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A Portrait of Marin, First County-Level American Human Development Report in Measure of America Series, Reveals Striking Disparities in Well-Being

A Portrait of Marin, First County-Level American Human Development Report in Measure of America Series, Reveals Striking Disparities in Well-Being

Portrait of Marin

Marin County, CA (PRWEB) January 18, 2012

The American Human Development Project released today A Portrait of Marin, the first county-level American Human Development Report in the Measure of America series. Commissioned by the Marin Community Foundation, A Portrait of Marin ranks the well-being of Marinites on a scale from 0 to 10 using the American Human Development (HD) Index, a composite measure of health, education, and living standards.

The analysis reveals that some Marinites are enjoying extraordinarily high levels of well-being and access to opportunity, while others are experiencing levels of health, education, and standard of living that prevailed in the nation three decades ago. At the top of the ranking is Ross (HD Index: 9.70) and at the bottom is the Canal area of San Rafael (HD Index: 3.18), whose score is below that of West Virginia, the lowest ranked state. Rankings are provided for major racial and ethnic groups, men and women, and the forty-eight Marin County census tracts for which there are reliable U.S Census Bureau data.

“The goal of A Portrait of Marin is to bring greater awareness and understanding of the complexities of such critical issues as health, education, and income across our county,” said Thomas Peters, President and CEO of the Marin Community Foundation. “It makes sense of data, brings clarity to numbers, and connects seemingly unrelated dots. We hope it will be used by concerned residents, business and nonprofit leaders, elected officials, educators, and others to look holistically at who we are as a community and to help facilitate discussions of ways to support all Marinites in realizing their full potential.”

“What we are seeing in Marin is a harbinger of what’s to come nationwide, with important implications for where to focus public and private resources in the years ahead,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, co-director of American Human Development Project and co-author of A Portrait of Marin.

“The fastest-growing segment of the population in Marin—as in the country—is Latino. Today’s Latino children are a critical segment of the tax-paying workforce of tomorrow, yet Latinos lag on the American HD Index, especially in educational attainment and incomes. Improving American HD Index scores among Latinos is vital not only to their well-being and access to opportunity, but also to Marin’s and America’s long-term economic competitiveness and quality of life,” added Kristen Lewis, co-director of American Human Development Project and co-author of A Portrait of Marin.

AMONG THE KEY FINDINGS FROM A PORTRAIT OF MARIN:

Health:

There is a 13-year gap in life span separating towns in Marin County. Residents of Ross have the longest lives (88 years), outliving residents of Hamilton in southern Novato (75.2 years) by 13 years.
The average Ross resident lives nearly 8 years longer than the average Californian and an astonishing decade longer than the national average.
All major racial and ethnic groups in Marin County live longer than their counterparts in the rest of California.
African Americans lag behind other groups in longevity, though they live longer in Marin than elsewhere in California.

Education:

While 88 percent of white children are enrolled in preschool, only 47 percent of Latino children are.
While fewer than 30 percent of American adults have completed at least a four-year college degree, in Marin, over 50 percent have.
Though Marin’s overall high school dropout rate is very low at 7.3 percent, the rate has remained persistent, and the racial and ethnic gaps in dropout rates are not decreasing over time despite targeted in-school efforts.
In Marin, as across the nation, the schools whose students have greater needs tend to get fewer public dollars.

Income:

The typical female worker living in Marin earns nearly $ 14,000 less per year than the typical male worker—a larger male-female earnings gap than California ($ 10,217) and the nation as a whole ($ 11,179).
Though Marin’s planners have targeted employment in areas such as biotechnology and software as a way to stimulate the recovery and the county’s long-term growth, the job growth that has occurred over the last two decades in Marin is overwhelmingly at the other end of the scale: low-wage service employment.
The distribution of income in Marin is exceedingly lopsided; the top fifth of Marin taxpayers take home about 71 percent of the county’s total income. The bottom fifth earns 1.3 percent of the total income.

A Portrait of Marin highlights actions that Marinites can take to lock in human development successes today while setting the stage for significant budget savings and improved well-being tomorrow. These include creating an environment that reduces health risks; investing in preschool, and addressing the lower per-pupil spending in schools whose students have greatest needs; and expanding affordably priced housing to increase options for older adults and working families and to reduce Marin’s car congestion and pollution.

Supporters of A Portrait of Marin include The Marin Community Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. For additional information, including fact sheets on health, education and standard of living in Marin, and an interactive map program, visit: http://www.measureofamerica.org/marin.

About the American Human Development Project

An initiative of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), the American Human Development Project provides easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools for understanding the distribution of well-being and opportunity in America and stimulating fact-based dialogue about issues we all care about: health, education, and living standards. The hallmark of this work is the American Human Development Index, an alternative to GDP and other money metrics that tells the story of how ordinary Americans are faring and empowers communities with a tool to track progress over time. The Index is comprised of health, education, and income indicators and allows for well-being rankings of the 50 states, 435 congressional districts, county groups within states, women and men, and racial and ethnic groups.

