MassBudget: New Census Data: Incomes Still Below Pre-Recession Level, Poverty Still Above

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Incomes Still Below Pre-Recession Level, Poverty Still Above New information released by the Census Bureau today shows that in the U.S., median household income has fallen 8.3 percent since 2007, the year before the recession began. There was essentially no change in median incomes between 2011 and 2012, meaning that while incomes have not started to rebound, they did not decline further. Also included in the Census data was information about poverty and health insurance coverage in the U.S. Between 2011 and 2012, the percentage of people lacking health insurance fell slightly to 15.4%. That still leaves 48 million uninsured. Across the country, more than 1 in every 5 children lives below the poverty line. 46.5 million people live in poverty. That's a poverty rate of 15.0 percent, which is effectively unchanged from last year but still significantly higher than the pre-recession rate of 12.5 percent. The data in today's release provide a useful overview of poverty, income, and health coverage on the national level. Thursday (9/19) the Census Bureau will release more reliable state-level data as part of the American Community Survey. At that time, MassBudget will provide fuller analysis of the Massachusetts data for income, poverty, child poverty, health insurance, and health insurance coverage for children. The full Census Bureau report is available on their website. Complete analysis of the national trends can be found at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

"we are finally out of the starting blocks"

One of the key areas for cost savings is regionalization of services and the regional emergency dispatch center has been a long time coming.

Franklin, Norfolk, Plainville and Wrentham leaders will meet next month to establish a governing board for the Metacomet Emergency Communications Center, also known as the towns’ regional dispatch operation. 

The four communities will share ownership of the center, housed in the Wrentham Public Safety Building. They have already penned an inter-municipal agreement. 

Named after King Phillip, war chief of the Wampanoag Native American tribe, the center will occupy its own district and have its own employees thanks to recently passed legislation.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1868839654/Regional-dispatch-center-for-Franklin-other-towns-out-of-starting-blocks#ixzz2fEhEKSSW


The Long Range Financial Planning Committee included this item among their recommendations
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/07/franklin-ma-long-range-financial.html

"tested positive for the West Nile Virus"

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has isolated mosquitoes in central Franklin that have tested positive for the West Nile Virus. 

To date, there has been one human case of West Nile Virus and one case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Norfolk County.

All individuals are strongly advised to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites until the first hard frost of the season. 

Apply Insect Repellent When Outdoors: Use a repellent with DEET, Permethrin, picardin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to the instructions on the product labels. Remember not to use products with DEET on infants under two months of age. DEET products in concentrations above 30% should not be used on older children. Oil of eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age. 

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours: Mosquitos are most active between the hours from dusk to dawn. Limit your exposure out of doors during this peak biting time if possible. If you must be outside, wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks will help keep mosquitos away from your skin. 

Drain Standing Water on Your Property: Mosquitos lay their eggs in standing or stagnant water. Drain birdbaths, flower pots, buckets and children’s wading pools frequently. 

Additional public health advisories/alerts regarding WNV and EEE will be provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Franklin Health Department as the situation warrants. 

More information on mosquito-borne viruses can be found at the MADPH Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito.

This notice was posted on the Franklin webpage
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/01BAA5A1-000F8513

Friends of Franklin Library: The Fall Book Sale

Hi Steve, 

I am in the (current) president of the Friends of Franklin Library, and was the recipient of the letter you posted regarding the fall book sale.  (The letter on the library's web site is different.) 

Obviously, the Friends were not happy with the Board of Directors' decision, but I have been working with the Library Director and a member of the Library Board (with the assistance of Jeff Nutting) to reverse that and hold the October sale as planned.  I hope to have a spot on the Library Board's agenda next Monday to talk about the fall book sale, and to ask them to reconsider their decision and hold another vote. 

The Friends are hopeful that the Library Board will reverse their earlier decision - the fall book sale is a profitable tradition enjoyed by many - but pending our appeal, had decided to delay notifying members and the public of the situation until our appeal was heard.  I guess that now falls under the heading of "good intentions." 

Feel free to post this message and assure the community that the FoFL is working hard to (and is prepared to) run the October book sale as planned. I will follow up with an update after we meet with the Library Board of Directors at their next meeting on September 23 at 7PM; it is a public meeting, so anyone interested may attend. 

In the meantime, donations of books are always appreciated. 

Thanks and regards, 

Maria Lucier
President, Friends of Franklin Library

This was in response to the letter received by the Friends of Franklin Library and posted on Monday
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/friends-of-franklin-library-book-sale.html

Franklin Library: 2013 Annual Report

The Franklin Public Library entry for the 2013 Annual Report has already been posted to the Library webpage.

You may recall that the Annual Report is produced each year and generally available for the election in November. As a cost reduction, fewer paper versions have been printed and more 'soft copies' via the web have been made available. The Annual Report for 2013 covers all business during the fiscal year for 2013 which began on July 1, 2012 and ended on June 30, 2013.

Rather than waiting for the release of the full Annual Report, you can read the section on the Library here:






This was posted to the Franklin Library webpage
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Library/2013Annual%20Report.pdf

Anne Rachin author of "All That's Familiar"

Anne Rachin writes:

All That’s Familiar:How to Remain in Your Home and Age in Place is a resource book for anyone intending to age with dignity and independence in the familiar comfort of their home. Drawn from my thirty years of experience as owner/director of Ideal Home Care Service, I have written an easy to read, practical guide complete with examples and descriptions of care, frequently asked questions, as well as a check list for putting together a home care plan.

Anne will be at the Franklin Public Library on Weds, Sep 18th to talk about her work at 7:00 PM

Anne Rachin - author of All That's Familiar

This was re-posted from the Franklin Library webpage
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2013/09/anne-rachin-author-of-all-thats-familiar.html

For additional info on Anne and her book, you can visit the book webpage
http://allthatsfamiliar.com/

"supported buying the station for a 'minimal price'"

The Milford Daily News digs into the closing comments and the change in scope for the Citizens Committee reporting on the exploration of buying the downtown train station from the MBTA.

Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting last week asked to meet with the Citizens Committee to discuss the idea. Nutting praised the committee’s work in pushing the MBTA to complete the recent improvements and said the station looks "100 percent better." 

At this point, though, he does not know how the town might benefit from buying the station. 

"There’s a lot of homework that we need to do on what would be the upside for the town," he said. "My position is the T needs to maintain the station; they’ve done a great job to date." 

And, he said, pursuing the purchase could cause problems for the town. 

"There’s liability issues," he said. "And one of the issues if we own it is we have to lease it. There are (Americans with Disabilities Act) issues. You’d have to sit down and go through all of these."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1868838807/Franklin-panel-suggests-town-buy-train-station-from-MBTA#ixzz2f8qNgiC2