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Gasoline tax revenues that fund road building aren't keeping up with rising construction costs and increasing needs, so state transportation officials are scrambling to find new financing methods. They are looking at new taxes and fees, and at toll roads. Some states, like Indiana, have gone further, leasing toll roads to the private sector. In Missouri, the gas tax has been stuck at 17 cents a gallon since 1996 because voters in recent years have rejected tax increases for highways. State-run toll roads are constitutionally prohibited. So the Department of Transportation now is asking private contractors to finance a massive bridge construction program. No state ever has undertaken a construction initiative quite like it, transportation experts say.
LOS ANGELES, October 12, 2006 - The $140 million, 10,258-seat Galen Center opens Thursday night amid predictions that it will provide a major economic boost to the neighborhood surrounding USC and help the long-struggling Trojan men's basketball team. .
(RTTNews) - The direction of the economy has become a contentious issue. Economists are divided in their views, with a few suggesting that the economy faces the threat of a recession, while others say it is just a moderation in growth that is currently underway. That leads us to the question as to what will be the Fed's stance going forward under both scenarios. According to Wachovia Securities economist John Silvia, the Fed's greater concern now is the state of the economy. Silvia believes that the central bank will focus on avoidance of further weakness in the economy rather than attempting to lower inflation. His outlook is for no change in the Fed funds rate through the end of the year. The Home Sales data for August released last week came in above market expectations. Existing Home Sales eased 0.5% to 6.30 million units, but still bettered the consensus expectation, while New Home Sales unexpectedly climbed 4.1% to 1.050 million units.
The squeeze at the gas pump has eased up somewhat, with gas prices goingdown across the state and across the country. Gasoline prices are downabout 60 cents from last year, averaging about $2.10 in Oklahoma last week.That's fantastic news for Oklahoma consumers, who have been stretching their budgets to accommodate recent higher gas prices. The price decrease is especially welcome for those Oklahomans who have high transportation expenses, such as truckers and delivery services. And the expenses of farmers are heavily tied to the price of oil and gasoline — from diesel for tractors to the cost of fertilizer, which mirrors the cost of natural gas used in its production. This price decrease represents a 20 percent drop in costs to Oklahoma consumers.When the price of gas increased, I spoke to a lot of upset constituents about how the market forces were moving petroleum prices up.
October 3, 2006 - Designed for commercial construction market applications, MODEX(TM) pre-fabricated modular wiring systems eliminate need for assembly of components at job site. Assemblies are delivered in pre-packaged units when needed, eliminating handling. UL and C-UL listed, systems comply with National Electrical Code and Canadian Electrical Code requirements. .
Jodie and Paul Samala's long journey from a cramped, overpriced apartment to the joys of owning a roomy, affordable house began soon after Hurricane Ivan's arrival two years ago."We were in a rental at the time," said Jodie Samala. "My husband and I almost bought a house before Ivan. But after the storm, the owners backed out."In the immediate wake of the hurricane, Paul Samala lost his job at the Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand hotel, which is set to reopen in November after months of storm repairs.The couple and their small child were forced to move in with relatives.Because Ivan destroyed some 2,000 rental units in the greater Pensacola area, finding an affordable unit was a major challenge, Jodie Samala said.Eventually the Samalas found a rental apartment, but their monthly payments soared from $675 to $1,100, well beyond what they could afford."We knew we had to do something," she said.What they did was approach the City of Pensacola's Housing Department and apply for down-payment assistance through the state's Hurricane Housing Recovery Program.Because the Samalas' gross income was about 80 percent of the median average for the Pensacola area, the family of three qualified for a $50,000 grant, which would be held by the city and treated as a second mortgage.That grant money, coupled with the Samalas' conventional first mortgage, helped them purchase a new home in June and effectively lowered their monthly payments to a figure that, by general rule, must be less than 30 percent of gross family income.And to sweeten the deal, $10,000 of the Samalas' $50,000 second mortgage will be forgiven after the first year if they decide to sell the home, according to Jimmie McFall, manager of the city's SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) program.The remaining $40,000 will be forgiven once the mortgage is paid."We probably would have left Pensacola had we not be able to buy an affordable home," said Jodie Samala, a 1993 graduate of Catholic High School.McFall says Hurricane Housing Recovery Program money, which may run out within the year, is being maximized in the Escambia and Santa Rosa area.Using those funds, and taking advantage of several in-fill vacant lots, McFall says the city has more than 30 affordable housing units under construction, with more on the way.A home of her ownKaren Incera is another grateful recipient of Hurricane Housing Recovery Program money and was one of the fortunate ones to be given, at no cost to her, a vacant in-fill lot acquired by the city.The former Miami resident, who works for Deep South Crane Rentals Inc., said she expects to move into her new home on Coyle Street early next month."Someone mentioned the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program to me, and I called, and they gave me a pamphlet," said Incera, a single mother of three.
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