Through national and state reports, thematic briefs, and the project’s interactive website, the American Human Development Project aims to breathe life into numbers, using data to create compelling narratives that foster greater understanding of our shared challenges and greater support for people-centered policies. The Project is made possible through the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation‘s matching grant, which will match every dollar you donate—effectively doubling your contribution.

About the Authors

Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis are co-directors of the American Human Development Project. Previously, Sarah worked with the United Nations for over two decades, most recently as Deputy Director of the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Prior to this, she worked in China and in a number of African countries on gender issues and economic empowerment. Sarah holds an M.I.A. from Columbia University. Kristen also comes from an international development policy background, having worked primarily in the areas of gender equality, governance, environment, and water and sanitation. Kristen is co-author, under the leadership of Jeffrey Sachs’ Millennium Project, of the 2005 book Health, Dignity and Development: What Will It Take? She worked at the United Nations for some ten years and has served as a consultant for many international development organizations. Kristen also holds an M.I.A. from Columbia University.

About the Marin Community Foundation

The Marin Community Foundation is the primary center for philanthropy in Marin County, CA and is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S. It manages the assets of the Leonard and Beryl H. Buck Trust and nearly 400 funds established by individuals, families, and businesses. The Foundation makes significant improvements in communities around the world in two ways: by spearheading initiatives for long-term, sustainable change in Marin, and by distributing grants from donor-advised funds locally, across the U.S., and around the world. Now in its 25th year, the Marin Community Foundation has assets of approximately $ 1 billion, with annual grant distributions of approximately $ 50 million.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Tags: America, American, CountyLevel, Development, Disparities, First, Human, Marin, measure, Portrait, Report, Reveals, Series, Striking, WellBeing

Quick Start Guide to Oracle Fusion Development: Oracle JDeveloper and Oracle ADF (Oracle Press)

Quick Start Guide to Oracle Fusion Development: Oracle JDeveloper and Oracle ADF (Oracle Press)

Get Started with Oracle Fusion Development Written by a Group Product Manager at Oracle, this Oracle Press guide gets you up and running quickly with your first Oracle Fusion applications. Quick Start Guide to Oracle Fusion Development provides only the essential information you need to build applications in a matter of hours. Rapidly learn the building blocks and functionality you’ll use most of the time. The progression of topics closely matches the application building process, taking yo

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Tags: Development, Fusion, Guide, JDeveloper, Oracle, Press, Quick, Start

The Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Grant: Research and Practice (Advances in Early Education and Day Care)

The Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Grant: Research and Practice (Advances in Early Education and Day Care)

The 15th volume of Advances in Early Education and Day Care focuses on the implementation of professional development for early childhood educators, describing a number of models for improving early childhood care. These models differ by setting, urban, rural, public, private, center and home based child care. These programs also differ by implementation model. Mentoring, workshops, online information and college courses are examples of how professional development was implemented. The systemati

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Tags: Advances, Care, Childhood, Development, Early, Education, Educator, Grant, Practice, Professional, Research

IBSA: Coverage of Economic Body Vital for Development

As the India Brazil and South Africa Summit of heads of state and government
starts Tuesday, editors from the respective countries have resolved to provide
better coverage of the economic body.

Southern Africa – INTER PRESS SERVICE

Tags: Body, Coverage, Development, Economic, IBSA, Vital

Business Development Plan

If you are operating or setting up a business, it is essential to plan every aspect as much as possible. When you have a solid and organized idea of how to manage your business, then you have the potential of being successful. A business development plan is an essential part of any business and helps you to have a sense of direction as your business continues to grow.

When you have a complete one, you should be able to communicate the financial strategy to the investors and lenders. It also helps the business attract capital or secure loans. It is also useful since it reflects the potential that the business has to succeed and grow. The plan also includes the general aspects of business operations and forecasts potential problems that may arise. There is always a contingency plan showed that will help should any complications arise.

There is also the management aspect that the business development plan covers. With one in hand, it is easier to monitor and asses the progress of your business effectively. You are in a position to set targets and time lines for your business. This way you can easily compare the projected analysis with the actual figures. You will be able to gauge the direction your business is taking and the milestones made.

In business, there are always risks involved. However, the well organized business owner will have a business development plan that details the possible setbacks so that they are ready for them, should they encounter any. This is because you will have established options in place. It is advisable to share your plan with your employees so that they can share the same vision and goals of the business.

Tags: Business, Development, Plan

AFRICA: “Ideal for the Development of a Real Economy”

Foreign direct investment in Africa over the last decade has contributed to
marked economic growth for the continent but it has not translated into
development for its people, say pan-African leaders.

