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Senior Cohousing Residential Design Features for Perceived Autonomy
Mihyun Kang1,*, Melinda Lyon1, Jessy Kramp2
1Design, Housing and Merchandising, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
2Applications/Specification Sales, Bell & McCoy Lighting and Control, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
This study examined the perceptions of older adults concerning which residential design features would be beneficial in senior cohousing. This study sought to understand design features promoting perceived autonomy for older adults. Interviews and a focus group were conducted with a purposive sample of older adults in the Midwest who were in the process of organizing a senior cohousing community. Grounded theory and the computer software NVivo were employed to identify reoccurring themes and design features. Five themes related to residential design for senior cohousing were recognized: Personalization, Social Engagement, Privacy, Universal Design, and Nature Involvement. A total of ten design features were identified: Display Space, Easy Upkeep, Great Room, House Orientation, Front Porch, Patio, Retreat, Space, Barrier Free Environment, Accessible Storage, and Natural Light. This study could be used to further enlighten older adults and the general public to a new alternative for housing in later life.
Aging, Older Adults, Perceived Autonomy, Residential Design Feature, Senior Cohousing
Received:May 20, 2015
Accepted: June 6, 2015
Published online: June 12, 2015
@ 2015 The Authors. Published by American Institute of Science. This Open Access article is under the CC BY-NC license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
1. Introduction
The nation's older adult population is continuing to swell and, by 2035, will make up approximately 18% to 23% of the total population, nearly doubling this current age segment (Kirst & Peck, 2010). Blumenstock (2006) stated that preparations must be made to accommodate this cohort as they could easily overburden existing housing for older adults in the U.S. Although many new conceptions of housing have been developed, older adults are continuously looking for new options that will allow them to maintain autonomy, independence, and personal control over their routines (Peace, Holland, & Kellaher, 2011). The framework of communal coping provides the mechanism of aging better together intentionally (Glass & Plaats, 2013). Blumenstock (2006) suggested that housing facilities for older adults now focus more on hospitality and the comfort of their residents. Many such changes in housing could be due in part to the higher level of education and greater expectations of the rising population of older adults.
The relatively new concept of aging in place has attracted the attention of many older adults, as well as interior designers and real estate professionals, as a potential solution to housing issues for older adults. Typically, aging in place refers to an older person's ability to continue living in his or her home without assistance for as long as possible; modifications made with accessibility in mind are generally required to make aging in place feasible ("Aging in Place," n. d.; Patteson, 2010). An alternate definition of aging in place refers to older adults relocating to housing that is specifically designed to provide a supportive environment for aging ("Aging in Place and Senior Resources," n.d.). This latter definition of aging in place, which assumes relocation, will be used in this article. Many older adults are looking for a housing option that provides a community in which they can participate based on their own choices, resident management, and an environment that will help them feel a sense of belonging due to maintained social relationships ("Elder Cohousing," 2005; Sugihara & Evans, 2000). Housing options that keep older adult residents engaged and active are thought to improve life in later years; however, a number of current housing options may not provide adequate activities for residents (Silverberg, 2010).
Many older adults in the current generation and individuals in the baby boomer cohort are dissatisfied with existing housing for older adults and are actively searching for new alternatives ("Elder Cohousing," 2005). Older adults' dilemmas with available housing options generally include the perception of losing personal control of daily activities and of choices, having no say in the way their communities operate, and worrying about new neighbors with whom they may not get along (Silverberg, 2010). These problems with existing institutional facilities may possibly derive from missing concepts such as perceived autonomy within the housing facility. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has several key strategies for healthy aging with one of them being "reducing the factors that lead to injury and disability" (Lang, Moore, & Harris, 2005). Perceived autonomy envelops an individual's maintained independence and self-control, which have been found to be important to older adults in their later lives (Bronstein et al., 2009; Peace et al., 2011). Because perceived autonomy may support aging in place, this study will consider the manifestation of this concept within housing design features.
One new idea in housing has begun to seep into the United States from Denmark, the concept known as cohousing. A cohousing community, originally construed as a multigenerational option, is usually made up of multiple families living in privately owned homes in a collectively managed neighborhood. These communities consist of the residents' homes and a centrally located common house where residents may gather (Silverberg, 2010). Cohousing communities that are developed for older adult residents may offer baby boomers and the current generation an attractive housing alternative as residents would have input in the construction and operation of the community, as well as the way in which residents would continue to live their lives (Glass, 2009). Cohousing communities that are designed specifically for older adults have become known as senior cohousing communities (Durrett, 2009).
By planning ahead to live in a supportive community, older adults may be able to relinquish the fear of being forced to move straight out of their home and into an institutional setting (Abraham-Paiss, 2005). Senior cohousing creates a neighborhood of individual home and a shared common house for use by all residents to promote aging in place through appropriate housing and the establishment of community (Cohen, 2005; Peck, 2008). The site plan of a senior cohousing community is typically arranged with the individual residences circling the common house (Durrett, 2009; Silverberg, 2010). The common house is in close proximity to the individual residences to promote the overall sense of community, and it is in a central location that residents pass through during their daily activities (Sugihara & Evans, 2000; Durrett, 2009; Glass, 2009). Despite challenges, older adults indicate feelings of safety and comfort through being part of an interdependent community (Glass, 2013). Senior cohousing communities have developed from this overarching idea as a way to explicitly manage the needs of older adults looking for a housing option that provides social support, independence, and positive well-being through their life course (Cohen, 2005; Durrett, 2009). The purpose of this study was to examine residential design features that older adults perceive as beneficial to their ability to age in place in senior cohousing communities. The objective of this study was to understand what residential design features promote autonomy. As a result, the study looked at older adults' needs and concerns as they pertain to the built environment, not the health of these individuals. Older adults' perceptions of housing regarding their needs and concerns, such as those outlined in this study, provide potentially significant implications for proponents of aging in place.
2. Autonomy and Older Adult Well-Being
Andresen, Runge, Hoff, & Puggaard (2009) contend that independence, along with culture, religion, and personal control, all influence a person's autonomy. Individuals who thought of their homes as meaningful due to physical, social, or emotional reasons were found to be more independent in accomplishing their daily activities, better with environmental control, and less likely to develop depressive symptoms (Oswald et al., 2007; Wagner et al., 2010). Maintaining autonomy through independence and personal control of one's activities, choices, and life is a common concern among aging populations (Bronstein et al., 2009; Danziger & Chaudhury, 2009; Peace et al., 2011). Many older adults believe that after they are no longer able to live alone in their homes, choosing to live in another housing option would be better than making their care the responsibility of their children or other family members. Others fear losing personal control of their social lives and daily routines as they believe moving to many of the current housing options will force them to give up all of these choices (Peace et al., 2011; Hwang, Cummings, Sixsmith, & Sixsmith, 2011).
By maintaining their autonomy, older adults may expect to preserve their well-being and, with environmental stimulation, to maintain a higher level of self-confidence, which may result in successful aging in place (Lawton, 1977). In senior cohousing, many features are in place to ensure that residents have the ability to continue living autonomously to benefit their confidence and health during their later years of life (Lawton, 1977; Durrett, 2009). Older adults recognize that the core of creating a livable community is a consumer-driven approach and collaboration with various community partners (Hwang, Glass, Gutzmann, & Shin, 2008).
As stated previously, senior cohousing communities offer social interaction, engagement in activities, and independence, all found to be related to improved health. Design of the common house and individual residences makes these buildings adaptable and accessible for all members of the community so that everyone is able to contribute and preserve their well-being (Durrett, 2009; Oswald et al., 2007).
Housing options that promote the concept of perceived autonomy may be an essential component of what older adults are missing in current housing facilities. As the baby boomer cohort and current older adults search through the available types of housing, they will likely make decisions based on the potential support for later life well-being, maintained independence, and personal control of their future years.
3. Methods
Individual interviews and a focus group were conducted with potential members of a senior cohousing community. Each interview was held either in the participant's home or another location of the participant's choosing. The focus group was conducted in a public meeting room.
3.1. Participants of the Study
