Revolution (VR).

Let’s examine some of the facts available online for these groups.

Justice Through Music Program
JTM is registered as a 501 ( c)3 charity with the IRS. It is a Maryland tax exempt non-stock corporation, formed in 2004. The articles of incorporation may be found at this link. All online tax returns for JTM can be found at this link.

The two directors, upon incorporation were Jeff Cohen and Brett Kimberlin. The address on the last online (2008) tax filing is a residence owned by Jeff Cohen.

The purpose for JTM is stated on the Articles of Incorporation as “To shed light on some of the injustices in the world with the power of music”. On its online tax filing for 2007, the program service accomplishments for JTM are described as:

CIVIL RIGHTS, SOCIAL ACTION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS. WE HAVE CREATED DVDS WITH MUSICIANS TO EDUCATE YOUTH ABOUT THEIR VOTING AND CIVIL RIGHTS TO GET THEM TO REGISTER AND VOTE. WE CREATED A WEBSITE TO DO THE SAME, AND WE HAVE HELD VOTER DRIVES TO EDUCATE YOUTH AND REGISTER THEM TO VOTE.

Velvet Revolution is described on the 2005 through 2007 tax returns from JTM as a 501 ( c)4 corporation. Referring to VR, JTM responded yes to the question :

52a Is the organization directly or indirectly affiliated with, or related to, one or more tax-exempt organizations described in section 501 ( c) of the Code ( other than section 501( c)(3)) or in section 5277?

The JTM returns for 2006 and 2007 show disbursements to VR in the amounts of $42,500 and $46,500 respectively. The reason given is for “non partisan vote protection”.

Velvet Revolution
VR is a tax-exempt Maryland non-stock corporation under the name VELVETREVOLUTION.US INC. The purpose for VR is stated on the Articles of Incorporation as “The public welfare and a minority for political activity”. All online tax returns for VR can be found at this link.

The four directors, upon incorporation were Brad Friedman, Ben Gelt, Jeff Cohen and Brett Kimberlin. The address of the corporation is a residential property listed as owned by a Carolyn Kimberlin.

VR appears to be what the IRS terms a “social welfare organization”. While “The promotion of social welfare does not include direct or indirect participation or intervention in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.”, it does mean that VR can lobby within the terms of its purpose. Examining the VR site suggests that its activities are directed at non-elected officials and private individuals and corporations.

It is nearly impossible to draw conclusions from form 990′s. The online versions may or may not have all the papers that were submitted. The terminology used by the IRS and the way several accounting accounts may be forced into one for filing purposes are two of the many reasons that an accountant approaches 990 analysis with some trepidation.

That said:

JTM disbursed funds to VR in 2006 and 2007. They may have done so in 2008, as well, though the record is unclear. Were the donors of those funds told, up front, that they might be used for purposes that might prevent their deduction as a charitable contribution? Did VR segregate those funds to prevent such a situation?

Occupancy expense for JTM went from $2,354 in 2005 to $80,925 in 2008. Since the location of record for both VR and JTM are private residences not zoned for business use, what was the expense for?

VR recorded expenses to private contractors on its tax returns, and no salary expenses. That is somewhat unusual, especially if any of the directors received any of those funds.

And:

Both JTM and VR use the same P.O. Box in Washington. VR’s donations page advises that contributions are run through JTM in order to be tax deductible. How segregated are the contributions to the two entities? Can a donor rely on his donation being handled correctly?

Brett Kimberlin, through JTM’s 2008 return, is shown to be receiving a salary. His position of director is 40 hours a week, and in 2008, he was making $19,500 yearly. That suggests a man of wealth or compensation from other sources. As a director in both corporations, his compensation should be clearly stated and it is. But other compensation is left in total, leaving some questions.

As a veteran of 25 plus years of senior level not for profit accounting, I would suggest that both groups obtain an audit from a CPA firm as a matter of course. And, that they make that audit available on-line to reassure donors. I would also suggest that both groups obtain a working address in an area zoned for commercial use and not the R-90 residential zoning that they appear to be located in.

If the on-line records are complete, several instances of missing tax schedules exist. Checking the completeness of a return before filing is a critical task for any preparer. As the preparer seems to be Jeff Cohen, an attorney and a director, it would seem to be even more important for both his roles.

Women achieved record wage parity with men four times in the period 2000 to 2009.

Wage parity between men and women in the United States is a matter of law. You cannot discriminate in wages and salaries solely on the basis of sex. Yet, in the many years since that became the law of the land, women’s wages have never reached 100% parity.

There are many reason why that is. We are doing better, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual publication titled Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2009 reveals that progress.

The chart above shows the parity ratio from 2000 to 2009. In those ten years, the ratio set four records. Indeed, it is possible to state that by this measure the Bush years were good for women’s wage parity.

