CAR
Mapping shows lottery winnings not evenly distributed
Patrick Lakamp and Susan Schulman of The Buffalo News mapped lottery sales and total winnings for more than 1,500 lottery retailers in western New York. The data showed that $60 was paid out for every $100 wagered in the lottery, but the distribution of these winnings was not equitable. “Poorer neighborhoods tend to be popular…
Read MoreCompromised care: Utah’s nursing home facilities
Matt Canham, of The Salt Lake Tribune, evaluated all the nursing home facilities in the state of Utah. The investigation showed that “ownership is probably the best predictor of quality care. But the public has no easy way to identify who owns the homes, particularly when names are changed to hide a troubled past.” Included…
Read MorePentagon’s logistics concerns mean profit for transportation companies
Air freight companies are profiting from the war as the Pentagon increases its investment in logistics, reports Michael Fabey for Air Cargo World . "Contracts and contract modifications for companies flying cargo and passengers to the war zones in 2006 and 2007 totaled about $5.6 billion, according to an Air Cargo World analysis of data.…
Read MoreOvertime a strain on workers, county budgets
Mary Beth Pfeiffer and John Ferro of the Poughkeepsie Journal compiled a two-part report examining overtime at the Dutchess and Ulster county governments. The report found correction officers and deputies at the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office earned $3.9 million in overtime in 2007 – a 21 percent increase from 2006 at a time when the…
Read MoreSchools promote students despite widespread failure
After a 10-month investigtion, The Arizona Daily Star reports that many students in Tucson-area school districts are being socially promoted and not earning the grades they deserve. “In the 2006-07 school year alone, nine in 10 students were moved to the next grade level, but data show that nearly a third of them failed basic…
Read MoreAging sewer systems continue to pollute rivers, streams
A Gannett News Service analysis by Larry Wheeler and Grant Smith shows that “America’s aging sewer systems continue to dump human waste into rivers and streams, despite years of fines and penalties targeting publicly owned agencies responsible for sewage overflows.” Wheeler and Smith analyzed enforcement and compliance records gathered by the EPA and state regulators…
Read MoreObama’s fundraising linked to law lobbyists
Despite claims that he hasn’t taken money from lobbyists, Senator Barack Obama’s fundraising efforts have been linked to Washington lobbyists according to USA TODAY’s analysis of campaign finance data. Ken Dilanian reports that his fundraising team include “38 members of law firms that were paid $138 million last year to lobby the federal government, records…
Read MoreRetired city workers profit from unpaid sick time
St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporters Kevin Crowe and Jake Wagman did a quick-hit CAR story about how much money retirees from the city have been getting for unused sick pay. “Of 281 employees who received payment for unused sick days, 149 workers walked away with at least $10,000; 15 of those workers received more than $50,000.”…
Read MoreProfits balloon for business improperly certified as disadvantaged
Elizabeth Newell and Robert Brodsky of Govermnent Executive report that a Miami-based defense contractor saw a significant increase in his business after being improperly labeled as a small disadvantaged business. AEY, Inc. is currently under investigation for providing faulty munitions as part of a $289 million contract to provide the Afgahanistan Army and police force…
Read MoreThousands of underground fuel tanks must be upgraded in South Florida
An investigation by Mc Nelly Torres of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel revealed that forty-three percent of underground fuel tanks in South Florida must still be upgraded to be in compliance with state environmental laws. A state law requires all underground tanks use a “double-walled system” by 2009 to prevent soil and groundwater contamination. The Sun-Sentinel‘s…
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