The researchers recruited a purposive sample of 11 older adults, ranging in age from 55 to 85, who were living within a rural community in the Midwest. Of the 11 participants, 10 completed individual interviews and 4 participated in the focus group. These individuals were associated with a local group of older adults that was in the process of organizing a senior cohousing community within the town. Members of this group who were currently living in single-family residences and who had never lived within any form of housing specifically for older adults formed the pool from which the participants were selected. Due to their membership within such a group, these older adults were considered to have working knowledge and understanding of how senior cohousing communities operate. This group was approached for the study by the researchers through the group's advertised website, which included the phone numbers and emails of many of the individual members. The researchers contacted members by emailing or calling them and describing the content of an advertisement flyer that introduced the two research sessions.
3.2. Data Collection
Older adults who agreed to participate in the first session of this study were asked to take part in individual, informal interviews that were audio recorded. Each interview, which was scheduled between the researcher and the participant for a specific time and place, took a total of 20-40 minutes and examined the opinions of the potential resident regarding residential floor plan design of senior cohousing communities. The results of the interviews were used to formulate questions that were later asked of the focus group. The purpose of the interviews was to expand on the perceptions participants had of various features of residential design.
Sample members who agreed to participate in the second session of this study, the focus group, were contacted by the researchers who proposed the designated time and place for the meeting. The individuals were asked to participate in the audio-recorded focus group with the goal of collecting older adults' opinions and perceptions on residential design. Questions regarding the themes that were ascertained from the interviews were developed to gather feedback from participants in the focus group. These questions assessed participants' opinions to gain insight on how their perceptions of senior cohousing were tied to residential design that contributes to autonomy in later years.
3.3. Data Analysis
Audio recordings from the individual interviews were transcribed by the researchers and used to formulate the questions that guided the focus group in the second research session. Transcribed data from the individual interviews were reviewed using grounded theory wherein data are broken down, compared, and put into categories (Walker & Myrick, 2006). In addition, the computer software NVivo was utilized and recurring themes were identified from the interviews regarding participants' perceptions of and opinions about residence design in senior cohousing. In the NVivo software, data were organized by the researchers into categories that could then show how many times each category was referenced by participants and how many of the participants mentioned something correlated to each category. Questions regarding these themes were then developed for the focus group session. Recordings from the focus group were analyzed according to the length of time various topics were discussed to identify design features that were common among sample participants.
4. Results
Concepts that emerged from the individual interviews were called themes and were used to produce questions for the focus group; these questions were more detailed and specific to residential design features for a senior cohousing community. The questions in the focus group elicited detailed responses from participants regarding housing design, which were later identified as design features.
4.1. Residential Design Themes
A total of five themes related to residential design for senior cohousing communities were recognized: Personalization, Social Engagement, Privacy, Universal Design, and Nature Involvement. These five themes that emerged from the individual interviews in the first portion of this study were scrutinized by the researchers and used to develop questions for the second research session, the focus group.
Personalization was the most referenced theme, and it incorporated two concepts: downsizing and taking personal belongings. Downsizing specifically relates to moving into a home that is much smaller in square footage than one's previous home. Participants discussed many areas involved with the idea of downsizing, such as reducing personal belongings, passing belongings on to one's children, and preparing to sell one's existing home. While participants found many items to be trivial and easy to discard, the decision to let go of possessions with more sentimental value was much more difficult. Items with such emotional weight or those that would serve a daily, functional purpose were often selected by participants to be taken to their new residences. The element of taking personal belongings was mentioned by all of the members participating in the interviews, each of whom expressed beliefs or commented on specific possessions they believed would be important to take with them to their new homes. Many of the participants elaborated on the particular possessions they wanted to take with them, and some spoke of possessions they wanted to take but would be unable to. The idea of leaving meaningful belongings with one's children proved to be an attractive alternative to simply selling or discarding keepsakes. However, it was noted by participants that the children did not place as much value on the cherished items as did the parents.
The theme recognized as Social Engagement was also mentioned by each of the participants in the interviews and included topics such as proximity of houses, visitation on individuals' front porches, and the building of community relationships with other senior cohousing members. Participants noted that having front porches facing one another across common sidewalks in the community would be an easy way to start informal communication on a consistent basis. They believed that the proximity of the front porches and ease of seeing who was available for conversation would benefit the development of their friendships with other members.
Another theme that was discussed by all participants in the interviews was Privacy. Participating members spoke of two main areas of privacy in a senior cohousing community: privacy within the homes and the private back patio spaces outside the individual homes.
Participants indicated that privacy in the homes would be easily attainable. Remarks regarding the latter part of this theme were geared toward the participating members' senior cohousing community. The group had previously defined the community's terms of privacy outside the homes, and all members were to respect one another's privacy when they were on their back patios. Some participants added that they planned to landscape around their back patios as a way to create a vegetative screen for additional privacy.
Universal Design was discussed by all of the interview participants. Although many of the individuals were unaware of this professional term, they spoke of features in residential design that are associated with universal design principles. Participants' opinions and perceptions of this topic were geared toward various problematic situations and needs that they had already experienced or believed they would experience in their future. These situations and needs included modifying their current homes, personally experiencing a disabling ailment or watching a friend or family member develop one, and thinking about their own or other community members' future needs. They believed specific design features could be beneficial to everyone in all residences if they ever had to deal with a mobility-limiting injury or disability.
The theme recognized as Nature Involvement was discussed by the majority of the interview participants. This theme included having outdoor space for relaxation and enjoyment, space for gardening as a hobby, vistas available for viewing from the individual residences, and natural light. Participants mentioned that having an outdoor space in which they could relax was an important factor in their choice of a home in the senior cohousing community that was being built. Several participants wanted space into which they could transfer the plants they already had or space in which they could grow new plants. For these participants, taking care of their plants and gardening was an established hobby and a way to spend time outside. Several of the participants noted that they enjoyed having a nice view of the outdoors from the interior and exterior of their homes and that this was something they might miss from their current residences. Those who mentioned natural light noted to the researchers that they enjoyed natural lighting within their current homes and would like to have it in their future homes as well.
4.2. Residential Design Features
A total of ten design features were identified from the focus group: Display Space, Easy Upkeep, Great Room, House Orientation, Front Porch, Patio, Retreat Space, Barrier Free Environment, Accessible Storage, and Natural Light. The relationship between themes and design features is illustrated in Table 1. Design features in more than one theme category are shown in italics. Front Porch was used to indicate the front of the individual residences, and Patio was used to indicate the back of the residences.
|Design Features
|Display Space, Easy Upkeep, Great Room
|Social Engagement
|House Orientation, Great Room, Front Porch
|Patio, Retreat Space
|Universal Design
|Barrier Free Environment, Accessible Storage
|Nature Involvement
|Front Porch, Patio, Natural Light
Display Space was considered significant in the development of the senior cohousing residence floor plans. When participants were asked if they would prefer to have larger windows within a home versus having more wall space on which to display their memorable possessions, they responded that they wanted to have both options. One participant pointed out what she believed to be a wonderful solution that was to be used in their senior cohousing community: the architect was using the concept of clerestory windows in the great room area to allow in large amounts of natural light above while leaving ample wall space below for display.
The design feature Easy Upkeep was an important subject among participants as they were looking forward to downsizing to smaller residences that required less time and energy to clean and maintain. Participants spoke of required tasks at their current homes for which they no longer wished to be responsible, such as yard upkeep, pool maintenance, and the continued cleaning of rooms that went unused.
The design feature identified as Great Room was associated with the design of the public areas within a residence. Regarding floor plans, the participants expressed a clear preference for an open space in the living, dining, and kitchen areas as all of the floor plans would be much smaller in square footage than the homes in which they were currently living. The Great Room concept, the use of an open floor plan as well as higher ceilings, was perceived as a viable means of increasing the feeling of spaciousness within the homes. Participants commented on why they thought it was more important that these rooms be open to one another stating that it was pleasant to be able to continue communication with guests or family members even when in different areas of the home. Participants also mentioned that having one large space was more efficient than having multiple rooms with extra furniture pieces that they didn't use.
