20001209 Transportation 2nd Biggest Family Exp.

Transportation 2^nd Biggest Family Exp.

From: Baltimore Regional Partnership 12/9/2000 Newsletter

TRANSPORTATION SECOND BIGGEST ITEM IN HOUSEHOLD BUDGET

A report released November 30 by the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) finds that households in the Baltimore region spend, on average, 14.7 percent of their budget, or more than $5,000 per year, on day-to-day transportation. That places transportation costs higher than health care, education, food, or any other household expenditure except shelter.

The report, "Driven to Spend," compiled data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and found that the poorest fifth of Americans pays a significantly larger percentage of income -- 36 percent—on transportation.

The report shows that 98 percent of day-to-day transportation costs are associated with owning and operating an automobile and that three quarters of those expenses, such as loan and insurance payments, tend to be unrelated to how often or far the car is driven.

The report points out that the most effective way to reduce household transportation costs is to own fewer cars, but that such a choice requires other transportation options to be available.

The report also cautions families that seek so save money on housing by investing in a cheaper house further out in a metropolitan area, pointing out that such a choice may lead to unavoidably larger transportation costs.

Among the report's recommendations is greater government investment in public transportation, bicycle facilities, and walkable neighborhoods, rather than increased highway capacity in outer suburban areas. T

he report also urges employers to provide free or subsidized transit passes to their employees, taking advantage of federal tax incentives and local measures such as Maryland's new Commuter Choice tax credits.

Full text of report available at http://www.transact.org/. Baltimore and other metro fact sheets available at www.transact.org/Reports/driven/metro.asp.

Baltimore, MD

To read the local press release - Click Here

Summary

Ranking: 26
Portion of Family Budget Devoted to Transportation: 14.7%
Annual Household Spending on Transportation: $5,236
Total Household Expenditures on Transportation in Baltimore: $4.8 billion

Breakdown of Transportation Expenditures

	Annual Household Spending	Percent of Total Transportation Expenditures
Vehicle Purchases	$2,236	42.7%
Other Vehicle Expenses	$1,956	37.4%
Gasoline and Motor Oil	$952	18.2%
Public Transportation	$92	1.8%

Breakdown of All Household Expenditures

Households in Baltimore spend more on transportation than on any other category except shelter

	Annual Household Spending	Percent of Total Household Expenditures
TRANSPORTATION	$5,236	14.7%
Shelter	$7,304	20.5%
Food	$4,793	13.5%
Utilities	$2,361	6.6%
Other Household	$2,285	6.4%
Insurance & Pensions	$4,773	13.4%
Health Care	$1,600	4.5%
Entertainment	$1,830	5.1%
Apparel & Services	$1,650	4.6%
Education	$657	1.8%
Miscellaneous	$2,806	7.9%

Transportation Choice

Baltimore, has 1.10 miles of hourly transit service per mile of roadway.

Transportation Facts for Baltimore

Annual miles traveled by car per household: 20,170 miles
Percentage of trips taken by car: 82.2%
Percentage of trips taken by transit: 2.6%
Percentage of trips taken by foot: 8.1%
Percentage of trips taken by bicycle: 0.2%

Area covered is Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA).
For boundaries, visit http://www.census.gov/geo/www/mapGallery/ma_1999.pdf

To choose another Metro Area Click Here
To go back to the Driven to Spend homepage, Click Here

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20001208 Egg fans uneasy about FDA's 'No over easy' advice

Egg fans uneasy about FDA's 'No over easy' advice

December 8, 2000

In this story:

Waiter! Take back these eggs!

How risky are soft-boiled eggs?

Reducing the risk

---

By Elizabeth Cohen CNN Medical Correspondent

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- So you order your eggs sunny-side up? Like to sop up the runny yolk with a nice thick piece of toast?

Stop right there. The U.S. government says your breakfast is all wrong.

"You just need to cook your eggs thoroughly -- no sunny side up, no over easy," said Dr. Jane Henney, FDA Commissioner. "This is a case when it's better to be safe than sorry."

Because high temperatures kill salmonella bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration has recently ordered instructions on cartons of eggs telling consumers to cook them "until yolks are firm." But federal health authorities admit this is going to be a hard sell.

"These recipes are traditional -- people wake up to them in the morning. Changing those behaviors is a long and challenging prospect," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, chief of the foodborne and diarrheal disease branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But change them they must, Tauxe said, because one in every 100 U.S. consumers could be exposed to an egg contaminated with salmonella. The CDC estimates that in 1997, tainted eggs caused 90 deaths and 200,000 illnesses.

[…]

This egg controversy is nothing new to New Jersey, where in 1992 the Health Department made it illegal to serve undercooked or raw eggs. Violators could be fined $25 to $100. Hysteria resulted. Consumers bemoaned the governmental intrusion into their breakfast tables. Politicians pointed fingers. The law was quickly changed.

[…]

RELATED STORIES, SITES

Eggnog -- a Renaissance-era comfort food
November 21, 2000
Make food safety a holiday tradition
November 21, 2000
Experts see increased threat from new infectious diseases
April 26, 2000
Researchers find new, drug-resistant strain of salmonella
May 6, 1998

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RELATED SITES:

FDA - Egg Safety

CDC - Salmonella enteritidis Infection

American Egg Board

Egg Nutrition Center

Egg safety tips

Even light cooking will begin to destroy any salmonella or other bacteria that might be present in an egg, but proper cooking is necessary to complete the job.

Egg dishes should be cooked slowly over gentle heat to ensure even heat penetration.

For scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas: cook until the eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains.

Cook fried eggs until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken but are not hard. To increase the internal temperature the eggs reach, cover the pan with a lid or baste or turn the eggs.

Soft-cooked eggs should be placed in water and heated until the water is at a full, rolling boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let the eggs sit in the hot water about 5 minutes.

Poached eggs should be heated in gently simmering water until the whites are set and the yolks begin to thicken but not harden -- about 3 to 5 minutes.

Hard-boiled eggs easily reach internal temperatures sufficient to kill bacteria. Still, hard-cooked can spoil more quickly than raw eggs. They should be refrigerated promptly after cooking and used within a week.

For soft custards, including cream pie and eggnog, cook egg mixture until it is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and a thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. After cooking, cool quickly by setting the pan in ice water and stirring. Then refrigerate, covered, for at least an hour.

Source: American Egg Board

Read the entire article here: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/12/08/egg.labeling/

20001011 Halloween Trick or Treating memo for October 31, 2000

Westminster Maryland Halloween Trick or Treating

MEMORANDUM - October 11, 2000

TO: City Council Members

Thomas Beyard

John Dudderar

Chief Roger Joneckis

Carroll County Times

The Baltimore Sun - Carroll County

WTTR Radio

SUBJECT: HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREATING

As discussed at the Mayor and Council Meeting of Monday, October 9, 2000, Halloween will be observed on Tuesday, October 31, 2000 between the hours of dusk and 8:00 p.m. and is restricted to children age 12 and under plus accompanying parents or adult guardians. Residents who wish to participate by providing treats to the children should turn on their outside light. Children are advised to wear some light colored clothing so as to be more visible to motorists and to go to homes in their immediate neighborhoods with lights. Motorists should pay particular care on the evening of October 31^st with so many children walking around City streets.

KENNETH A. YOWAN

Mayor