A seagull flies past a residential building near the bay. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

In 2011, San Francisco was the first city to create building codes to protect birds. But bird advocates say the city should consider an update.

Why it matters: San Francisco’s bird-safe building code only regulates buildings that border large parks or open spaces where birds congregate, or those with specific facades. Recent regulations elsewhere focus on the broader urban environment.

What you say: “It was the first, but it’s not up to our standards,” Golden Gate Audubon executive director Glenn Phillips told Axios, adding that although supporters celebrated its passing, “we all knew it wasn’t really good.” was enough. “

Zoom in: We are right in the middle of the spring migration season when more than 250 species of birds normally pass through San Francisco.

• San Francisco’s Lights Out program, which encourages building owners to turn off their lights during migration season, has few participants.

Context: “It’s not like birds crashing into a lighted building,” says Phillips. The general glow of the city is the culprit, he says, confusing the birds’ navigation and causing flocks to land in urban areas where they have a higher chance of crashing into windows.

• The big solution is to swap out the windows so the birds can see them. This can be as simple as installing outdoor screens.

Game Status: In the 12 years since San Francisco passed its bird-safe building ordinance, Oakland, Alameda and Emeryville have followed suit. Now, according to Audubon, Berkeley is considering a measure that would go further than any other by requiring that new windows in all buildings over two stories must be birdproof.

• Berkeley is also investigating a “Dark Skies” ordinance that would regulate the direction the lights shine, as well as their color and power.
• 19 states plus Washington, DC have laws regulating light pollution. Dark sky advocates in California have so far failed to enact a similar measure statewide.

Between the lines: Birding data from the popular app eBird shows that most birds are spotted in San Francisco’s green spaces.

• But in the past month, 72 species have been spotted in Jefferson Square Park and 53 in the Yerba Buena Gardens near Union Square.

The big picture: Improving green spaces, even in urban areas, can also help birds. Point Blue Conservation Science, formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory, monitored species recovery following habitat restoration at the Presidio and found significant population increases in half of the species surveyed.

• “Relatively small restoration areas” in urban areas “can be really successful” for birds, the group’s lead ecologist Kristen Dybala tells Axios.

Remarkable: Cats still kill more birds than buildings, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

what we observe: The birds! Phillips is excited to see his first hooded warbler this spring. He calls their yellow faces and black-crowned heads “super cute” and their activity very lively.

• “They are constantly busy chasing small insects. They don’t stop moving. So they’re a lot of fun. And we really only see them in migration.”

The post Serving to San Francisco’s birds – Axios San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Detroit, 2009. National and international headlines proclaimed the demise of a once great city, from its economy (“How Detroit Went Bottom-Up”) to the depletion of its population (“How Detroit, the Motor City, Turned into a Ghost Town”) to its housing market (“How Low Can Homes Go? Try $0”) and its crumbling infrastructure (“Feral Detroit: Nature is Reclaiming the Motor City”). The city would file for bankruptcy four years later. “For decades it seemed like everything had been taken from us,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “Companies were moving out, car factories were moving out, gas stations and movie theaters were moving out, and people were moving out.”

The city’s black-majority neighborhoods were plagued by vacancy rates, some 70,000 in number, but Detroit’s handful of black developers failed to find appeal. “Two to four of us tried it,” says Clifford Brown, a longtime real estate entrepreneur and Detroit resident, “and all the deals we looked at were partnerships. We did not drive the developments ourselves and were unable to secure access to capital.”

In a city where 85 percent of the population identified as Black, there was an abundance of talented Black professionals—real estate agents, architects, lawyers, bankers, urban planners, carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. Nevertheless, there were hardly any black developers. This was and is consistent with the rest of the United States, where only 5 percent of real estate developers identify as Black.

The biggest barrier to entry for black real estate entrepreneurs has always been lack of access to capital. This is a problem for numerous reasons. It’s widening the racial wealth divide for another generation of young Black men and women. In an increasingly heated real estate market, it opens the city’s communities to development by outsiders who have no knowledge, loyalty, or love for them. After all, it means many of the people who believed in Detroit during its toughest years may not share in the fruits of its comeback. In his State of the City 2022 address, Mayor Duggan squarely asked, “Will Black entrepreneurs benefit fairly from Detroit’s recovery?”

To ensure this, JPMorgan Chase works closely with local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), including Capital Impact Partners and Invest Detroit. These partnerships provide the resources, expertise and inspiration to help a new generation of black developers rebuild Detroit.

In 2014, JPMorgan Chase made a landmark $100 million pledge (which has since doubled to $200 million) to fund the city’s economic recovery. But first, it listened to Detroiters—community partners, civic leaders, local experts, and residents. “We learned early on the importance of equity within the community – from allowing residents to build their own neighborhoods to supporting developers who reflect the city’s population,” said Pierre Batton, program officer for global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, based in Detroit.

Today, Detroit’s residential and commercial districts are gradually coming back to life. What’s happening with the help of Capital Impact and Invest Detroit is the opposite of gentrification: developers—increasingly black developers—are revitalizing communities, not for wealthy newcomers, but for the people who live in them.

To support these developers, Capital Impact partnered with JPMorgan Chase to launch the Equitable Development Initiative (EDI), an annual training program, in 2018. EDI’s mentors and advisors, including Clifford Brown, educate BIPOC developers through the early and mid-career stages of project development and finance, help demystify the market for them and, crucially, give them access to low-cost after graduation to raise capital. Capital Impact leveraged JPMorgan Chase’s support of more than $32.5 million in dedicated loan funds for Capital Impact’s national program. In 2017, as part of its ongoing investments in Detroit’s recovery, JPMorgan Chase committed $500,000 to the EDI over a two-year period. The company continues to support the program, not only in Detroit, but also in the metro areas to which it has expanded: Washington, DC, San Francisco and Dallas.

