Issues Facing Rural America
Issues Facing Pennsylvania
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Associated Press
Associated Press
13 attorneys general sue over health care overhaul
Conservative Attorneys General try to stop healthcare reform
Conservative Attorneys General try to stop healthcare reform
Thursday, March 12, 2010
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Short-Term Effects of Health-Care Coverage Legislation – Massachusetts, 2008
Health care reform legislation has had a positive effect on insurance coverage in Massachusetts
Health care reform legislation has had a positive effect on insurance coverage in Massachusetts
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Associated Press
Associated Press
Rural economic woes may provide opening for Obama
BELLEVILLE, Pa. (AP) - The folks in this picturesque mountain community with red barns and Amish buggies have been voting overwhelmingly Republican in national elections for decades.
But tough economic times here in Mifflin County and in rural areas all around the country have created possible openings for Democrat Barack Obama.
President Bush won nearly 70 percent of the county's vote in both 2000 and 2004, but the standard of living here has declined steadily during his administration.
The farm equipment factory that employed 500 workers here is closing. So is the milk plant. Farmers are facing skyrocketing feed and fertilizer costs, and gas prices are squeezing household budgets of those who now have to drive elsewhere for work.
BELLEVILLE, Pa. (AP) - The folks in this picturesque mountain community with red barns and Amish buggies have been voting overwhelmingly Republican in national elections for decades.
But tough economic times here in Mifflin County and in rural areas all around the country have created possible openings for Democrat Barack Obama.
President Bush won nearly 70 percent of the county's vote in both 2000 and 2004, but the standard of living here has declined steadily during his administration.
The farm equipment factory that employed 500 workers here is closing. So is the milk plant. Farmers are facing skyrocketing feed and fertilizer costs, and gas prices are squeezing household budgets of those who now have to drive elsewhere for work.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
www.GoErie.com
www.GoErie.com
Rural woes
John Adolphson never makes a quick trip to the supermarket.
In fact, Adolphson rarely makes a quick trip anywhere from his family's home in rural northern Crawford County.
Grocery shopping means driving 18 miles to Edinboro -- a 36-mile round trip. And that is only the start.
The pharmacy is 14 miles away in Union City. Adolphson's daily commute to the die casting shop in Fairview where he works: 33 miles each way.
And with $4-a-gallon gas, those miles are adding up like never before.
John Adolphson never makes a quick trip to the supermarket.
In fact, Adolphson rarely makes a quick trip anywhere from his family's home in rural northern Crawford County.
Grocery shopping means driving 18 miles to Edinboro -- a 36-mile round trip. And that is only the start.
The pharmacy is 14 miles away in Union City. Adolphson's daily commute to the die casting shop in Fairview where he works: 33 miles each way.
And with $4-a-gallon gas, those miles are adding up like never before.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Grit
Grit
Fuel Prices Hurt Rural America
I was reminded today (as I pulled into the local BP to top off my old truck’s tank) that I had read a thought-provoking article on the expected downside of high fuel prices for small towns across the country. The gist of the report was that people will be less able to commute long distances to jobs in larger towns and cities, and that will, in turn, cause them to move closer to their jobs. The net result could be to further erode the already tenuous smalltown economy, and, ultimately, the rural lifestyle in general.
My optimistic side says the pull of rural living is so strong that people will figure out some way to keep at it. For those of us who do commute, we can carpool, keep our vehicles in top mechanical condition and modify our driving habits to save fuel today. And we can choose from among many fuel-miserly vehicles when it’s time to upgrade. I am holding out for a diesel-electric hybrid pickup myself, although I once owned a compact diesel pickup that routinely delivered over 50 mpg. It was a VW, of course.
I was reminded today (as I pulled into the local BP to top off my old truck’s tank) that I had read a thought-provoking article on the expected downside of high fuel prices for small towns across the country. The gist of the report was that people will be less able to commute long distances to jobs in larger towns and cities, and that will, in turn, cause them to move closer to their jobs. The net result could be to further erode the already tenuous smalltown economy, and, ultimately, the rural lifestyle in general.
My optimistic side says the pull of rural living is so strong that people will figure out some way to keep at it. For those of us who do commute, we can carpool, keep our vehicles in top mechanical condition and modify our driving habits to save fuel today. And we can choose from among many fuel-miserly vehicles when it’s time to upgrade. I am holding out for a diesel-electric hybrid pickup myself, although I once owned a compact diesel pickup that routinely delivered over 50 mpg. It was a VW, of course.