Participants discussed how they believed the individual homes in a senior cohousing community should be oriented on the site. In terms of House Orientation, many participants believed that the individual homes needed to face one another to ensure that community relationships would naturally flourish through daily communication.
From discussions concerning participants' desires for the exterior spaces of their homes, the design feature Front Porch was established. Participants voiced their own ideas for their front porches, as well as ideas other members had mentioned to them. The wide variety of uses for the space included visiting spontaneously with neighbors, having an extra space to enjoy meals, housing potted plants, and creating an extension of the home for storage or covered parking for bikes or scooters.
After discussing possible uses for the front porch of their individual homes, participants commented on their expectations for the space at the back of their houses. The design feature Patio dealt with further ideas participants had for the exterior of their homes. These ideas generally concerned having an area for pets to be kept outside and needing an outdoor space to serve as a retreat and a place to relax. It was important to some participants to have an outside area to keep pets that would be moving with them to the community. They noted that the space would need to be able to contain the pets as they did not want them roaming freely throughout the community; it was suggested that this could be accomplished by having a multipurpose, screened-in area on the patio.
Privacy was mentioned in the focus group as participants discussed the design feature that was identified as Retreat Space. Participants agreed that the individual residence would be the safe place to which each individual could retreat for personal time in a senior cohousing community. Though they liked the concept of having a welcoming community right outside the front door, a place to be alone was important to participants as well. When discussing the various rooms they would prefer within the different floor plans, participants had many specific ideas including the addition of a second bedroom to be used for extra workspace, a place for guests to stay the night, or space to house a computer desk or television that was out of sight of the main living room. Some spoke of including an extra bathroom for visitors and guests who might stay the night.
Participants expressed their perceptions and opinions of features they believed were important in a residence and beneficial to any individual needing support. They noted that having a Barrier Free Environment in their homes would allay fears about what areas might become inaccessible if they were to have an impairment-causing accident or illness. Participants also mentioned that features such as higher toilet seats, grab bars, roll-in showers, and wide doorways were beneficial not only to them as they aged but also to people of all ages.
Accessible Storage was also a thoroughly discussed topic. Participants gave varying opinions on having storage spaces in a residence and the amount of storage they believed they needed or did not need at different times. One participant pointed out that the type of storage space is important as individuals grow older and maneuvering around the home becomes more difficult. Storage space that could be accessed without taking a physical risk was the primary concern.
Natural Light was another design feature that focus group participants highly agreed upon and discussed fervently. All participants had a preference for natural lighting within the home and shared their opinions on why it was important. One participant mentioned that natural lighting was greatly needed for aging individuals as people need more light to see as they age. It was also believed that natural lighting does not create as much glare as artificial lighting and that relying more on natural light than artificial was another way for senior cohousing members to be environmentally friendly. Despite the overwhelming preference for natural light, participants conceded that sufficient artificial lighting was needed during evenings and on dark, cloudy days.
5. Discussion
For older adults to be successful at aging in place in a new residence, they need to develop an attachment to that residence and continue to feel independent (Oswald et al., 2010). Residential design themes and design features that promote autonomy were discussed.
If older adults are able to easily keep up with their homes and their daily activities are supported by the design of their homes, they will most likely continue to feel independent as they age. Maintaining independence has been found to be a common concern among older adults as they often worry about retaining control over their activities and personal choices as they grow older (Bronstein et al., 2009; Peace et al., 2011). Independence, culture, religion, and having personal control have all been found to impact an individual's perceived autonomy (Andresen et al., 2009). Two themes are considered to support this assumption: Privacy and Universal Design. These themes were described by participants as relating to their needs for having a personal space that would sustain them and their abilities to complete their everyday tasks.
Peace et al. (2011) remarked that having private and personalized space was a factor in having a high quality life in older adulthood, meaning the individual home environments would need to adjust to various stages of support for an aging resident. In the current study, the theme Privacy and the design features Patio and Retreat Space were observed to reinforce this idea as participants explained their needs for a private home in which they could be alone and still feel autonomous by having supportive design features. The design feature Patio was considered relevant to the theme Nature Involvement as well. These design features reiterated the significance of having a private space as well as the continued importance of meeting residents' needs and allowing older adults to live independently.
Participants commented on how they believed a supportive environment that contained Universal Design features was beneficial to people of all ages and would especially be an aid to them. Participants also remarked that they wanted their new homes to be easy to maintain as well as supportive of their changing needs as they aged. Others who had witnessed friends or family members become isolated by dealing with an accident or disability alone, emphasized the need for Universal Design. Barrier Free Environment and Accessible Storage were design features that related to Universal Design. The buildings and homes in senior cohousing communities are generally designed to meet these criteria, as accessibility is critically important for the healthy aging of older adults (Peck, 2008; Oswald et al., 2007). The design feature Barrier Free Environment was related to creating supportive environments that would be easy for individuals with varying abilities to use. The design feature Accessible Storage was also relevant to this belief as it reflects the importance participants placed on being able to fully use their homes in the years to come, regardless of their physical abilities.
Additionally, the design feature Easy Upkeep under the theme Personalization was related to autonomy. Participants explained that reducing the number of their possessions was an important task for them to complete before moving into their new homes and that they often felt relieved to be rid of their excess belongings. Participants believed that a supportive home would provide them with easy access to everything they would need for their daily activities, no matter their physical abilities. The potential of having more spare time was also relished as participants hoped to spend less time cleaning and maintaining their future homes in the community. They also noted that having a home that would be accessible and easy to maintain for years to come was very important as it could allow them more spare time and the ability to remain independent as long as possible.
6. Conclusions
This study sought to explore features of individual homes in senior cohousing communities and determine how such features could best allow older adults to age in place. To further this endeavor, the promotion of perceived autonomy was selected a design objective for this study. Participants in this study believed that senior cohousing communities could offer older adults a new, optimal alternative for housing as they age.
This study had several limiting factors, though. First, the sample used was small, containing only eleven participants from one senior cohousing community. Therefore, the results of this study are not generalize-able to the larger population of older adults; rather, this was a case study of only one site. Second, the wide age range among the 11 participants is another limitation; participants ranged in age from 55 to 85 years of age. Third, senior cohousing communities were considered to be a relatively new development in the United States at the time of this study; only five completed communities existed in various regions around the country. As these communities were a new development, they were also new subjects for research.
Many of this study's findings are considered relevant for future research on the same or similar topics. Future research based on this study could take several directions. For example, the data collected from the individual interviews and focus group could be further analyzed in order to study an issue such as overall health in this group of participants and in other, more homogenous samples since health of the individuals was not analyzed in this study. Other senior cohousing members from various communities could also take part in interviews and focus groups to further understand the features older adults expect in alternative housing options. It would also be beneficial to perform post-occupancy studies with senior cohousing members who have been living in their existing communities. In this way, senior cohousing communities could be examined to determine whether or not they are meeting members' expectations and if current literature is still being supported.
In addition to contributing to the body of knowledge concerning housing choices for older adults, this study's findings could benefit the public and professional realms. This study could also be used to further enlighten older adults and the general public to a new alternative for housing in later life. As more is known about senior cohousing communities and the literature begins to expand, a greater portion of older adults can be reached with information about this attractive housing alternative.