Southern Africa – INTER PRESS SERVICE

Tags: Africa, Development, Economy, Ideal, Real

Department of Health: Accelerating the release of public sector land for development

info4local Subject Documents

Tags: Accelerating, Department, Development, Health, land, Public, Release, Sector

IBM Teams Up With The Edcomm Group for Grants.gov — Web Development, Training and Customer Support

IBM Teams Up With The Edcomm Group for Grants.gov — Web Development, Training and Customer Support

(PRWEB) March 11, 2004

International Business Machines (IBM) teamed up with The Edcomm Group to design and develop Grants.gov. As one of the President’s 24 E-Government initiatives, Grants.gov is a unified, easy-to-use “storefront” that allows customers of Federal grants to electronically find and apply for grants.

Edcomm’s role on this initiative included:

*Web Site Redesign

*Online Support

*Customer Outreach

*Grant Agency Training

*Contact Center

Web Site Redesign

With 26 federal grant-making agencies representing over 900 grant opportunities, it was decided that a comprehensive and 508 compliant web site would be the best resource for those seeking grants and information about grants. The Edcomm Group wrote the content, created all graphical elements, and designed and coded all navigation.

Online Support

Each page of the website included searchable help windows containing detailed procedures and screen shots. An interactive tutorial provides a comprehensive introduction and overview of all site functionality. Additional support consisted of online FAQs by topic, a glossary of terms, and a printable User Guide for easy desk reference.

Customer Outreach

An animated overview provided background information and process introduction to help facilitate the transition from the traditional paper-based application method to the newly-developed online application method. The overview explained the new processes from both the grantor and applicant views, and helped make the new online application less intimidating and easier to use.

Grant Agency Training

The Edcomm Group provided on-site training to all participating agencies. Training sessions involved walking the participants through the new site, as well as providing accompanying support materials.

Contact Center

Telephone and email support was provided via Edcomm’s fully staffed Contact Center. Contact Center representatives answered questions regarding eligibility, processes, and paperwork using a Contact Center Management system created especially for this project. The management system allowed Edcomm to document each call and track the progress of each contact. It also provided online telephone scripts allowing the representatives to quickly and accurately answer caller inquiries.

The Edcomm Group has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of classroom instruction, print publication, video production, online documentation, interactive web systems and multimedia programs. In addition to the development of customized programs, The Edcomm Group offers many industry specific off-the-shelf products that have proven themselves effective in organizations around the world.

The Edcomm Group is a 17-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity; customer service and market share — providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group (http://www.edcomm.com) is headquartered in New York City with an Advanced Design Center located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

The Edcomm Group offers educational programs for banks and other financial institutions. To learn more, visit http://www.bankersacademy.com.

For more information, please contact:

Linda Eagle

President, The Edcomm Group

1-888-4EDCOMM

linda.eagle@edcomm.com

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Tags: Customer., Development, Edcomm, Grants.gov, Group, Support, Teams, Training

Development Loans

Development Loans

Development loans are very specific types of loans which are usually gained through the use of a commercial loan broker. Development loans are specifically designed to finance the process of developing land. Typically the loan will be set to cover the expenses of surveying the land, acquiring the proper zoning for the type of construction being completed, and to cover the expenses of commencing with the actual construction. In most cases development loans are designed to be paid out incrementally as the development of the land progresses. Development loans are one of the most difficult types of loans to acquire due to the speculative nature of land development. There are some common factors which apply to nearly all development loans.

A lender offering property development loan requires the business requesting the loan to have a strong credit score with a documented history demonstrating their ability to repay the loan regardless of the outcome of the development process. In almost all situations development loans have a higher than average interest rate. This interest rate is used as a method of coping with the potential losses on development loans. An outline of how the development process will commence and the costs associated with each stage of the development will be required. This allows the lender to determine if the loan is adequate to cover the expenses.

The most significant issue facing the USA construction loan market today is a serious reduction in the amount of construction financing that is available on the market today.  Therefore, if you are interested in obtaining construction financing, you need to make sure that you have all of your proverbial ducks in a row.  You need to make sure that you have the best possible credit rating and history before you dive into the USA construction loan market. 

 

Equally important, when it comes to construction financing in these difficult economic times, you need to make certain that you can readily demonstrate to a construction lender that your particular project will bring in revenue sufficient to deal with the construction financing that you desire to obtain.  At this point in history you really do need to make certain that you can demonstrate appropriate financial wherewithal in regard to your construction project.

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Business-Loans.html

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Corporate-Loans.html

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Constructions-Loans.html

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Application-Form.php

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Application-Form.php

http://www.businessfinancebroker.com/Application-Form.php

 

Tags: Development, Loans

Emerging Financial Markets and Secured Transactions (International Economic Development Law, V. 6)

Emerging Financial Markets and Secured Transactions (International Economic Development Law)

Most medium and long-term loans are no longer secured by sovereign or governmental guarantees. As a result, lenders must seek security elsewhere. An investor-friendly climate requires a sound legal framework for lenders to effect and enforce secured transactions. This work collects papers from experts in the field on various aspects of cross-border secured transactions, an issue of increasing import in the development of emerging financial markets and transitional market economies. Topics of par

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Tags: Development, Economic, Emerging, Financial, International, Markets, Secured, Transactions