Potholes
might not get filled and worn-out roads might not get paved as quickly
as planned this summer. This is all because the
cost of asphalt is out of
sight.
Asphalt, or
blacktop, as we call it in the South, is
largely made of
petroleum products.
Take a look at this graph, from the California Department of Transportation, which clearly shows the rising cost of a ton of asphalt from July of 1990 to March 2006. Here is a link to the same paving asphalt price index in table form. Search here for other state-specific information.
I have seen stories from Maine, Georgia, Rhode Island, Ohio, Florida, Michigan and Massachusetts about what these prices mean to construction and to state, county and local governments.
The Boston Globe said:
Two
major asphalt suppliers for the region are warning of another 50
percent increase by Thanksgiving -- in addition to potential shortages.
The news comes as public works crews in some areas hard hit by last
month's record flooding are still patching sinkholes and replacing
washed-out roadway shoulders. Communities are hoping federal emergency
funds will cover most of those repairs.
For more information, here are some links you might find useful:
Enhanced 911 Unavailable to Many Cell-Phone Users
A friend of mine, investigative reporter Laure Quinlivan from WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, recently went after a story that we have mentioned here on Al's Morning Meeting many times.
Despite the fact that cell phones are the number-one way that people in
need contact emergency numbers, the National Emergency Number
Association says that half of the nation's counties,
mostly in rural areas, do not provide enhanced 911 (E911) service to wireless
customers. In many states, only a tiny percentage of the population
has access to this life-saving technology.
Laure found, for example, that only 6 percent of Ohio cell-phone
users are covered by E911. Ohio is hardly alone. In at least a dozen other
states, the
majority of the population still has no E-911 wireless coverage.
In Georgia, only 15 percent
of all counties have full E-911 wireless capabilities; in Oklahoma, 1
percent of counties have it and in Texas, only 19 percent of counties
have the service. (See chart for all states on Page 22 of the recent Government Accountability Office report on the topic. [PDF])
Now,
a point of context. Nearly 80 percent of "public safety answering points"
do
have the ability to at least locate the cell phone tower or site that
receives an emergency call made from a wireless phone. But that, I
think, is because the best cell-phone coverage is mostly in big urban
areas,
not rural areas, where emergency response times may be even more
critical because of volunteer departments and longer driving distances.
The National Emergency Number Association,
in a brand new report, says more than 88 percent of the population has
access to
"Phase I 911," which means you can dial 911 on your wireless phone
and the emergency operator receives your phone number. But only 75.8
percent has "Phase II" capacity. "Phase II" implies that the
emergency operator can detect the call's location and phone
number.
Some states (Kansas,
Mississippi and Texas) told the GAO that it might be five years until they
have Phase II E-911 wireless in place. Five states (Alabama, Arizona, Idaho,
Illinois and Wisconsin) said they might never be fully covered by E-911. (See Page 16 of the GAO report for a full chart. [PDF])
The GAO says that less than 40 percent of the populations each of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Ohio, Mississippi,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and New
Mexico are covered with Phase II wireless E911.
South Carolina, Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Idaho and Alaska have between 40 and 60 percent of their populations covered.
More than 20 states now have more than 80 percent of their population covered. (See Page 14 of the GAO report for a map. [PDF])
And remember: For E911 coverage, you pay between .20 and $3.00 per
month -- and have for many years every month. (The exceptions are
Missouri and Vermont, which do not impose state surcharges.) To see how
much your state charges, go to Pages 18 and 19 of this report. West Virginia charges the most -- $3.00. Alaska, Georgia and New York round out the top four.
What happens to that money? The GAO said the answer is not always clear -- and sometimes it is not used for E911 at all:
Four ... states reported
that they were unsure if all E911 funds were used solely for E911
purposes because the funds are collected and managed at the local
level. The four states that reported that E911 funds were made
available or used for purposes not related to E911 indicated that the
E911 funds were transferred to their state's general fund. For example,
one state told us that E911 funds were transferred to the general fund
to help balance the state budget. Another state [North Carolina]
reported that some E911 funds were transferred to the state police
since they answer emergency calls in some areas of the state. (See, state-by-state, how E911 revenues were spent by going to Page 22 of this report. [PDF])
Cell-phone companies
said last year that part of the problem is that cell-phone users are not replacing
their phones as fast as they used to, so the newer-technology phones
are not on the street. And
some users don't want others to be able to track their calls.
Laure's story
contained another interesting aside. Sometimes calls placed from
wireless phones go to the wrong dispatch center. With the help of local
police, she placed a call while standing inside a local emergency
dispatch center, and the call went to a different county. The
issue is cell towers that are out of calibration and send the singnals
to the wrong places. As Laure said in her story:
It's
a lesson for all of us with cell phones. You never know when you may
need to call 911 -- but you'd better know where you are.
Resources:
Fancy Coffee Loaded with Fat/Calories
You might not realize it, but those fancy coffee drinks really can make you fat. Look at the calorie counts.
WebMD said:
"Depending
on the kind of milk and ingredients used, a large latte can contain
from 250 calories to as many as 570 calories," according to information
from the February (2003) issue of the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. "And those delicious chocolate or blended coffee drinks you love also can add up to 500 calories or more."
Coffee in its "purest" form has no fat and no calories whatsoever. But here come the shockers:
- Two tablespoons of flavored nondairy creamer (liquid) adds 80 calories and four grams of fat (as much as a pat of butter).
- Two tablespoons of flavored syrup adds 80 calories, but no fat.
- One tablespoon of cream adds 50 calories and six grams of fat.
- One tablespoon of liquid plain nondairy creamer has 25 calories and two grams of fat.
- One tablespoon of half-and-half has 20 calories and two grams of fat.
- Cappuccino
(espresso, steamed milk, foamed milk) has seven grams of fat and 137
calories when whole milk is used; four grams of fat and 109 calories
with low-fat milk; just under a half gram of fat and 80 calories with
fat-free milk.
- Coffee
latte (espresso and steamed milk) has 212 calories and nine grams of
fat when whole milk is used; 167 calories and six grams of fat with
low-fat milk; 123 calories and 0.6 grams fat with fat-free milk.
- Coffee
mocha with whole milk (espresso, cocoa, steamed milk) has 340 calories
and 20 grams of fat with whipped cream; 260 calories with six grams of
fat without whipped cream.
- Coffee
mocha with low-fat milk has 302 calories and 16 grams of fat with
whipped cream; 220 calories and six grams of fat minus whipped cream.
- Coffee
mocha with fat-free milk has 264 calories and 11 grams of fat with
whipped cream and 182 calories; two grams of fat without whipped cream.
Church of NASCAR
The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported that the Church of Scientology is now sponsoring a car in NASCAR races. I wonder
how that will play in the Bible Belt. Previous sponsors of racecars have included
everything from aspirin to Viagra.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited
story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well
as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly
from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided
whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the
accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and
inaccuracies found will be corrected.