subset: commoncrawl


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Weathering a second night of storms Saturday, Minnesotans cleaned up Friday's damage on another day of suffocating heat and humidity.
Overnight Friday, storms downed trees, left tens of thousands of homes statewide without power and were blamed for two lightning-ignited house fires in the Twin Cities. Heavy rain fell in many areas, and winds gusted over 70 miles per hour in northwestern and central Minnesota.
After a Saturday that was even hotter and more humid than Friday — at one point, the dew point exceeded 80 in the metro — Duluth and areas to the south were getting walloped by thunderstorms that downed branches and power lines. A line of showers and thunderstorms had begun to form along a cold front stretching from north of the Twin Cities to the western suburbs, the National Weather Service said.
At 10:30 p.m., a tornado warning was in effect in Wisconsin's Pierce County, and some damage was reported along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border in the Twin Cities. Earlier, a tornado warning was in effect for Anoka County, but it passed without any reports of touchdowns.
The highest risk for severe weather overnight Saturday was expected in areas around St. Cloud and farther south, including the Twin Cities, said meteorologist Chris O'Brien.
Northwestern Minnesota, which got pummeled Friday, was expected to catch a break this time. The metro area, which was relatively off the hook on Friday, was expected to face worse storms overnight, O'Brien said.
Friday's storms dropped only an inch or so of rain in the metro area, but rain was heavier farther north, with central parts of the state reporting up to 4 inches or more.
That could be welcome in some areas, O'Brien said, because some parts of the state have been dry.
Meteorologist Eric Ahasic offered a reminder that while storms can be dangerous, so can extreme heat and humidity. And while normally people can cool off at a pool or air-conditioned public place, those might not be available due to pandemic precautions.
Still, a spokeswoman for HCMC said that the hospital had not seen heat-related health problems as of Saturday afternoon.
As part of the storm, lightning wreaked havoc overnight Friday. Smoke was reported coming from a house in Eagan about 6 a.m. Saturday, said Fire Chief Mike Scott. Police arrived to find the roof and attic space on fire. The house was unoccupied, with its owners on vacation.
A neighbor's security camera captured lightning at 3:45 a.m. Smoke rose from the house not long after.
Also around 4 a.m., the Washington County Sheriff's Office and fire departments from Bayport and Lake Elmo responded to a report of a home on fire in West Lakeland Township, also apparently caused by lightning. "All occupants were evacuated without injury," the Sheriff's Office said.
The first part of the coming week should be cooler and drier, with highs in the low 80s, Ahasic said. "Typical for this time of year, but it will feel nice," he said. "The dew points are much drier as well, only in the 50s — pretty comfortable for summertime in this part of the country."
However, heat and humidity are expected to make a return visit later in the week. "We're probably going to see another run into the 90s," he said. "And muggy."