In four years, more than 200 developers have been trained by EDI or are currently involved in its programming. The Detroit program alone has more than 100 alumni.

“We’re already seeing graduates progressing and doing their second, third, and fourth projects,” says Batton.

Graduates of the program bring specific values ​​and goals to their ventures. “They not only want to grow as developers,” says Jeff Mosley, Capital Impact’s national program director for EDI, “but also create housing that meets the needs of their communities – so that their work has social relevance. ”

This is evident in EDI alumnus Marcus Jones’ $1.3 million development project, funded by Invest Detroit and JPMorgan Chase through the Strategic Neighborhood Fund, in a long-abandoned commercial building in the borough of Livernois-McNichols.

The project Jones undertook with his partner and Detroit roommate, Akunna Olumba, shows exactly why local developers are so important to Detroit’s recovery. The construction team was more than 98 percent based in Detroit. The subcontractors—welders, plumbers, and electricians—were 90 percent black. The 6,000-square-foot restaurant, Detroit Pizza Bar, opened in 2022 and 97 percent of its employees live within a two-mile radius. “We knew that not having a car, license or insurance to drive often prevents people from accessing a quality job,” says Jones.

The restaurant’s energy costs are partially offset by solar panels and high-efficiency appliances; Operating costs are partially offset by tax breaks from the City of Detroit. “Invest Detroit really believed in us,” says Jones, “and they convinced the city to have our back as well.” The rooftop overlooks a new $7 million overhaul of the McNichols streetscape.

The picture in Detroit is brightening. The city’s housing market is stabilizing, with more than 50 percent of units owner-occupied, up 7 percent from 2019, and black developers like Brown and Jones are playing an increasingly prominent role. Near the end of his State of the City 2022 address, Mayor Duggan celebrated 33 black developers in Detroit who have collectively invested more than $500 million in residential, mixed-use and commercial properties across the city. “Black developers with black ownership are rebuilding this city,” he explained.

To date, Clifford Brown has completed projects in four different Detroit neighborhoods and continues to invest in real estate across the city. He recently broke ground on the Brooke on Bagley, a $23 million development that will include 78 apartments — 80 percent of which are designated rent-restricted — and 2,105 square feet of retail space. “I would argue that Detroit is probably the best place in the US for color developers to start,” he says. “Obviously there are amazing opportunities elsewhere. The challenge is that you don’t have Capital Impact and Invest Detroit. I spent six months trying to make a $23 million deal work. I called Capital Impact Partners and within two weeks they said, ‘We’re going to be a senior lender.’”

In an increasingly affluent Detroit, there are significantly more black real estate entrepreneurs than in 2009, and there is a growing training and funding infrastructure to help them succeed. “We’re creating equitable and inclusive opportunities that didn’t exist before for black developers, architects, designers and craftspeople,” Batton says. “Now we will just keep gaining momentum.

The post Serving to Guarantee Minority Builders Take part in Detroit’s Financial Comeback appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

This story is part of the Cities + Solutions series, which chronicles surprising and inspiring climate initiatives in communities across the US through stories of cities leading the way. For more solution stories like this, subscribe to Grist’s Climate Solutions newsletter, Looking Forward.

Brad Simmons, a retired metal worker who has lived in Healdsburg, California, for 57 years, stood under a shady tree with drooping pomegranates late last year and showed off his backyard orchard. In addition to the apple, cherry and peach trees, he has packed a pear tree, two lemon trees and a centuries-old olive tree into the compact garden of his bungalow.

Of course, the small grove requires plenty of water — an increasingly scarce resource in a state that continues to struggle with a historic drought despite recent torrential rains. Still, like many of its 12,000 residents, Simmons has managed to keep much of this wine-growing community north of San Francisco looking green while halving the city’s water use since 2020.

Healdsburg benefits from an invaluable resource that irrigates gardens, trees, and vineyards: free, non-potable water produced by its wastewater treatment plant. According to city officials, the plant recycles 350 million gallons of wastewater that the city dumps and flushes each year, or just over half of its annual water use. The recycled H₂O is used in irrigation, construction and other applications that require less treatment than drinking water. This relieves pressure on regional reservoirs and wells, while attracting a broad pool of users to promote a conservation ethos, while still being able to handle the volume of treated wastewater discharged into the Russian River.

“I worry about water all the time,” Simmons said as he dragged a hose down his parched weed to a giant box filled with 275 gallons of treated water. The washer-dryer-sized containers have become a standard lawn facility in the city. “So that’s a real lifeline.”

California’s sewage projects

Currently, California treats and uses approximately 728,000 acre-feet, or approximately 18 percent of the wastewater produced annually. But the state has higher ambitions for increasing water security: New targets call for a nearly triple increase to 2 million acre-feet annually by 2030.

Supported by initiatives such as the California Water Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and government support, including a $750 million grant program, several major projects are in the pipeline. Orange County, for example, is increasing the capacity of its drinking water treatment plant – already the largest in the world – to recycle 130 million gallons of wastewater per day. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is planning a new $3.4 billion recycling facility that would provide a renewable source of drinking water for 19 million Los Angeles-area customers.

For smaller communities or those with limited resources, however, a more modest approach can be just as effective, says Anne Thebo, senior researcher at the Pacific Institute, a nonprofit water conservation think tank in Oakland, California.

“The local context can really give communities flexibility in developing their water reuse plans,” she notes. Farming communities have an advantage here, she says, because many forms of irrigation don’t require treated water that’s clean enough to drink. But all communities have some flexibility in their ability to use treated wastewater, as the water used to irrigate wood or lawns may be of lower quality than that used for pasture grass such as alfalfa or raw edible crops such as strawberries and lettuce is used. Developing a water recycling plan that meets community needs can diversify a region’s water portfolio and balance overall demand.