The report may suggest one reason why parity remains just out of reach. The numbers in households headed by a woman with no husband, single parent households, have increased or stayed steady for the last several years for whites and Asians. The same holds true for those same households below the poverty level. Coupled with a solid core of black women lead households in poverty, it would suggest one reason for the stall in wage parity.

Could wage parity in the modern economy be tied to the woman’s ability to have a partner in the household? The number of female headed households in poverty is up 40% in ten years and all such households are up 18%.

The Cen­sus Bureau has released its annual report titled Income, Poverty and Health Insur­ance in the United States: 2009.

Poverty among blacks in America reached record lows during the Clinton Administration and remained at near record lows for most of the Bush Administration. There is a core of poverty among blacks, however, that seems impossible to reach and most of those living within that poverty core are in families headed by single mothers.

The Census Bureau estimates that there were 38.6 million blacks in the United States in 2009. 31.3 million lived in families and of that number, 13.7 million lived in families headed by a single mother. Almost 35.5% of all blacks lived in families headed by a woman with no husband present.

25.8% of all blacks lived in poverty. For those living in families, the percentage was lower, 24.4%. For those living in households headed by a woman with no husband present, 39.7% lived in poverty.

The lowest poverty rate for blacks was in 2000, at 22.5%. Black families also reached a historically low poverty rate that year at 21.2%. In the category Families with Female Householder – No Husband Present, the lowest poverty rate was in 2001, at 37.4%.

The core of black poverty in America is the 5 million plus who live in families headed by a woman. 14% of all blacks in America live in poverty in households headed by a woman.

The data and graphs derived from the data are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual publication titled Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2009.

The Census Bureau reports that 43.6 million Americans lived in poverty in 2009. 31.2 million were in a family, and of that number 14.7 million were in households headed by a single woman.

The total United States population for 2009 was an estimated 303,820,000 people. The Census Bureau estimated that 21,573,000 people were not United States citizens and of that number, 5,425,00 lived in poverty. Just over 12% of those living in poverty in America in 2009 were not citizens while just over 7% of the total population were not.

About 59% of non-citizens, according to the Census Bureau, were Hispanic. 71% of the non-citizens living in poverty in the United States in 2009 were Hispanic.

One of the issues with this report concerns the matter of race. I have chosen to use the White – non Hispanic and Black alone numbers for the graphs. Hispanic is defined in the report as all races. It is somewhat apparent that racial definitions are fluid, and the historical data reflects changes over the last decade.

Percentage of all Americans living in poverty 1990 to 2009

The Census Bureau has released its annual report titled Income, Poverty and Health Insurance in the United States: 2009. As we have since 2002, we will be analyzing and graphing some of the data from this report. This is the first in a series of reports.

Here is the Census Bureau’s press release.

Summary of Key Findings

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States in 2009 was $49,777, not statistically different from the 2008 median.

The nation’s official poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent in 2008 — the second statistically significant annual increase in the poverty rate since 2004. There were 43.6 million people in poverty in 2009, up from 39.8 million in 2008 — the third consecutive annual increase.

Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 46.3 million in 2008 to 50.7 million in 2009, while the percentage increased from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent over the same period.

These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009. The following results for the nation were compiled from information collected in the 2010 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC):

Income

Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only. Hispanics can be of any race.)

• Among race groups, Asian households had the highest median income in 2009. Real median income declined between 2008 and 2009 for non-Hispanic white and black households, while the changes for Asian and Hispanic-origin households were not statistically different. (See Table A [PDF].

Regions

• In 2009, households in the West and Northeast had the highest median household incomes. (The apparent difference between the two regions was not statistically significant.) Real median income declined between 2008 and 2009 in the Midwest and West; the changes for the Northeast and South were not statistically significant. (See Table A [PDF].

Nativity

• In 2009, households maintained by naturalized citizens had the highest median income. Native-born households and those maintained by noncitizens experienced income declines from 2008 to 2009, in real terms. The changes in the median income of all foreign-born households and households maintained by a naturalized citizen were not statistically significant. (See Table A [PDF].

Earnings

• In 2009, the earnings of women who worked full time, year-round were 77 percent of that for corresponding men, not statistically different from the 2008 ratio.
• The real median earnings of men who worked full time, year-round rose by 2.0 percent between 2008 and 2009, from $46,191 to $47,127. For women, the corresponding increase was 1.9 percent, from $35,609 to $36,278. (The difference between the 2.0 and 1.9 percent increases was not statistically significant.)

Income Inequality

• The change in income inequality between 2008 and 2009 was not statistically significant, as measured by shares of aggregate household income by quintiles and the Gini index. The Gini index was 0.468 in 2009. (The Gini index is a measure of household income inequality; 0 represents perfect income equality and 1 perfect inequality.)