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The Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park is back for the 2019 holiday season. The Shops of Winter Village is back as well. The "pop ups" are local makers and purveyors and there's a little something for everyone. Keep it local this holiday season!
Don Me Now – "…a women's contemporary boutique with apparel, accessories, gift items."
Amazing boutique also located at: 1211 East Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33602
Jadufy – Where Magic Happens
They call themselves "Magic Messengers" as the Jadufy team offers training, private shows, and a one of a kind experience. Stop by for tome awesome Magic swag and a few tricks!
The Fouta Spa – Home of the 100% Cotton Fouta Towel
They have been working with Tunisia since 2009, seeking over the years, the very best quality and value for their customers. Outside of the Winter Village you can find them at Tampa Bay markets, in Dunedin, Corey Ave, Hyde Park.
The Chubby Fox – Cottage Candy Shop
With a passion for inventing new and unique recipes to delight the senses Chubby Fox is here to share their passion for simple and delicious treats with the community.
The Modern Paws
Check out the Channel Districts Healthy Pet Shop with everything you need for your fuzzy friends!
Location outside of Winter Village: 1120 E Kennedy Blvd Unit 144, Tampa, FL 33602
Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center
Stop by to for some fun local swag and unique things you can only get in Tampa!
Outside Winter Village location: 201 North Franklin St., Ste. 102, Tampa, FL 33602 in Tampa City Center's plaza (PNC Tower)
JF Boutique and JF Just Kidding
JF Pop Up Shop is your one-stop shop for fantastic clothes and accessories for women and children in the Tampa Bay area! What does JF stand for? The designers initials!
They have pop up shops in the Brandon and Lakeland area, check out their site to follow them after Winter Village.
Lidia's Jungle – Urban Jungle Nursery
Stop by and check out some amazing greenery for your home or office. 🙂
Don't forget to try some deliciousness from Tampa Catering, Kawha, Whatever Pops, and Icicles Craft Kitchen. 🙂
Special delicious pops!
Hot Chocolate from Kahwa
Icicles Craft Kitchen – Grab a holiday inspired treat and signature drink!
Have an AWESOME day and shop local!!!


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November 10, 2019
(Originally written a couple of months ago.)
Sometimes I get the feeling it needs to be pointed out that Austin's downtown wasn't/isn't being revitalized. Austin's downtown was already active. That's why so many people wanted to live here, which brought the tech companies and others. I see comments in the #atxurbanist Facebook group that claim there were no businesses downtown 20 years and more ago, as if downtown Austin were a ghost town before the condos arrived. That may have been true for some areas of the CBD (many of the same areas that are still dead — San Jac, for instance), but only those who didn't frequent the area can (incorrectly) claim the Warehouse District, Sixth St. (incl. east of 35, if you spoke decent Spanish) and other areas (those in which infill is still concentrated) were dead day or night (except maybe on Sundays, though there were coffee shops and bars open). Austin is a booming city because of the qualities it already possessed. Its success wasn't thrust upon it by outsiders. Its existing culture and climate (funny to say sitting outside in the Texas heat) and whatever. Let's not pretend we're trying to make Austin attractive. If anything, we're trying to keep it attractive and improve upon it.


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Xiaomi is no stranger to releasing rather odd tech gadgets. This company had introduced the smart rice cooker recently, and a smart umbrella is also a part of their portfolio. Xiaomi does, however, introduce a more regular tech gadgets as well, of course. This company is, after all, first and foremost a smartphone manufacturer. They've introduced quite a few smartphones this year, and yet another interesting tech gadget surfaced the other day, a Xiaomi-branded robot vacuum cleaner. Well, the device itself did not actually leak out, but its retail packaging, which suggested that the company might announce this product soon. Well, that has just happened, read on.
The company has officially announced their Mi Robot Vacuum, a new member of the company's Mi Ecosystem. Now, this device has been developed by Rockrobo, which is a company owned by Xiaomi. As you can see in the images down below, this device offers a rather minimalistic design, and does not differ that much from other, already available, robot vacuum cleaners, at least not in terms of the design. Now, this robot vacuum seems to be quite interesting though, as it sports really interesting internals. Rockrobo has included the Laser Distance Sensor (LDS) in this device, a sensor which has been developed by the company. Now, this sensor can scan its surroundings in 360-degrees 1800 times per second, which is quite impressive. On top of that, the Mi Robot Vacuum comes with the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm, which allows it to map up your home, and then calculate its cleaning path based on those calculations. This device also packs in 12 sensors and a number of additional features, while it connects to the Mi Home app, as do other devices which belong in the company's Mi Ecosystem.
The Mi Home app lets you control the Mi Robot Vacuum, as you can set regular cleaning schedules through that app, and also turn on and off Xiaomi's new product. The Nidec brushless DC motor is built into this device (up to 1800Pa air pressure), and the Mi Robot Vacuum has an adjustable main brush, it can adjust its height, and it does it automatically. The 5,200mAh battery is also included here, and the company says it offers up to 2.5 hours of cleaning time before it runs out of juice. The Mi Robot Vacuum will be available for purchase in China starting September 6th, and it is priced at 1,699 Yuan ($254). Consumers in China will be able to purchase this device through Mi.com and at Mi Home stores in the country.