Healdburg’s approach

When the wastewater facility was modernized in 2008, reuse was not Healdsburg’s top priority. The city had to comply with environmental regulations for discharges into the Russian River, which included maintaining a higher threshold for nutrient and pathogen removal. The $29.3 million improvement added pathogen-filtering membranes and UV light to a process that already included filtration and microbial scrubbing. The additional measure will purify the wastewater to near-potable quality and make it clean enough to be discharged into the 1,485-square-mile watershed.

But even at this quality, regional water authorities limit discharge to October through mid-May, when rain normally swells the river volume and reduces the risk of adverse impacts. In the remaining months, “we have to think about what we’re going to do with it,” says Healdsburg’s water and wastewater engineer Patrick Fuss. This became the key challenge and eventual success of the Healdsburg program – ensuring there was enough demand for this offering.

Although state regulations allow agricultural use of triple treated water, they also require permits that describe specific uses, primarily to ensure the safety of groundwater and the public. Healdsburg’s original permit included grape irrigation, as well as residential, landscape, and industrial uses. But for years it was a challenge to find enough buyers for the treated water, says Fuss. The recycled water, while free, is not potable and requires separate piping and hoses, resulting in a potentially expensive expense. Others had unfounded concerns about nitrate, mineral and chemical residues in the shipment that could contaminate their prized grapes.

As a result, treated wastewater continued to flow into the river until three years ago, when municipal action due to the escalating drought forced the city to fully comply with discharge regulations. The multi-faceted approach reduces the amount of wastewater entering the system from water conservation measures while increasing the demand for recycled water.

Fuss laid some of the groundwork for this by recruiting winemakers for a door-to-door campaign and involving potential participants in planning a pipeline expansion to facilitate supply. Meanwhile, the city required the use of treated water in all construction projects and made it available at two service stations. Finally, as state and regional water restrictions tightened last year, Healdsburg began free private deliveries of up to 500 gallons per subscriber each week.

According to Fuss, accommodating a wide range of users is crucial in order to balance supply and demand. “We know that we can achieve compliance during a drought if the inflow — the amount of wastewater we have to treat — is reduced because people are saving while demand is greater on the other end,” he says. A wet or normal year would turn the equation on its head, which without adequate taps would quickly overflow the system.

Controlling the quality of sanitation is actually a key motivator for water recycling projects in California, Thebo says. And usually, the development of multiple advantages seems to be the common factor of success. “They are at the heart of the partnerships that form between cities, producers, environmental groups and a host of other stakeholders. And they are also what engages the community and local politicians.”

There doesn’t seem to be a lack of community involvement in Healdsburg. Popularity actually killed the residential delivery program, which at its peak served more than a quarter of city households. “It was [financially] Unsustainable as a long-term strategy,” says Rob Scates, Superintendent of Water and Wastewater, “but it definitely helped spread the word.” Water is still being given away at gas stations, and several transport companies are delivering for a small fee (Simmons reports that he pays $40 for every bi-weekly delivery).

However, the city is taking no chances. As an added reassurance, it has recently expanded permitted uses to pasture, commercial orchards and non-dairy cattle. And plans are in the works to expand the pipe network — painted purple to denote nonpotable supply — directly into the city for municipal irrigation, thanks to a $7 million federal grant. “Word has got around that the water quality is very good and that it’s a pretty reliable system,” says Scates. “Now [users] are really addicted to it. They make sure we follow the rules.”

As an early adopter, Dennis De La Montanya, owner of De La Montanya Vineyards, has no qualms. He’s watered the grapes that produce his award-winning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the purple pipes for years. “It’s been a real boon in terms of water availability. And we don’t pollute groundwater resources or the public water system,” he says. “It’s a win-win situation.”

Concrete results like these highlight the true value of recycled water, says Thebo. “So many of the challenges of water scarcity can feel insurmountable. But when people can see solutions that impact their daily lives, I think that becomes a point of pride for the community.”

This article originally appeared in Grist, a non-profit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories about climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org

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April 21, 2022

On February 24 at San Francisco City Hall, software engineer Zsombor Szabo said “I do” to his now-wife, Mehrnaz. February 24 was also the day that Russia invaded Ukraine.

Little did the groom know that something he created years ago to help him find love, would later bring him to the city where he would meet the love of his life and be the way loved ones in war-torn Ukraine can connect.

“It started about four years ago,” explained Szabo. “At that time I was single and what does a single software developer do? He develops a dating app.”

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Members of the Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation are trying to help eligible local homeowners replace their faulty HVAC equipment with a new program.

The home equity rehabilitation program aims to make home renovation more affordable for low- to middle-income homeowners in the city.

The program provides eligible applicants with loans and grants for emergency home repairs. City officials clarified that the program is NOT intended for routine maintenance repairs to systems or equipment.

Eligible emergency responses under the program include replacement of defective air conditioning units; remediation of electrical, gas and plumbing hazards; correcting defective roof/ceiling assemblies in life-threatening situations; and make changes to accessibility and usability.

Assistance is granted based on the availability of funding for applicants who meet income and other eligibility requirements. Program details can be found HERE.

Download the WAVY News app to stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in the Apple and Google Play stores.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) – According to a recent survey by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1 in 5 American households added a new cat or dog to their families during the pandemic.

During the lockdown, our pets provided a lot of comfort and joy in the stressful time. But now experts and households alike are wondering how our furry friends will fare when the world slowly opens up again.

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Many are like Rob Woodcock and Sarah Sharifi. They adopted Heinz when he was a puppy.

“Neither of us left home to work. So we had the time, “remarked Rob.