Poverty

• The poverty rate in 2009 was the highest since 1994, but was 8.1 percentage points lower than the poverty rate in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available. The number of people in poverty in 2009 is the largest number in the 51 years for which poverty estimates are available.
• In 2009, the family poverty rate and the number of families in poverty were 11.1 percent and 8.8 million, respectively, up from 10.3 percent and 8.1 million in 2008.
• The poverty rate and the number in poverty increased across all types of families: married-couple families (5.8 percent and 3.4 million in 2009 from 5.5 percent and 3.3 million in 2008); female-householder-with-no-husband-present families (29.9 percent and 4.4 million in 2009 from 28.7 percent and 4.2 million in 2008) and for male-householder-no-wife-present families (16.9 percent and 942,000 in 2009 from 13.8 percent and 723,000 in 2008).

Thresholds

• As defined by the Office of Management and Budget and updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2009 was $21,954. Since the average annual CPI-U for 2009 was lower than the average annual CPI-U for 2008, poverty thresholds for 2009 are slightly lower than the corresponding thresholds for 2008. (See <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/cpstables/032010/pov/new35_000.htm> for the complete set of dollar value thresholds that vary by family size and composition.)

Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to people reporting a single race only. Hispanics can be of any race.)

• The poverty rate for non-Hispanic whites was lower in 2009 than it was for other racial groups. The poverty rate is not statistically different from the 2008 poverty rate for Asians, but increased for all other race groups and for Hispanics. Table B [PDF] details 2009 poverty rates and numbers in poverty, as well as changes since 2008 in these measures, for race groups and Hispanics.

Age

• The poverty rate increased for children younger than 18 (from 19.0 percent in 2008 to 20.7 percent in 2009) and people 18 to 64 (from 11.7 percent in 2008 to 12.9 percent in 2009), while it declined for people 65 and older (from 9.7 percent in 2008 to 8.9 percent in 2009).
• Similar to the patterns observed for the poverty rate in 2009, the number of people in poverty increased for children younger than 18 (14.1 million in 2008 to 15.5 million in 2009) and people 18 to 64 (22.1 million in 2008 to 24.7 million in 2009) and declined for seniors 65 and older (from 3.7 million in 2008 to 3.4 million in 2009).

Nativity

• The 2009 poverty rate for naturalized citizens was not statistically different from 2008, while the poverty rates of native-born and noncitizens increased. Table B [PDF] details 2009 poverty rates and the numbers in poverty, as well as changes since 2008 in these measures, by nativity.

Regions

• The poverty rate increased from 2008 to 2009 in the Midwest, South and West while all four regions had increases in the number of people in poverty. (The 2009 poverty rate for the Northeast was not statistically different from its 2008 poverty rate.) See Table B [PDF].

Health Insurance Coverage

• The number of people with health insurance decreased from 255.1 million in 2008 to 253.6 million in 2009. Since 1987, the first year that comparable health insurance data were collected, this is the first year that the number of people with health insurance has decreased.
• Between 2008 and 2009, the number of people covered by private health insurance decreased from 201.0 million to 194.5 million, while the number covered by government health insurance climbed from 87.4 million to 93.2 million. The number covered by employment-based health insurance declined from 176.3 million to 169.7 million. The number with Medicaid coverage increased from 42.6 million to 47.8 million.
• Comparable health insurance data were first collected in 1987. The percentage of people covered by private insurance (63.9 percent) is the lowest since that year, as is the percentage of people covered by employment-based insurance (55.8 percent). In contrast, the percentage of people covered by government health insurance programs (30.6 percent) is the highest since 1987, as is the percentage covered by Medicaid (15.7 percent).
• In 2009, 10.0 percent (7.5 million) of children under 18 were without health insurance. Neither estimate is significantly different from the corresponding 2008 estimate.
• The uninsured rate for children in poverty (15.1 percent) was greater than the rate for all children.
• In 2009, the uninsured rates decreased as household income increased: from 26.6 percent for those in households with annual incomes less than $25,000 to 9.1 percent in households with incomes of $75,000 or more.

Race and Hispanic Origin (Race data refer to those reporting a single race only. Hispanics can be of any race.)

• The uninsured rate and number of uninsured in 2009 were not statistically different from 2008 for Asians while increasing for all other race groups and for Hispanics. See Table C [PDF].

Nativity

• The proportion of the foreign-born population without health insurance in 2009 was nearly two-and-a-half times that of the native-born population. The uninsured rate was not statistically different for naturalized citizens but rose for noncitizens and the native-born.
  Table C [PDF] details the 2009 uninsured rate and the number of uninsured, as well as changes since 2008 in these measures, by nativity.