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Stick around
Why does it have to be this way?
I am having a semi-normal day. Water trucks started heading by around 4:30, I hear mototaxis, some actual sales trucks for milk, juice, water (since stores are all closed except some pulperias and healthcare facilities) and patients are coming to the clinic.
Sometimes a normal day of paperwork in the office though can still break me inside though.
Someone had the good idea to use some of our Hill Climber coffee to gift it to all the employees that are still able to get here, thinking that it is something we can do to help them with the lack of being able to shop, not much, but something. Those in the clinic were so excited they made a party out of surprising each new person to come in the room with applause and a party like atmosphere.
Talking to Maria about a Milk Project child and their housing change, she let me know that the child's parents have separated, and so the siblings that came to us from that house are now in different neighborhoods, and that her sister that now lives far away often comes with lice, and that have several girls that help remove them on a regular basis.
And our clinic was consulted this morning about a patient that wants to use our ambulance to remove a loved one from the hospital to take them home so they can die there versus the hospital.
The life situations reflected there made me angry. I reacted, I asked God why does it have to be this way? I have the theological answer, but that doesn't always cut it for my heart. But, it does mean that instead of totally collapsing, I can keep going, but sometimes it still doesn't take away the heart sting.
Although, when I stop to write this down, I can also see those situations in a different light...gifting 20 pounds of coffee will impact probably 75 people or more, and brought way more joy than could have been predicted...being there for these girls and their family means ongoing opportunities to show, model, and express God's love for us, them, and other children in the project...and we are blessed to have an ambulance to help when people are in need, not to mention a clinic and staff that are here helping people in the face of a even more real lack of options recently.
Paraphrasing something I heard recently...sometimes you just have to do what you can, whether you think it is enough or not and let that talk you out of it...and sometimes you have to do just for one or a few, what you wish you could do for all.
Maybe in another few decades I will get that down. In the meantime, God keeps giving me, us, and the mission different opportunities to take those steps of faith and trust Him to bring it all around.
forty days
Different world
catching up
We have had a busy couple of months.
Three groups so far this year, two of which were medical focused. What huge blessings each one was...from what they accomplished, their abilities, ages (from 13 to 85), three birthdays, and so many days of helping people and showing Christ's love...sometimes we move so fast, it is hard to get the time to stop and smell the roses of the relationships we are so blessed to make. I am going to pause right now and just shake my head trying to take that in myself. If you have been here in a group...thank you. Like really...thank you.
palliative care
Building takes...
Like a child
Warning...emotionally motivated blog ahead.
I just finished sending out an email to the Milk Project sponsors. Maria and the staff compiled prayer requests from all 75 children in Tegucigalpa and 25 in Sampedrana.
I proof read all 100 prayer requests, and once again I was humbled by the nature, thoughtfulness, and character of the requests. Requests for parent's health, for them to be able to find work so that they could buy food for them to eat. To do better in school, to not be angry and fight, to meet their birth parents, to get over pain...and thankfulness for the Milk Project and the people that work there, for the sponsors...the list goes on.
I have learned quite a bit about prayer living here, and learned a lot about prayer from visiting homes and talking with people, and that includes a fair number of children.
I read 100 prayer requests from mostly happy, well behaved, polite, good kids. At least, that is how I see them when I get to interact with them.
What I sometimes forget though is that everyone has problems and everyone has a story, of which I am not getting all the chapters. And if I think about it...I don't even read or understand all of my own story.
For example, through some conversations of late, I have realized some things about myself. I reckon that there are maybe two handfuls of people in the world that I think actually like me. (even writing that feels smug...I say to myself "Really? You really think that many people like you?" Now, this is not some fact I know, or rational thought that only ten or so people might enjoy my company, but that is what I believe to be true...that at best people tolerate my presence.
Reading through those prayer requests was hard. Lots of just sad life situations/stories. But there was also hope, and rejoicing in them. There was trust that prayers make a difference. And if I think about it, the trust that this is not the end of the story.
Thinking of that, and then through a devotion shared recently in our leadership group from someone battling depression and the heavy reality of that...immediately mixed with the joy of reading 2 Corinthians 4...is powerful, twisting stuff.
To understand yourself, to understand myself, that down deep what profound self-hate and sadness might be there, and then to remember, like a child trusting in their Good Father (a child or adult who might not even know their earthly father or have memories of combining those words good and father) and can share in Paul's words (2 Corinthians 4, The Message) saying...
5-6 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!
13-15 We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
16-18 So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.
I, for one, am falling apart, on the outside and the inside. But in that mess I have made, I cannot deny God is making new life. Really? Yes really. Can't I stop looking at what I can see and instead focus on what God sees and trust Him like a child?
Moment of clarity (which I have received and been knocked upside the head multiple times before with, and still need such hits): The focus of my story isn't me anymore...it is Christ in me.
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METRO 55 m
First day of the new year in the Metro. We started from the?
Short Summary
METRO 55 m
No available shotlist
Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
Background: METRO 55 m
First day of the new year in the Metro. We started from the Dark square station, to pass the first part of about 12 km. Here the builders finished already their work. The station and platforms are ready. Between the stations bathed in light, there are long tunnels only with small lights. The occasional passenger starts with metro-stop to the Blaha Lujza-square station. And let us here evoke the past for a moment. On these already museal photos, the station in construction was still a sensation. Then only the plans, maquettes and designs gave an idea of the future, which today is already the present. At this station we may use this escalator already. The halls on the surface are ready, where the way out and in will be placed. We are rushing further under the earth, and from far we see the lights of the People's stadium. Here is going on the putting into operation of the telecommunication equipment. On the 4th April will start the traffic of the metro on the part between the Feher road and Dark square.
KALOCSA 59 m
We visited a little town of the Bacs-Kiskun country: Kalocsa. This name reminds almost everybody of paprika, of painting and embroidering. All this made the name of the town famous and well-known even abroad. The paprika-mills are grinding tons of dried raw paprika according new patents. This is how the inimitable aromatic red gold of Kalocsa is being made. And what is still more in demand at the world market: the entirely automatically produced paprika-oil. And here they are making a special pastry, called lurek. It is, worth while ???sting. The women of Kalocsa are adorning with embroidery not only their clothes and home, but many of their products find their way into the homes of the Capital as well as those abroad. And the women of Kalocsa are handling not only the needle with amazing skill, but also the paint-brush. The popular motives may be found also on the chasubles. The inhabitants of Kalocsa guard their popular art also in their homes: several rooms are veritable museums of the famous art. In the restaurants even the waitresses wear richly embroidered dresses. And those who leave Kalocsa, see all this beauty for the last time at the station-building.
COFFEE 50 m
Hungary is a coffee "Great Power". At least in consumption. The best sorts are already contracted still in their shrub state by the Compack Enterprise and imported through the Monimpex from Brazil, Equador, Columbia, Venezuela and Africa. The daily needs of our country are 5.5 wagons, from which every grown-up citizen gets at least one cup daily. The rationing machine is mixing now four sorts of coffee. The receipt is a secret. They revealed only so
- Film ID:
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- Group:
- Reuters - Source to be Verified
- Archive:
- Reuters
- Issue Date:
- 01/01/1970
- Sound:
- Unknown
- HD Format:
- Stock:
- Black & White
- Duration:
- 00:02:10:00
- Time in/Out:
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Head and Shoulders pattern on S&P 500 doesn't bode well – Is recent history about to repeat itself? (SPX, SPY)
Where is support? – A look at the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and FTSE-100 indices
Dow Jones looks bullish as it hurtles towards next resistance at 25,000
Red or black? US indices have become so volatile, blink and you might miss their next move
Hold the champagne – markets bounce but not convincingly. ($DIA FTSE100)
Breakout or fakeout? – Global indices start to look upbeat ($SPY $DIA #FTSE100 #DAX)
The FTSE100 chart gives a 'Death Cross' signal, while US Market Futures remain undecided ($SPY $DIA #FTSE100 #DAX)


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Spain's 'abortion king' receives 18 months in prison for numerous illegal late-term abortions
June 28, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Spain's "abortion king," Carlos Morín, has been convicted of eleven counts of performing illegal late-term abortions, and has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, after years of trials that led initially to an acquittal that was overturned by Spain's Supreme Court.
Morín, a 71-year-old Peru-born gynecologist, is known as the country's "abortion mogul" or "abortion king" for his former ownership of numerous prosperous abortion clinics that specialized in killing unborn children at the later stages of pregnancy.
Morín's business turned south, however, following a documentary made by Danish journalists regarding foreigners from Denmark and other countries who used his clinics to evade their countries' prohibition of late-term abortions. The documentary suggested that Morín and his staff were using fraudulent diagnoses of psychological risk to justify the late-term abortions under Spain's law.
The Danish journalists also found that Morín had industrial-strength meat grinders in his clinics, presumably for the purpose of grinding up the bodies of the late-term babies he was killing. Morín claimed that they were for disposing of chickens and piglets used to teach surgical techniques to medical students.
As a result of the documentary, the Catalonian pro-life group E-Cristians filed charges against Morín in 2007, and his businesses folded following a police investigation and adverse media coverage. Morín was arrested and jailed for two months, and released only after promising to cease performing abortions. However, he would not be tried for another five years.
In 2012, after numerous legal delays, Morín and eleven associates were tried in Barcelona Provincial Court for performing illegal late-term abortions and other infractions of the country's abortion law. However, in early 2013 the court acquitted Morín and his associates on all counts. In the process it ignored or dismissed major pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution, including evidence from the Danish documentary, and forged signatures on documents. It also applied Spain's more recent abortion law retroactively, and claimed that the abortions were justifiable because the women received them voluntarily.
Prosecutors appealed the case to Spain's Supreme Court, and in November of 2013 the court overturned the acquittals and ordered a retrial, ordering the lower court to examine the evidence it had ignored. The second trial began in March of this year, lasting over a month, and including testimony from over one hundred women.
In addition to Morín's conviction, an associate, Pascual Javier Ramón Mora, a psychiatrist who helped to forge the false diagnoses necessary to justify late term abortions, was also convicted. All of the other defendants, including Morín's wife, were acquitted again. Morín and Ramón have the right to appeal the sentence, although no plans have been announced to do so.
Morín was also convicted and sentenced to prison for abortion-related crimes in 1988.


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Wiki also says "In Australian English, the name 'pumpkin' generally
refers to the broader category called winter squash in North America."
I had heard that before but didn't want to confuse things even more.
it looks like I need to sort it out.
For the record I am in Australia and these are pumpkins in our
formatting linkthese be called winter squash or pumpkin in the US?
We don't have 'winter squash' by that name. To me a squash is a
cucurbit that is soft-skinned and picked immature, zucchini is a
squash but they come in other shapes and sizes, like button squash
(pattypan) and crookneck. The skin is green, yellow, near black or
orange. The flesh is usually pale greenish and translucent and they
don't keep very well outside refrigeration, they generally don't have
creases. I think you would call these summer squash. So let us leave
these aside for now.
To me a pumpkin is a cucurbit that is picked mature, has a hard skin
and keeps well outside refrigeration, the flesh is usually yellow to
orange and opaque. The skin is yellow, orange, grey, blue-grey or
some combination when ripe. They generally have creases running
longitudinally. Examples are Queensland blue and the above JAP (Just
Another Pumpkin).
So in the USA how do you distinguish pumpkins from winter squash? Is
pumpkin a subset of winter squash or are some pumpkins not also winter
Is there any correspondence between the different common names and the
species of cucurbit?
What about the Banter People, what is a pumpkin in Old Blighty?