Now is the time to sit back and analyze the situation. The goal: to develop a strategy for how Heinz and other pandemic pets get along when their owners leave for a vacation get-together or venture back into the office in the New Year.

“He’s very well trained here, but he’s definitely prone to distractions,” remarked Rob.

Before you get up and leave Fido or Fluffy and think it’s going to be easy, chew on it. Animal shelters, dog day care centers, pet sitters and dog walkers are back in business and in high demand.

“300 new dogs this year alone. It has really grown since May, ”said Victoria Robinson.

Robinson is the owner of the High Tail Dog Hotel in San Francisco. The High Tail offers both day care and overnight service.

Since the introduction of COVID vaccines and the easing of restrictions, the high tail has seen a dramatic increase in new customers.

KPIX 5 reviewed the situation with some random polls at Bay Area facilities and found that dog day care centers are back in fashion. That said, if you’re leaving town for the holidays or want to set up a daycare center for the New Year, cheer up.

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“If you haven’t already booked with a local pet sitter or boarding house, you’re probably out of luck,” said Robinson.

Dog sitters are also getting harder and harder to find.

“The pet industry is suffering from the same pressures that many other industries face from labor shortages,” noted SF SPCA Director Dr. Jennifer Scarlett.

Dr. Scarlett said she advises pet owners to get help beforehand. But equally critically, she urged, pet parents must ensure that their pets are prepared

“It’s about routine and positive rewards. You want to get your dog used to getting to know new people and other dogs so that they can feel more comfortable in the guesthouse, ”said Dr. Scarlett.

She recommended that owners immediately start new routines with their pets.

If you’re expected to be at work by 9 a.m. and leave by 7 a.m., go out at 7 a.m. and leave your dog alone for a few minutes, go around the corner and get some coffee and back “, offered Dr. Scarlett on.

As for Heinz, Rob and Sarah are motivated to help him manage their periodic absences. They are planning a two week honeymoon this summer and want him to be ready. But Heinz is not the only one who suffers from a small “separation anxiety”.

“We feel so bad when we leave him, you know, we go and he’ll stand by the window and he’ll put his paws on the window and he’ll watch us go and it’ll break your heart”, said Sarah.

The couple are planning a strategy for the New Year that will be a hybrid model: working from home for a few days, using dog walkers, and sometimes a daycare.

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One more tip: make sure your dog has their vaccinations. Canine flu is spreading very quickly in Southern California, and experts told KPIX 5 that it is only a matter of time before it reaches the Bay Area.

The post Serving to Pandemic Pets Cope When Their Homeowners Return To Work – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

CONCORD (KPIX) – After nearly 20 years, the United States officially left Afghanistan on Tuesday. But it leaves a nation in turmoil and thousands of refugees who are looking for new homes in America and for some in the Bay Area.

Over the weekend, volunteers met at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center in Concord to start planning relief efforts for Afghan refugees. This includes food, shelter, interpreters, social services and assistance for families with children from infants to teenagers.

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“They left the country with nothing but what they were wearing. So we plan to provide everything for them, ”said Sadique Popal, chairman of the board of the Islamic Center.

On Tuesday afternoon, local Afghans met with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, who says the state is ready to do its part despite the cost of living in California.

“We have relocated more people from around the world who came here as refugees than in any other state,” said DeSaulnier. “And so we have a good infrastructure. Is it perfect No, but we’re getting better and better. “

But the Afghans also want the federal government to put international pressure on the Taliban to end their brutal oppression of the Afghan people, especially their women, which has made so much progress over the years.

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“They had an education to which they previously had no access. They had prestige that they had no access to before, ”said Popal. “That’s why – we’ve brought them this far, it hurts so much right now! It’s so sad to just leave them there. “

“It just feels like everything that has moved forward in the last 30 years has somehow crumbled,” said Henah Akbar, a young Afghan American who lives in Clayton. “People ask, why has the US been there for 20 years when the Taliban are still there? So it almost feels like a failure. “

But unlike when the Russians left, few Afghans wanted to see the Americans leave, according to Fazel Adiani.

“You have withdrawn a lot of problems,” he said. “They couldn’t bring peace, they couldn’t bring a solution, and they couldn’t decide what to do. But they left the country, left great unrest in the country. “

With the US going as it did, there is little military influence left, but DeSaulnier said the Taliban must be careful or risk isolation from the global community. But will the Taliban even care? Many Afghans believe that they are less interested in building a nation than simply demolishing it.

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The organizers say the relief efforts in the Bay Area will encompass every aspect of life for Afghan refugees. For more information on the required requirements, visit noorislamicandculturalcommunitycenter.com.

The post CA Lawmaker Meets With East Bay Volunteers Serving to Afghan Refugees Discover Meals, Housing, Social Companies – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Berrien County, Michigan, ist nicht der Ort, von dem man erwarten würde, dass er Einwohner verliert. An der Küste des Michigansees gelegen, sind die „Hamptons des Mittleren Westens“ weithin bekannt für ihre Sandstrände und Weinberge, die viele Touristen aus dem nahe gelegenen Chicago und Indianapolis anziehen. Aber der Landkreis hat diese Touristen noch nicht zum Bleiben überredet, und seine Bevölkerung ist seit den 1970er Jahren rückläufig. Letztes Jahr wurde Rob Cleveland, der Leiter einer regionalen Organisation für wirtschaftliche Entwicklung, kreativ. Wenn Sie ein Telearbeiter aus einem anderen Bundesstaat sind, der ein Haus kaufen und sich in Berrien niederlassen möchte, können Sie sich bei Clevelands Gruppe, der Cornerstone Alliance, bewerben und erhalten 10.000 bis 15.000 US-Dollar.