Regions

• The Northeast had the lowest uninsured rate in 2009. Between 2008 and 2009, the uninsured rates and number of uninsured increased in all four regions. See Table C [PDF].

The Census Bureau’s statistical experts, with assistance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, the Economics and Statistics Administration and other appropriate agencies and outside experts, are now developing a Supplemental Poverty Measure. The Supplemental Poverty Measure will provide an additional measure of economic well-being. It will not replace the official poverty measure and will not be used to determine eligibility for government programs. See Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009, for more information.

The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement is subject to sampling and nonsampling errors. All comparisons made in the report have been tested and found to be statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level, unless otherwise noted.

For additional information on the source of the data and accuracy of the estimates for the CPS, visit <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/p60_238.pdf>.

Look at any state or local website run by a public health authority and you will see information, glaring warnings, about the the dangers of West Nile virus. West Nile is an illness transmitted by mosquitoes that has been seen in humans in the United States for about 12 years. It’s an import, from overseas.

While searching for information about whooping cough, pertussis, case numbers on various sites I began to notice the “West Nile panic“. Lots of information about West Nile but far less about illnesses, serious illnesses with much larger case numbers.

Here are some case number examples from the CDC MMWR week 35 report for September 5, 2010.

In 2007, Michigan reported 392 cases of AIDS, 4,191 cases of Chickenpox, 292 cases of Whooping Cough and 17 of West Nile.

For that same year, New York State, including New York City, reported 3,984 cases of AIDS, did not report chickenpox and 22 cases of West Nile.

Massachusetts reported, for 2007, 602 new cases of HIV, 1,178 cases of Whooping Cough and six cases of West Nile.

Is the allocation of scarce public health resources to massive West Nile educational campaigns a wise choice? Looking at the case numbers for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in the table suggest at least one place where educational dollars might be better used. The outbreaks of Whooping Cough and Mumps in 2009 and 2010 certainly could have been reduced with funding for more immunizations clinics.

Do public health agencies serve the interests of the taxpayers? Billions of dollars have been spent on illnesses such as SARS, bird flu, anthrax and smallpox, and are now being spent on West Nile. Is that protecting the public?

States reporting over 200 cases of whooping cough through August 28, 2010. States in red allow parents to refuse immunizations based upon strong personal beliefs. Click for a larger map.

Whooping cough continues to grow both nationally and in New York State. The Centers for Disease Control’s Week 34 MMWR report shows 296 reported cases in Upstate New York and 44 in New York City. These 340 cases represent an 82% increase in cases from the same time in 2009. The source of the increase is in Upstate New York where the change from 2009 is second in the nation at an increase of 129%.

Using the population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the rate of whooping cough or pertussis cases per 100,000 population in New York for 2010 can be calculated. Statewide, 1.74 cases of whooping cough are estimated per 100,000 population. If New York City is excluded, the Upstate New York rate is 2.65 cases per 100,000 population.

Read the rest of the article at this link.

The White House and its allies have been touting the claims contained in the Council of Economic Advisers’ latest quarterly report that

the Recovery Act is already responsible for 2.5 to 3.6 million – or about 3 million – jobs

The table above was created using the data from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the government’s own numbers, used by their agencies and a wide variety of private businesses for planning and decision making.

The number of Americans employed has decreased by over 3.1 million since the Obama administration took office. True unemployment, the total unemployed and the total discouraged from looking for work, has increased over the same time frame by nearly 3.2 million Americans.

U.S. employment levels, 2009-2010, BLS data. Click for a larger image.

Numbers of Americans unemployed 2009-2010, BLS data. Click for a larger image

True unemployment includes those unemployed and looking for work and those no longer looking, the discouraged. The true unemployment rate on January 31, 2009 was 8.9%. As of June 30, 2010 it was 11.38%.

Americans no longer looking for work 2009-2010, discouraged, BLS data. click for a larger image.

When the Obama Administration took office, 65.7% of the population participated in the work force. That rate is now 64.7%. In January 2009, 60.6% of the population was working and that rate is now 58.5%.

U.S. civilian labor force participation 2009-2010, BLS graph. Click for a larger image.

U.S. employment to population ratio, BLS. graph. Click for a larger image.

For the White House claims to be correct, either the BLS data is wrong, or the Recovery Act prevented unemployment from reaching a level of 6 million Americans. The data clearly demonstrates that about 3 million fewer Americans are no longer working.

Here are three recent articles on this topic, covering three different illnesses. Follow the link.

Whooping cough cases continue to rise in Upstate New York

New York is at the peak of its Lyme Disease season

Mumps cases decline in upstate and New Jersey, still high in New York City