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VA Loans in Silsbee Texas
Arlington VA Mortgage Rates offer home loans to eligible veterans. This means that borrowers who apply must meet all the VA home loan requirements. Seeing that there are many VA mortgage loan lenders.
Greenwood, Silsbee, TX 77656 – View the latest photos and property details for this Single Family Home at HomeFinder.
Story Continued Below Whether trump chooses sarah palin, former Texas Gov. long wait times at VA hospitals and clinics around the country and a nightmare of red tape to get disability payments,
President Barack Obama speaks about affordable education opportunities at Washington-Lee High School May 4, 2012 in Arlington, Va. Follow @TIMEBusiness Interest rates on federal subsidized Stafford.
The company explained in a press release that the update will help lenders better comply with state guidelines when itemizing charges and fees for VA Loans. Notably. journalism from the University.
Not being affected are the more often-used conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as federally-backed VA and FHA loans. behind North Carolina, Texas, Michigan and Florida.
VA Loans in Whitney Texas VA loan provides 100% financing to qualified servicemen/women and their eligible spouse. We offer the best VA home loan program in the State of Texas. Call (866) 772-3802 now and get started or use the tools on this website for assistance.
In letters obtained by CBS News, Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ways and means chairman richard Neal (D-MA), Education and Labor Chairman.
VA Loans in Yorktown Texas Who is exempt from paying the VA funding fee? While there is a funding fee for a VA home loan, some people are exempt from paying. If you are a veteran getting disability compensation for service-related medical issues, or are entitled to get compensation if you aren't drawing retirement pay, you are exempt from the VA funding fee for your VA.
According to the VA, there are about 2.2 million female veterans and about half of them have served since 1990. The states with the largest population of female veterans are Texas (191,757. and.
The Internal revenue service (irs) announced on Aug. 30 that 401(k)s and similar employer-sponsored retirement plans can expedite loans and hardship distributions to victims of Hurricane Harvey. at.
Bennett referred to Judd, who is serving a 210-month sentence in a Texas federal prison for extortion. so that banks would have money to loan out so that the tax payers have money to spend to keep.
Stories were circulating Tuesday that Trump was considering moving Energy Secretary Rick Perry over to VA. But the former Texas governor, speaking after a Senate hearing, indicated no job swap was.
VA Loans in Westbrook Texas VA Loans in Zuehl Texas VA Loans in Wellington Texas VA Loans in Weir Texas VA Loans in weston texas armco: mortgage critical defect rate decreases in Q3 2017 – Conventional loans were the most utilized mortgage in the third quarter, accounting for 56.2% of all mortgages reviewed. This was followed by FHA loans at 26.9%, VA loans with 11.7%. graduate of.According to the westbrook public records, the property at 401 Main St, Westbrook, TX 79565 has approximately 1,163 square. Jennifer Arps – Mortgage Loan Officer in Westbrook, ME. – Contact Jennifer Arps, a licensed mortgage loan officer in Westbrook, Maine for Embrace Home Loans, to get more information on home loans for first-time, refinance or VA loan pre-qualification.VA Loans in Valley View Texas For example, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) encouraged the new administration. announced it is awarding four loans to help provide broadband service in rural portions of California,
The cities where people can afford to live comfortably easily: Virginia Beach, Va., Arlington, Texas, Colorado Springs. rule to determine what salary a person would need to live "comfortably" in.


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The Regent Palms Turks and Caicos announced the appointment of Juan Carlos Gonzalez as director of travel industry sales. Gonzalez will be responsible for developing and building group business through innovative sales programs. In addition, he will focus on the high-end FIT market segment for the award-winning resort overlooking Grace Bay Beach on the island of Providenciales.
Prior to joining The Regent Palms, Gonzalez spent nine years in management with Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts, including several sales positions. Most recently, he was director of key account management/premium portfolio for Sol Melia, based in the New York offices of Leading Hotels of the World. Among the array of positions he held over the years with Sol Melia are regional director of leisure sales Northeast USA, regional director of leisure sales for the Caribbean Northeast USA, tour and travel sales manager at the Paramount Hotel in New York, and sales coordinator for the U.S. and Canada responsible for the company's e-business initiatives. Gonzalez' hospitality career began with Sol Melia in 2000 as manager of the "Royal Services" VIP Floor at Hotel Gran Melia Mexico Reforma.
Visit www.regentexperience.com.,


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Following is a statement from Alan Essig, executive director for the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, on the paper released today by the Senate Finance Committee's ranking Democrat, Ron Wyden, calling for anti-deferral accounting, which could dramatically reform the way the U.S. taxes capital gains.
Alan Essig
news release September 12, 2019
Senator Releases Plan That Would Increase Capital Gains Tax Rates, Close Loopholes
blog May 24, 2019
Unlike Trump-GOP Tax Law, There Are Tax Plans That Would Actually Deliver on Promise to Help Working People
Using the tax code to boost the economic security of low- and moderate-income families is a proven strategy. These bold proposals would go much further than any policy currently on the books, and their approach directly contrasts with longstanding supply-side theories that call for continual tax cuts to those who are already economically faring far better than everyone else.
blog April 15, 2019
Some Helpful Facts for Tax Day 2019
For Tax Day, ITEP has released several new reports that tell a broad story about our nation's federal, state and local tax systems, providing important details about taxes we all pay and research on the tax-paying habits of Fortune 500 corporations. And of course, we have a trove of other tax policy resources.
blog April 3, 2019
Making a Case to Tax the Rich
A chorus is building and calling on our elected officials to tax the rich. And pundits and policymakers are seriously debating proposals calling for higher income taxes and a wealth tax instead of attempting to shut down the conversation by labeling such proposals as class warfare.
news release March 11, 2019
White House Budget Fails to Acknowledge Role of Tax Cuts in the Deficit while Calling for Draconian Spending Cuts
As expected, the president's budget would enshrine top-heavy tax cuts into law and finance them by slashing domestic programs. It is time for a course correction.
report February 14, 2019
The Illusion of Race-Neutral Tax Policy
It is well known that the bulk of the federal tax cuts flowed to the highest-earning households, who received the largest tax cut both in terms of real dollars and also as a share of income. But as our analysis with Prosperity Now reveals, solely examining the tax law in the context of class misses a bigger-picture story about how the nation's public policies not only perpetuate widening income and wealth inequality, they also preserve historic and current injustices that continue to allow white communities to build wealth while denying the same level of opportunity (and often suppressing it) to communities of color.
blog February 1, 2019
Senator Sanders Proposes to Reform the Estate Tax
Progressive tax proposals are finally being discussed with the urgency and seriousness they deserve. Following Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's call for a much higher marginal tax rate for multi-millionaires and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposal to introduce a wealth tax for those at the very top, Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced a revised version of his proposal to reform the federal estate tax.
blog January 24, 2019
Yes, It's Time to Talk about Progressive Taxes, Even a Wealth Tax
Earlier today, several news organizations reported that Sen. Elizabeth Warren is set to formally propose a federal wealth tax. Immediately after, social media was atwitter with comments that ranged from praise to predictable outcries of how will the wealthy cope if forced to pay more in taxes.
blog November 16, 2018
House Democrats Falter with Proposed Rule to Restrict Tax Hikes
Democratic leaders have proposed rules to be adopted in the next Congress, and many of them, such as eliminating the requirement for "dynamic scoring," are very sensible. But one of the proposed rules is problematic because it would make it harder to raise revenue.
news release October 2, 2018
NYT Expose on Trump Family Tax Avoidance Demonstrates There's a Different Set of Rules for the Rich and Powerful
Following is a statement by Alan Essig, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, regarding an expose in today's New York Times that reveals Donald Trump's family engaged in complex schemes to avoid taxes.
news release September 28, 2018
U.S. House Advances More Unpopular Tax Cuts That Primarily Benefit the Wealthy
The U.S. House this week voted on so-called Tax Cuts 2.0, a package of three tax bills that, among other things, would make permanent temporary provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Alan Essig, ITEP's executive director, said the following: "While top-heavy tax cuts and their inevitable effect of decimating public investments may seem peripheral to today's news cycle, they are emblematic of the governing philosophy of those in power today."
news release September 10, 2018
More of the Same: Tax Cuts 2.0 Will Benefit the RichMedia Contact Following is a statement from Alan Essig, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, regarding the tax bill introduced today by House GOP leadership. "Once…
news release February 12, 2018
Two Months after Top-Heavy Tax Cuts, Trump Budget Proposes "Savings" by Making Cuts to Safety Net Programs
"In case it was not apparent after the White House pushed for a tax plan that overwhelmingly benefits corporations and the rich, the White House budget proposal is clear on what and whom it prioritizes: wealth over work, corporate interest before the public good."
blog January 12, 2018
The Problems with State Workarounds to the Federal SALT Deduction
From the outset, states—particularly wealthier states—objected to the GOP's proposal to limit SALT deductions in part because it reduces the amount of state and local taxes that the federal government essentially picks up for taxpayers (by allowing a SALT deduction, the federal government is, in effect, paying part of taxpayers' state and local tax bill), which could hinder states' ability to raise revenue. Simply focusing on SALT, though, misses the bigger picture. The fact remains that the overall tax bill disproportionately benefits higher-income taxpayers even with the $10,000 SALT cap in place. Responding to federal tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the rich with state proposals that help bestow more tax cuts on upper-income taxpayers is irrational.
news release December 19, 2017
Congress Snubs the Will of the People, Appeases Wealthy Donors
The 2010 Citizens United decision shoved open already leaky floodgates that have allowed the well-heeled to dictate our nation's electoral outcomes and public policies. Lawmakers have been clear that their 'donors' and 'corporate CEOs' are the driving force behind this tax overhaul, and they have been content to ignore opinion polling that indicates the public is against this legislation by a margin of 2-to-1.
news release December 15, 2017
Corporations and the Rich Get Everything They Want in Pending Tax Bill, Working People, Not So Much
Nearly 30 years ago, Trump was well connected enough that he was able to go to Congress and testify about how tax changes affected his business. Ordinary working people are rarely lucky enough to talk about their personal experiences in front of a congressional committee. So if they want to make their views known about the catastrophe of 2017, it will have to be in election of 2018.
news release December 13, 2017
ITEP Statement on Alabama's Special Election
What voters want—the people who put elected officials in office—matters. Members of Congress should take pause before proceeding with their profoundly unpopular tax bill that the vast majority of voters have said lawmakers should not pass.
news release December 2, 2017
Senate Okays Unpopular Plan to Widen Income Inequality, Make the Rich Richer
But so far, Republican leaders have demonstrated that, for them, the only voices that matter in this debate are those that fund their campaigns.
blog November 30, 2017
Lawmakers Are Allowing Monied Interests to Trump the Voices of Their Constituents
George Washington is said to have described the U.S. Senate as the body that cools the passions of an impulsive House of Representatives just as a saucer cools tea. But current Senate leaders appear to think of themselves as more of a Bunsen burner.
news release November 9, 2017
Senate Tax Plan Includes Some Changes but Maintains Focus on Tax Cuts for the RichFollowing is a statement by Alan Essig, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, regarding the Senate tax plan released today. While it will take a complete…
news release November 6, 2017
New Analysis: Wealthy Will Receive a Growing Share of Tax Cuts in House Tax Plan Over Time
A national and 50-state distributional analysis of the House tax plan released late last week reveals that not only would the wealthiest 1 percent receive the greatest share of the total tax cut in year one, but their share would grow over time due to phase-ins of tax cuts that mostly benefit the rich and the eventual elimination or erosion in value of provisions that benefit low- and middle-income taxpayers.
news release November 2, 2017
Bottom-Line Conclusion about GOP Tax Plan Is the Same After Reviewing More Details
Instead of engaging in thorough, public process that may have yielded real tax reform for middle-class families, lawmakers covertly put together a plan that reserves its biggest benefits for corporations and the wealthy while throwing in a few gimmicks for political cover.
blog October 20, 2017
The Jig Is Up: Republican Budget Resolution Finally Admits That Deficit Will Soar Under GOP Tax Plan
For some lawmakers, annual deficits matter a lot—unless the nation is paying for tax cuts for the wealthy via deficit spending.
Last night, Republican lawmakers demonstrated that previous grandstanding about the nation's debt is much ado about nothing. The Senate approved a budget resolution on a party-line vote that would 1. fast-track legislation adding $1.5 trillion to the deficit over 10 years by cutting taxes, and 2. make it easy to enact this measure without a single Democratic vote.
news release October 5, 2017
ITEP Statement on House Budget Resolution: Lawmakers Gear up to Give the Public What It Doesn't Want
Passing a budget is supposed to provide a structure for our elected officials to responsibly manage our nation's finances and public investments. But that is not the purpose of this budget resolution.
news release October 4, 2017
50-State Analysis: GOP-Trump Tax Proposal Would Give the Store Away to the Wealthy, Exacerbate the Income DivideA 50-state analysis of the GOP tax framework reveals the top 1 percent of taxpayers would receive a substantial tax cut while middle- and upper-middle-income taxpayers in many states would…