Seit dem Start des Programms im September haben sich mehr als 2.500 Menschen aus dem ganzen Land gemeldet, um ihr Interesse an den Anreizen zu bekunden, sagte mir Cleveland. Er verband mich mit einer von ihnen, Jill Urbanski, einer langjährigen Einwohnerin von Chicago, die im Oktober im Radio von dem Angebot hörte. Ende Februar war sie nach St. Joseph, Michigan, gezogen und hatte ihre 10.000 Dollar gesammelt. „Es machte absolut Sinn“, sagte mir Urbanski. “Alles ist für mich aufgereiht.”

Es gibt nur ein Problem. In den 10 Monaten seit dem Start des Programms ist Urbanski die einzige Person, die das Angebot der Cornerstone Alliance angenommen hat. Cleveland sagte, dass zwei weitere Familien bald in die Grafschaft ziehen werden, aber er ist noch lange nicht in der Nähe seines ursprünglichen Ziels, bis Ende dieses Jahres 25 Anreize zu verteilen. Jetzt hofft er, dass er fünf schlägt.

Umzugs-Incentives wie in Berrien liegen derzeit voll im Trend. Laut der Website MakeMyMove geben mehr als 40 Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten Menschen Geld für den Umzug. Die Shoals, Alabama, zahlen Ihnen 10.000 US-Dollar. Im Nordwesten von Arkansas erhalten Sie außerdem 10.000 US-Dollar – plus ein kostenloses Fahrrad. Topeka, Kansas, bietet Jimmy Johns Sandwiches im Wert von bis zu 15.000 US-Dollar und 1.000 US-Dollar an. Morgantown, West Virginia, hat eine Welle der Medienaufmerksamkeit erhalten, indem es das vielleicht großzügigste Angebot gemacht hat: eine Kombination aus Geldzuschüssen, kostenlosem Verleih von Outdoor-Ausrüstung, kostenlosen Skitickets und anderen Vergünstigungen im Gesamtwert von 20.000 USD.

Diese Initiativen variieren je nach Größe der Stadt und wie sie finanziert werden (einige, darunter Berriens, werden vollständig mit privaten Dollars finanziert), aber die Idee dahinter ist die gleiche: Durch baumelnde Belohnungen hoffen schwächelnde Gemeinden, neue anzuziehen Einwohner – insbesondere Telearbeiter – aus wohlhabenderen Teilen des Landes. Diese Programme stammen aus der Zeit vor der Pandemie, aber sie haben an Popularität gewonnen, da ein Teil der Unternehmen die Remote-Arbeit dauerhaft einsetzt. „Vielleicht treffen die Leute die Entscheidung, sich von den beengten Büros in Downtown Manhattan zu entfernen“, sagte mir Craig Armstrong, der Architekt des Incentive-Programms in Newton, Iowa. “Wir sind wahrscheinlich gut aufgestellt, um die Vorteile zu nutzen.” Sogar das Wall Street Journal hat bewegende Initiativen gefeiert und gesagt, dass sie neue Wege für “die heutigen Legionen von Remote-Arbeitern, die es jucken, von ihren hochpreisigen, dicht besiedelten Grenzen in Städten wie San Francisco und New York zu springen”, eröffnen.

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Aber die Art und Weise, wie diese Programme ablaufen, entspricht nicht ihrem ursprünglichen Versprechen. Anstelle von etwas, das den Wohnort der Amerikaner grundlegend neu ausrichten kann, sehen fast alle diese Initiativen aus wie in Berrien: Sie bringen einige neue Einwohner an, aber nicht genug, um die Bevölkerungsprobleme der Städte nennenswert zu verändern. Bei all dem Hype um Remote Work tut es für viele schrumpfende Städte eindeutig wenig bis gar nichts.

Umzugsanreize gibt es schon seit einiger Zeit, aber 2018 gingen sie zur Hauptsendezeit. In diesem Jahr begann eine Stiftung in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 10.000 US-Dollar für Remote-Mitarbeiter anzubieten, die in die Stadt gezogen sind. Die Idee – Geld verdienen mit Umzug! – wurde schnell zu einer Mediensensation, die Tulsa genau die Aufmerksamkeit bescherte, die sie suchte. In den letzten drei Jahren haben sich rund 47.000 Menschen für das Programm namens Tulsa Remote beworben. Zwischen den aufgenommenen und den mitgezogenen Familien sind mehr als 1.000 Menschen aus dem ganzen Land in die Stadt gezogen. Der Erfolg von Tulsa ist einer der Hauptgründe, warum so viele andere Gemeinden ihre eigenen Anreize geschaffen haben.

Aber im Gegensatz zu fast allen anderen Orten, die diese Programme anbieten, ist Tulsa eine Großstadt mit Hunderttausenden von Einwohnern. (Die einzige größere Stadt mit Anreizen ist Baltimore, die nur 20 Stipendien pro Jahr vergibt.) Angesichts der Größe der Stadt machten die neuen Einwohner nur einen unbedeutenden Bevölkerungszuwachs von 0,25 Prozent aus. Und weil Tulsa den Trend ankurbelte, hatte es einen Vorsprung bei der Gewinnung neuer Bewohner. „Ich denke, Tulsa hatte einen großen Vorteil, weil es der First Mover war und sich einen Namen gemacht hat“, sagt Richard Florida, Professor für Wirtschaftspolitik und -analyse an der University of Toronto.

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Um herauszufinden, ob andere Programme den kleinen Erfolg von Tulsa Remote wiederholt haben, habe ich 10 von ihnen kontaktiert und mich auf diejenigen mit den großzügigsten Anreizen konzentriert. Ich habe von acht von ihnen gehört und Vertreter von ihnen interviewt. Alle waren gespannt, was ihre Stadt geleistet hatte. Aber keine Stadt kam auch nur annähernd an Tulsas Rekord heran.

