Manufacturing Jobs coming Back To America

An excellent article on how manufacturing jobs are coming back to America. A very good trend for the US. Of course, we produce a lot more with fewer people - and most of them have to very skilled.


http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/12/the-insourcing-boom/309166/

The Atlantic and Atlantic Cities are an excellent source of info for city planners. And they are morphing from a once a month magazine to an always updated information flow.  Very nice.

theatlantic.com

theatlanticcities.com

Chicago New Americans Plan

Mayor Emanuel released the Chicago New Americans Plan, which outlines 27 initiatives to build a thriving, diverse and welcoming city over the next three years. The plan, which is the first of its kind in the nation, highlights the potential economic impact when the City supports the creation and expansion of immigrant-owned businesses; develops, attracts, and retains talent and expertise from other countries; and aims to bolster the City’s status as a vibrant and welcoming international city.

“With residents from over 140 countries and more than 100 languages spoken in our city, Chicago is a city of immigrants,” said Mayor Emanuel. “These immigrants are small business owners, teachers, parents, clergymen, elected officials, and leaders in our communities. This is why I am committed to making Chicago the most immigrant friendly city in the nation. I thank the ONA Advisory Committee for assisting us in developing a plan that will ensure Chicago continues to thrive and grow and attract the world’s leading human capital to compete in the 21st century global economy and beyond.” 

Click to Read More

cityofchicago.org

Ray LaHood

An interview with US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Click to see the interview in the Atlantic Cities

Building For Extended Familie

Under One Roof, Building for Extended Families

Chris Hinkle for The New York Times

Tom Moser, right, with his wife, Kristin, and his father, Lee, at their Tucson-area home, designed for a multigenerational family.

By PENELOPE GREEN

Tom and Kristin Moser’s new house — nearly 3,000 square feet in a development outside Tucson — has all the modern amenities, including solar panels and an open kitchen. But their house also has a feature that the builders are betting will be a hit, like the dog showers and craft rooms that beckoned during the boom. Tucked inside is a one-bedroom apartment with its own garage and a discrete entrance around the side.

Click to Read the Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/us/building-homes-for-modern-multigenerational-families.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1&goback=.gde_128742_member_192147692& 

The Plight of the Alpha Female

KAY S. HYMOWITZ

The Plight of the Alpha Female

Women remain scarce in the most elite positions. And it’s by choice.

BETTMANN/CORBIS/AP IMAGES

For women, work and family commitments have long been in tension.

Are we witnessing “the end of men”? You can see why the idea—also the title of a new book by journalist Hanna Rosin—makes sense. Women obtain the majority of college and graduate-school degrees. In their twenties, if they don’t have children, they outearn their male peers. They’re the primary wage earners in a rapidly growing percentage of households. American women even won more Olympic medals than their male compatriots did this summer. But for all of women’s success, there’s one area in which the rumor of male demise has been greatly exaggerated. At the top of every industry, men remain in charge. Finance, law, medicine, business, government, media, academia—you’ll have a tough time finding enough alpha-level women in any of these fields to fill a Davos conference room.

Click to read this interesting article.

http://www.city-journal.org/2012/22_4_alpha-female.html

Our Trip to Mars

Interesting video on how we went to Mars

http://www.youtube.com/embed/XRCIzZHpFtY?rel=0

Bald Eagles in Peoria and on the Illinois River

Thanks to Karen Scott for sharing the photo above.

Photo above by Christine Albrecht. 

More of her Photos at: 

http://triblocal.com/glenview/community/galleries/2012/02/eagle/

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Forty years ago the rivers and streams of the United States were open sewers.  We collectively spent a great deal of money and effort to clean up our sewer plants and improve our conservation farming practices.  And we purchased substantial amounts of open space and flood plain, improving the environment.

Congratulations, America.

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The Federal Government passed the Clean Water Act in 1975, committing the country to a massive effort to make our rivers and streams fishable and swimmable by 1985.  We did not make that ambitious goal, but we substantially improved the water quality and environment throughout the county - as shown by increasing bio diversity of our country.  Bald Eagles are back.

One of the first major efforts that I undertook as a planner in Joliet, Will County was to work on the Clean Water Act. The Federal Government provided substantial funds for the effort.  We planned some big events on the DesPlaines River in downtown to popularize how nice it would be to have  a clean river to replace our rather ugly Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal.

I planned on jumping into the canal, swimming from one side to the other and back to show how great it would be.  Marla Gursh, our environmental planner, suggested that I first contact our Health Department. Thanks again, Marla.

The Health Department told us their protocol when someone fell into the River.  They listed the number of shots and medicines they recommended, and how they recommended that every orifice be cleaned with alcohol. 

I skipped the swim.  But we can all be proud that we have substantially improved our air and water quality.

Image from:

http://www.ejourna.com/travel/eagle-watching-in-illinois/