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Kunín is a village in Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 1,800 inhabitants. Kunin was called Kunvald till 1947 when renamed, so that it is often improperly associated with another village called Kunvald near Žamberk in the Ústí nad Orlicí District, in the Pardubice Region.
Kunin (Poland)
Kunin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Goworowo, within Ostrołęka County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Goworowo, south of Ostrołęka, and north-east of Warsaw.


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On Tuesday's broadcast of CNN's "New Day," Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) dismissed the prospects of a potential witness swap of former National Security Adviser John Bolton for 2020 Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, in the Senate's impeachment trial as "baloney" and stated that he won't argue for a witness swap and doesn't think there is "any sentiment for it" in the Senate Democratic caucus.
Durbin said, "Listen, we're not trading baseball cards. We're not kids sitting around here picking our favorites and putting them in the middle of the circle. What we're talking about are relevant, material witnesses."
He added, "This idea of bargaining, well, we'll give you one irrelevant witness for one material witness, baloney. These should be material witnesses."
Durbin further stated, "I can tell you, I'm not going to be standing up and arguing for that in our caucus, and I don't believe there's any sentiment for it."
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett


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Product name: Our Generation Cat Pet Set
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Country of Origin: China


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Welcome to Day 2 of the Tour of Wessex. Just for once I'd managed a decent pre-sportive night's sleep, and I wasn't all that thrilled by the 5:45 alarm call…but hey, who would be? Still, time to get up it was, so I did. Sean and I consumed various incarnations of oats, in traditional cyclist stylee, before loading up the car. I had warned Sean what state my bike was in, but it wasn't until he transferred him from my car to his that he realised I wasn't dissembling, and that he would now have to wash his hands! Well, everything else got washed last night, I just couldn't face washing the bike too!
We set off on time, with me playing navigator as Sean was driving and doesn't know his way around here. After not squashing lots of early morning bunny rabbits, and a bumpy but uneventful drive we arrived at Somerton, and were marshalled not onto the playing field, which was apparently no longer up to playing parking lot (more of a quagmire I bet!), but into a nearby industrial estate, passing Guy leaving on his bike already, where we were parked up outside a Somerton Town Council owned building. Hard standing has it's upsides though – no grass in your cleats! It also meant access to indoor toilets without any queues – result!
The weather was much nicer this morning, as was the forecast, but after Day 1's antics, I really wasn't sure whether to believe it or not, or what to wear. Nothing new there then! I decided to wear somewhat less, partially because half my kit was still at Chris', but really because it was supposed to get something approaching warm later. So tights, toe covers, s/s jersey, arm warmers, fairly heavy Maratona gilet, and my waterproof over the top to keep the chill/wind off until I'd warmed up.
It was, according to Guy, 0.9 miles flat ride to the start, but far too flat to really see how the legs were feeling. Actually getting to the start involved going around HQ and through all the parking/camping etc, which had an element of cyclocross to it, but somehow I managed not to have to ride on the grass. There was nothing to do this morning but get to the start line, via toilets that had no queues but seriously needed cleaning! Today's line-up had changed considerably. No Jon of course, but Guy, Martyn, Sean and myself were joined by Gary, Robin and Peter, all of us with different plans for the day. Having removed any self-applied pressure do to the whole 335 mile three days yesterday, I still hadn't really decided what I was doing. After all, today's long route was to head South to the coast and back and included one of my favourite stretches of ride, along the coast above Bovington Camp to Corfe Castle, and I was thinking I'd still like to do that. It's a lovely climb and it is beautiful 🙂
We joined the start line somewhat further back this time, although still rather too close to a speaker for comfort. The Start/Finish arch was missing, having blown down the day before, which just goes to show what a lovely day that was. The commentator did his best to jolly us all along, and since it wasn't raining, things were already looking up! One more countdown, and we managed to be away in the first group, off to find out exactly how those legs were feeling.
The first section of the route was lovely country roads, and fairly flat, always good for warming up. A rolling start, if you like. I did my best to stay with the group, but it really wasn't good enough. Hit an incline, and I dropped like a stone… And the first proper one of those and they were gone. Ah well, I'm used to it these days. Although I'd kinda like it if folk said au revoir before they did so, but such is life. However on one such up, possibly in Ilchester, I was very pleased to discover Gary waiting for me. 'Rah, a friendly face! Maybe I wouldn't be on my own all day after all! I took advantage of the stop to stash that by now boil-in-the-bag waterproof away, and although I was a bit chilly for a bit as I got used to the change, it definitely helped. I don't perform well, or rather make that I perform even worse, if I'm over-heating that way!
Gary and I carried on our merry way, with him waiting for me at the top of ups, but still essentially sticking with me. I checked like a million times that he really didn't mind, being well aware of the fact that I was holding him back. However apparently that's what mates are for however, so I stopped checking and just got on with it 🙂 Gary is, incidentally, at least half the man he used to be and more than twice the cyclist. Must learn how to emulate that! Having ridden this route three times before, I knew was a particularly big lump ahead of us, but had conveniently forgotten it wasn't the only one and that others came first! At least that meant I'd gone up, and could enjoy the flying section down to the Cerne Abbas Giant. It helped to know it was there of course, and over-taking people who've dropped you on hills is always amusing. Hey, they'd catch me again soon enough.
In previous years the food stop has been at the lay-by by the Giant, and we stopped there anyway, to immortalise his tumescence once more. Which is a fancy way of saying big cock but that's usually Guy's joke. However since he spent the whole ride without saying it, it seems I should *grin*. It turns out that a lot of people were so busy concentrating where they were going that they missed him, which is a shame, since landmarks is part of what makes this particular route so nice.
Right then. Time for that hill. A quick wiggle through the pretty village of Cerne Abbas itself, where the residents were looking a bit bemused for us, and several signs showed that they were more concerned that we might upset the horses than vice versa. Not that I saw a single horse that is. And I had plenty of time to look around going up the hill. It's a long fairly consistently steep climb and I knew it was going to be hard work. Somewhere near the bottom we passed Sean, puncture stricken but far enough ahead of us to have had time to have practically finished changing it, so he waved us on our way. Up and up and up and past the drummer and up some more. Still, as is always the way, later rather than sooner, it was done and behind me. And man, the views from the top were amazing. A reminder of why riding up hills is worth it. That and the lovely down that came afterwards of course. At some point on one of the downs today my Garmin showed 48+mph…but I've still not made it over 50 mph though! Well, a girl has to have a goal, right? 🙂
The first food stop was shortly after this, predictably full of riders queuing for food and the two portable toilets. As I arrived, I met Derek again, he of Black Rat Three Bridges fame, celebrating his birthday in typical cyclist style – on the bike. He informed me he was relieved I hadn't taken his "you don't descent like a girl" comment on that day as an insult. Far from it 🙂 It was nice to see him, and to be in the sunshine once again. He went on his way, and I joined Guy, Martyn and Gaz in eating food and taking a break – Guy had kindly grabbed me a banana on one of his trips thataway. Martyn was keen to be on his way. Peter and Robin also. Guy asked me which route I was doing… Well I hadn't decided. But it felt like a leading question…and as it turns out, he was considering doing the shorter route. Perfect. Because that little "you're crap" voice in my head had been thinking… Well, I reviewed the "Long" Tour of Wessex route last year. For journalistic integrity it would make sense to now review the "Short" Tour of Wessex, right? I truly admire my brain's ability to come up with excuses on demand, it's impressive 😉 And given the chance to do the short route in company? Sold! Gary decided to join us, the others headed off, and we set off at my more leisurely place. We never did see Sean though…and just presumed he'd gone hurtling off past us at some point.
The route split came somewhere around Puddletown. Just as well as the group of pretend-pros behind us, complete with shouted rider instructions etc, were getting a little annoying. We went left, they didn't. *Phew*! And don't towns around here have the best names? Especially when there were no puddles to make assorted jokes about 😉
The route took us through to Tolpuddle. Ah, well, yes, it would have done if they hadn't closed the road for some town street event. Diversion it said, you can't come through they said, so we headed off to follow the diversion. Which diverted us as far as somewhere and then just dropped us there, having lost the route and missed the turning the route would have taken. We tried to guess where we should go…but since it turns out that that would have been left and we went right, that clearly didn't go very well… A little further down the road the guys were once more waiting for me, there having been an inevitable up. This was good since I needed a comfort stop, and we needed to decide what to do. As it turns out there was a marshal for another cycling event on the corner, complete with something very old skool – a map! I reckoned we should head what looked like North ish for Bere Regis. So did the map. My geography may suck, but my sense of direction ain't bad. We also knew that at some point we had to go through Milton Abbas, somewhere so pretty it was bound to be on road signs eventually. There was nowt for it but to head off and see what happened. There has to be a joke about being martyrs to cycling in there somewhere though, right? 😉
It turned out to be very pleasant nonetheless. We'd picked up a hanger-on, who'd decided there was safety in numbers, which felt a bit weird. Us three chatting away familiarly and him not. There were long straight green roads, quiet, no riders or traffic, scenery, Forestry Commision land section, fair weather, and fair wind (such as it was it was now behind us). After another stop by Bere Regis, some consultation with the high tech (Guy's Garmin) and the low tech (a very chatty dog-walking lady), we found ourselves back on the route and heading for Milton Abbas. Always nice to see those familiar black on yellow signs, even if there were more cars on the real route than on ours!
Last year Milton Abbas was full of fête and festivity and friendliness. This year it was really quiet, with little to distract from the considerable climb up through it. There was one group sat outside the pub who were busy frowning at us upsetting their personal idyll, even after my usual cheerful hello – grumpy s*ds! You can tell it's up there on the affluence scale though – the road has been properly resurfaced, none of this silly short term cost saving top dressing stuff, all the way through the village, and the continued climb afterwards – it goes up a long way after the village, and well after you think it should have stopped! They don't mind having posh smooth roads, but they're really not keen on Giant Wind Turbines it would appear. Which led to much discussion as to what size would actually be acceptable, and to which dimensions qualify as giant. After all, they're much smaller when they're further away right? 😉 I bet they're quite keen on having electricity around there though, for all the Nimbyism. To be fair, I gather wind turbines are noisy, and I probably don't one in my (postage-stamp sized) backyard either. But then I didn't really want a reservoir there either (as nearly happened) but am aware that water is a good thing, so was doing my best not to object to that on that basis.
Anyway, where were we? Round about the second, or third for the long route, food stop. This one was much quieter – I guess the long route riders probably hadn't made it this far yet – and we had time to laugh at people swooshing in and out, all style and no substance – very funny. The chocolate flapjacks and jelly babies on offer were lovely. Well, I thought they were then. However for the rest of the ride it became clear that my flapjacks, liquid, gels, and theirs and whatever else I'd grabbed at food stations really wasn't sitting well. I needed to keep eating and drinking but I really didn't want to, as I certainly didn't want to see any of it again! However I'm pleased it stayed where it was supposed to for all that it threatened otherwise.
We were told at the food stop that it was 26 miles to go, and actually it pretty much was. It was also fairly rolling with quite a bit of fast flat too and we worked pretty well as a little group, eating up the miles, picking up the odd peloton as well as growing our own from time to time. Precious few bothered taking their turn at the front though, happy just to be towed home. Even I was doing my bit – I like to make up for what I can't do by doing what I can when I can! By now even my arms were out – not quite a first this year but not far off. Cycling in nice weather is SO much nicer! I ride better happier I guess? Even the last little climb back into Somerton didn't trouble me too much, and very soon we were back under the now re-inflated Finish Line, with (thanks to the detour) 88 miles or so on the clock.
Guy headed off straight away. Gary and I headed off to see Claud the Butler who still makes seriously good Americanos, to enjoy a little après ride. See, he even kept me company for coffee! Ohana 🙂 And many thanks to both of them – it made the day far more enjoyable. If you've got my back, I'll go on… Still, after a while, there was just me. I'd completely failed to sort out how to rendezvous with Sean, and had run out of money, so I spent around an hour an a half talking to the world on my Crackberry and hoping he'd just turn up. Robin and Peter did, and popped by and said hi. Martyn finished but didn't. And then finally Sean did – which was a relief, especially considering my house key was in his car! It turns out that the puncture we saw was shortly followed by another, and of course he then did the long route. Still, other than the fact that I should have been eating and stretching, there are worse ways to spend such time than sat in a sheltered warm tent in the sun, watching MAMILs posture. Intermittently highly amusing 😉
Cycling time: 5:51
Official time: 6:21
Distance: 88.7 miles
Avg: 15.2 mph
ODO: 4874.5 miles
Time to ride back to the car park, with bits of me protesting at being back on a saddle again, and to get home for the food I should have been having. Oddly I appeared to have a ham egg and chips craving. And what the body wants… So it was that, once all clean and sorted for the following day again, Sean and I headed up to The Lamb for food. Way quicker and easier than me cooking, and possibly more palatable! And hey, a cold pint of lager never did anyone any harm, right? Think of it as rehydration therapy…or sleep aid…or whatever excuse you need to make up for me 😉
Tour of Wessex Day 2 done. A much better day for sure, even if my form was still as rubbish as ever! 🙂 Just one more early night and one more day to go.