Denken Sie an Topeka: Die Wirtschaftsförderungsagentur der Region hat im Dezember 2019 ein Anreizprogramm gestartet. Seitdem hat sie etwas mehr als 65 neue Einwohner zu einer Stadt mit mehr als 125.000 Einwohnern hinzugewonnen. Die Shoals, die Heimat von mehr als 70.000 Menschen, haben seit Juni 2019 nur 25 neue Bewohner durch ihre Initiative angesiedelt. Cleveland aus Berrien County ist stolz auf sein Programm und führt die Underperformance auf den verrückten Wohnungsmarkt zurück. Aber wenn die Cornerstone Alliance schließlich alle 25 budgetierten Plätze besetzt, werden die Gewinne im Grunde genommen nichts ausmachen. Der Landkreis hat 153.000 Einwohner. Selbst wenn die verbleibenden 24 Plätze an Familien mit vier Kindern gehen, würde die Bevölkerung um knapp 0,1 Prozent steigen.

„Ich bin ziemlich skeptisch [that these programs] die Einwohnerzahlen einer Stadt oder eines Bundesstaates spürbar werden“, sagte mir Brett Theodos, Senior Fellow am Urban Institute. Er verglich die Anreize mit einem teuren Marketingprogramm mit begrenztem Nutzen. “Es wird nur so viele Nachrichtenartikel über dieses Phänomen geben”, sagte er.

Das Problem ist nicht nur, dass die meisten dieser Anreize sporadisch mediale Aufmerksamkeit erhalten. Sogar Programme, die vor oder neben Tulsa gestartet wurden, hatten nur minimalen Erfolg. Armstrong schätzt, dass Newtons Initiative seit ihrem Start im Jahr 2014 zwischen 125 und 150 neue Menschen in die Stadt gebracht hat – ein Bevölkerungszuwachs von 1 Prozent, verteilt über mehr als sieben Jahre. Britt, Iowa, hat eines der effektivsten Programme, und die Ergebnisse sind noch recht bescheiden. Es hat seit Beginn des Angebots im Jahr 2018 acht Grundstücke an Familien verschenkt; nach Abschluss der Bauarbeiten und Ankunft der neuen Einwohner wird die Einwohnerzahl der Stadt um 1 bis 2 Prozent steigen.

Das bedeutet nicht, dass die Anreize keine Vorteile haben. Newtons Programm sei teilweise geschaffen worden, um widerstrebende Baufirmen zum Bauen in der Stadt zu bewegen, sagte Armstrong, und dies sei gelungen. Die Grundstücke, die Britt verschenkt hat, sollten sowohl die Bevölkerung der Stadt vergrößern als auch dazu beitragen, unbebautes Land loszuwerden. Britts Bürgermeister Ryan Arndorfer sagte mir, dass das Programm bei Letzterem sicherlich geholfen hat. Und jeder neue Einwohner bringt den schrumpfenden Städten einen gewissen Nutzen, insbesondere wenn es sich um hochverdienende Fachkräfte handelt – was überproportional bei Remote-Arbeitern der Fall ist. Solche Leute geben im Allgemeinen mehr in lokalen Geschäften aus und zahlen mehr Steuern. Außerdem sind sie dafür bekannt, Cluster zu bilden. Wenn sich genügend Angestellte an einem Ort versammeln, ziehen sie Gleichgesinnte an und wachsen die Bevölkerung organisch.

Aber Experten sagten mir, dass es unwahrscheinlich ist, dass die Programme eine kritische Masse von Angestellten an diese Orte verlagern werden. Ein Teil des Problems besteht darin, dass die Beamten hinter diesen Programmen zwar davon träumen, aus großen kosmopolitischen Städten wie Seattle und Austin, Texas, zu ziehen, die Anreize jedoch in Wirklichkeit nur Gemeinden mit ähnlicher Größe und ähnlichem Wohlstand stehlen. Von den acht Familien, die nach Britt zogen, kamen sechs aus anderen Teilen Iowas. Die beiden, die es nicht taten – einer aus New York und einer aus Kalifornien – hatten immer noch Verbindungen zum ländlichen Iowa.

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Diese Programme „sind ein Nullsummenwettbewerb“, sagt Cristobal Young, ein Wirtschaftssoziologe an der Cornell University, der untersucht, wie Staaten Steuern verwenden, um Einwohner anzuziehen. Wenn die Programme öffentlich finanziert werden, sagt er mir, ist es „schlechte Politik, nur Geld von sesshaften Einwohnern zu nehmen und es mobileren Menschen zu geben“. Selbst wenn sie privat finanziert werden, besteht die Gefahr, dass die Programme Druck auf die Peer-Gemeinschaften ausüben, ihre eigenen Anreize zu verteilen, was einen Wettlauf nach unten antreibt.

Die grundlegende Tragödie von Umzugsanreizen besteht darin, dass diese Gemeinschaften dringend mehr Menschen und mehr Arbeitsplätze brauchen. Im Jahr 2006 verlor Newton einen Fortune-500-Arbeitgeber namens Maytag, dessen Hauptsitz mehr als ein Jahrhundert lang zur Erhaltung der lokalen Wirtschaft beigetragen hatte. Als Maytag von Whirlpool übernommen wurde, verlor Newton weit über 1.000 Stellen. Jetzt hat Whirlpool seinen Hauptsitz in Berrien County. Die Geldgeschenke, sagte Cleveland von der Cornerstone Alliance, sind letztendlich zweitrangig gegenüber seinem Pitch. Whirlpool – und das damit verbundene Talent – ​​ist ein weitaus größeres Verkaufsargument. “Die Leute werden nicht für 15.000 Dollar umziehen”, sagte Cleveland. “Es muss Annehmlichkeiten und Möglichkeiten geben.”

Ich war überrascht von der Offenheit, aber er hat recht. Im Kampf um Remote-Arbeiter können Städte nicht einfach für den Sieg bezahlen. Wenn sie nicht die Arten von Restaurants und begehbaren Vierteln haben, nach denen Profis suchen, werden 15.000 US-Dollar einfach nicht ausreichen. Möglicherweise müssen sie sogar attraktive, persönliche Jobs anbieten: Neue Bewohner arbeiten bei ihrer Ankunft möglicherweise aus der Ferne, möchten oder müssen jedoch möglicherweise den Beruf wechseln.

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Die Sieger werden wahrscheinlich Orte wie Boise, Idaho sein; Salt Lake City, Utah; und Nashville, Tennessee – Städte, die vor der Pandemie größer und wohlhabender wurden. Mit anderen Worten, Städte, die bereits gewonnen haben. Anreize „könnten in einem Bozeman funktionieren“[, Montana]“, sagte mir Florida. „Du könntest das vielleicht in einer Traverse City machen[, Michigan]; a Hudson, New York – all die Orte, an denen, wenn man sich die Volkszählungsdaten ansieht, eine Migration stattgefunden hat. Aber es ist immer noch eine kleine Untergruppe von Orten.“

Dass Bewegungsanreize so laue Ergebnisse gezeitigt haben, verheißt nicht gerade etwas Gutes für die Vorstellung, dass Remote-Arbeit den Wohnort der Amerikaner grundlegend verändern wird. Sicher, einige Outdoor-Typen ziehen vielleicht in angesagte Bergstädte. Kostenbewusste Leute könnten in billigere, aber immer noch coole Städte im Landesinneren aufbrechen. Aber bei allem Gerede über die verschwommene Zukunft der Großstädte scheint die Remote-Arbeit nicht viel daran zu ändern, wie sich diese Orte vom Rest des Landes entfernt haben.

Diese harte Realität wird den Boom der beweglichen Anreize wahrscheinlich nicht stoppen. Aber Bargeld und Spielereien sind kein Ausweg aus dem Teufelskreis, in dem sich kämpfende Gemeinden befinden. Stadtprofis ziehen an Orte, um hochwertige Möglichkeiten und Annehmlichkeiten zu erhalten. Und die meisten kleinen Städte werden Schwierigkeiten haben, diese Dinge zu generieren, bis sie genügend Fachkräfte haben. Letztendlich sind die einzigen wirklichen Gewinner von Moving Incentives die buchstäblichen Gewinner: die Empfänger. Das Stipendium von 10.000 Dollar war großartig für Jill Urbanski. Aber war es eine gute Investition für Berrien County? Urbanski hatte bereits versucht, Chicago zu verlassen, und liebte die Grafschaft, weil er dort Urlaub machte. Ich fragte sie direkt, ob sie auch ohne all das Geld umgezogen wäre. Sie zögerte nicht: „Ja.“

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UNITED STATES – Life is hard. There is a constant battle between mind and muscle to make a living. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to put food on the table by honest means. Some like to make easy money by deceiving other people. Disappointing, yes, but it happens a lot.

However, the moving industry is not short of scammers. Fortunately, the good guys still exist. Well-known moving companies work hard to keep their customers safe. And if you’re moving to a big city like LA, here are some tips on how to protect yourself.

But first…

Why hire a moving company?

Why spend money asking other people to do the job when you can do it yourself? Because moving is not as easy as it sounds. You have to take into account the associated psychological stress, physical exertion and financial burden.

Hiring professionals will save you heavy work while you can focus on more important things. It makes even more sense to hire moving companies if you’re moving to a busy subway like LA. They know how to navigate traffic and meander through neighborhoods.

Did you know that moving trucks are also inexpensive? Yes! Imagine the hospital bill if you injured yourself lifting a heavy box. Or the price of a new TV if you break your current one. With moving companies, you may not save upfront, but you protect yourself and your belongings in the long run.

Common moving scams to watch out for

Alright. You understand it. Moving companies are critical to the success of your move. However, this does not mean that you should grab the first offer on the table. Does anyone know what type of company you are dealing with? Keep in mind that renegade movers keep getting smarter with their modus operandi.

One of LA’s top movers, Imperial Moving & Storage, hopes to help you avoid financial disaster by sharing some approaches that fraudulent moving companies typically use:

• Tempting cheap offers. The makers will try to lure you by naming a price that sounds too good to be true. Some people fall for it in hopes of saving more money. Unfortunately, moving companies increase costs at the end of the move or, worse, disappear without a trace.
• Wrong references. Most villains don’t have a website because they don’t want to leave an online footprint. But some might show you decent websites filled with fake testimonials that they wrote themselves. This can lead you to believe that this is a legitimate company with a list of satisfied customers.
• Estimates on the phone. A moving company that doesn’t personally rate your home is a big red flag. It’s even more shady when they tell you the prices on the phone. Can you guess the price? While many companies will give you an estimate over the phone, if you are traveling long distance (and based on the weight of the cargo) you should request a home estimate.
• Big deposit. Reputable LA Movers let their work do the talking before collecting payment. A moving company asking you to pay a large sum before you start moving is a huge red flag. You can either hold your belongings hostage or take it off without another word.
• Suspicious documents. Be careful before putting your signature on a piece of paper. Rogue movers sometimes give you contracts with missing terms or shady clauses. Make sure to go through everything twice or even three times before signing!
• Lost items or damaged goods. Even if a moving company has good intentions, you can’t be sure about everyone on their team. So don’t leave valuables lying around on the day of the move. Compare every box in your new home with your household’s inventory.
• Unlicensed company. The FMCSA registers moving companies to filter out the black sheep from the rest. Rogue movers typically use outdated equipment, hire inexperienced people or day laborers, and drive rented trucks. All of this makes an obvious recipe for disaster.

How to protect yourself from fraud

Scams will always be present no matter how much the government weed out the villains. The best way to protect yourself is to educate yourself. Since you already know the patterns of common moving fraud, the next step is to check the credibility of your potential moving company.

You can do this by:

• Ask them to provide proof of their license or type approval issued by the California Bureau of Household Goods & Services.
• Evaluation of the online presence. Check the validity of the website and the authenticity of the people who gave their testimonials.
• Read reviews on credible websites like Google and Yelp. It would also be helpful if you could reach out to these people and ask them about their experiences.
• Insist on a binding cost estimate in-house. Firstly, a binding quote ensures that the moving companies cannot rip you off with hidden fees. Second, you can meet the moving companies at home with a quote and assess their professionalism.
• If possible, pay by credit card or PayPal. Credit cards allow you to quickly abandon the transaction if something seems fishy while filing a dispute with PayPal and getting your money back.

Summarize things

Moving can be daunting, especially if it’s your first time. LA is a huge city with lots of nooks and crannies that are easy to get lost in. Additionally, the chances of being scammed are real, not to mention COVID-19 added restrictions on movement. But don’t worry! As long as you avoid the red flags mentioned above and get to know your company, you are good to go.

The post LA Movers Serving to Shield Californians From Shifting Scams appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Dutch Sinterklaas differs from Santa Claus in a few essential ways. His physique is slimmer (less belly under the white beard), he does not live at the North Pole, but in Madrid – and instead of driving a reindeer sleigh, he takes a boat to the Dutch coast to bring presents.

And instead of relying on helper elves, Sinterklaas is supported by a character called Zwarte Piet or Black Pete – traditionally portrayed by whites wearing black faces, Afro wigs and red lipstick.

After Prime Minister Mark Rutte long defended the character and even admitted in the past to painting his own face black, he announced in June that his views on Black Pete had changed. Although he was on the verge of calling for a ban, he said social pressures would soon force the figure to retire. He also acknowledged that there were “systemic problems” with racism in the Netherlands.

Rutte’s announcement came after the Minnesota police murder of George Floyd, when large crowds of protesters took to the streets of Amsterdam and other Dutch cities to protest against racial injustice.

For Jerry Afriyie, who runs an Amsterdam-based advocacy group called Kick Out Zwarte Piet, Rutte’s words were long overdue. Getting others to see Black Pete as a racist has been his mission for a decade.

Over the years, Afriyie has been pelted with beer cans and bananas for his stance on Black Pete and has been targeted with death threats. Last November in The Hague, a group of masked men armed with baseball bats and fireworks tried to end a peaceful meeting between Afriyie and other activists.

Still, Afriyie (whose middle names are Luther and King) is committed to dialogue. Every Sinterklaas season he leaves his home in Amsterdam and travels to Dutch cities and villages where Black Pete is still publicly celebrated in an attempt to reach a consensus that Black Pete is racist.

“You talk and talk and talk and talk until you reach a consensus”

Last year, committees in several Dutch cities agreed that Black Pete should not appear in their city’s Sinterklaas parades, but more than a dozen smaller cities affirmed the opposite: Black Pete would be welcome at their parades and school performances.

He has been told by many of Afriyie’s associates that it is impossible to reach consensus on Black Pete’s issue; the country is too divided. But consensus building has a unique place in Dutch politics and society.

Some scholars say that the Dutch value attached to collective action is built into the landscape. Much of the Netherlands would be under water if it weren’t for a system of dikes to protect the country from flooding. The Dutch “polder model” of consensus building takes its name from the Dutch word for land below sea level, which used to be the seabed.

Former Prime Minister Wim Kok used his polder consensus-building skills to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. This made the Netherlands the first country in the world to do this.

Amma Asante, a former MP and the only black woman in office during her tenure, says the polder model means “you talk and talk and talk and talk until you reach consensus” and “it works best when we do.” are able to”. to put aside our strongest beliefs about how things should be done or what the world should be like. “

From Black Pete to Chimney Pete?

Black Pete first came to prominence in the 1850s when minstrel shows became popular in the United States. The Netherlands outlawed slavery in their colonies in 1863, but previously some wealthy families were bringing enslaved people from those colonies to their homes in Amsterdam for work. Black Pete’s original costume with brightly colored satin sleeves mimicked the way families dressed enslaved black children.

Yet defenders of tradition often claim that Black Pete is “dirty” simply because he came down the chimney – he’s not even Black.

Afriyie always saw the chimney explanation as a way to silence black perspectives. He, Asante and many other black Dutch people were called “Black Pete” as an insult.

“The country is telling you, ‘Try not to see it,’” says Afriyie. “As if what you see is not true.”

But he wondered if this denial of the problem might actually offer a solution. He suggested replacing Black Pete with a new character named Chimney Pete with just one soot stain on his face – someone like Bert, the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins.

Black Pete’s defenders hated the idea. Blackface is the tradition, they argued. But many Afro-Dutch thinkers also disagreed. Gloria Wekker, author of White Innocence: Paradoxes of Colonialism and Race, says Chimney Pete is “a surface solution.” Soot or black face, tradition itself was tainted.

But Chimney Pete prevailed. In cities where Black Pete has been banned from Sinterklaas parades, Chimney Pete has taken his place. This November, the boat with Sinterklaas will again reach the Dutch coast, accompanied by an entourage of Chimney Petes.

Asante admits she doubted consensus building on racism could work, and she was surprised to see large crowds gathering in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the Netherlands this spring. Without all the years of “poldering” and dialogue about Black Pete, she wondered if the murder of George Floyd in the Netherlands would have sparked a conversation about racism.

“There is a danger that we could have said, ‘Oh, this is in the United States. This is not us,'” she says. “And now there is no more denial.”

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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