I found this figure in the city audit that will be presented in the info meeting this morning, very interesting. Notice the massive climb in debt in just one year.Â
Figure 10
Long-term Debt to Population (Debt per Capita)
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Standard & Poor Debt per Capita averages
Low: <$1,000
Moderate: $1,000 – $2,500
High: >$2,500
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Conclusion: Long-term debt for the City of Sioux Falls increased dramatically in 2007 and 2008 primarily due to bonding for the Lewis and Clark water system project and other infrastructure projects.[1] However, the City of Sioux Falls is still in the moderate category for debt per capita according to credit industry analyst Standard & Poor. Sioux Falls is considerably below the average debt per capita of the ten comparison cities.
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I also found this section interesting, especially the 11% poverty rating. Which I think is probably a lot higher consdering the census numbers probably didn’t include this year. Also considering that almost half of the kids in our school district receive FREE or reduced meals.
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Characteristics of the ten communities used for comparison
We reviewed data from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey for 2005-2007 to identify ten Midwestern communities with similarities to Sioux Falls.[1] Â The comparison cities (urbanized areas) were:
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Duluth, Minnesota
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Fargo, North Dakota-Minnesota
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- La Crosse, Wisconsin-Minnesota
- Racine, Wisconsin
- Saint Cloud, Minnesota
- Sioux City, Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota
- Topeka, Kansas
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The eight measures we used to identify these comparison cities were:
- Population of the urban area.
- Median age of population.
- Median household income.
- Median value of owner-occupied housing.
- Poverty level: percent of population living at or below federal poverty income level.
- Geographic mobility: percent of population (at least one year old) living in the same residence as a year earlier.
- Education: percent of population (25 years and older) who had at least a high school degree.
- Housing: percent of housing built after 1990.
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Measure
| Â |
Sioux Falls |
Average of the ten communities |
|
Population |
147,000 |
127,354 |
|
Median age in years |
34.5 |
34.1 |
|
Median household income
|
$47,551 |
$43,908 |
|
Median value housing |
$134,100 |
$129,800 |
|
Poverty level |
11% |
15% |
|
Geographic mobility |
78% |
79% |
|
Education |
90% |
89% |
|
Housing built after 1990 |
32% |
21% |
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Although every city is unique, we believe that the ten comparison communities, when looked at as a composite, are very similar to many characteristics of Sioux Falls. In addition, the local governments are “full-service†governments, like the City of Sioux Falls. They offer a wide variety of government services including public safety, utilities, street maintenance, parks & recreation, et cetera.
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And speaking of the poverty level, the YWCA will also give a report on their summer meal program during the same meeting. Notice the 16% increase from last year.
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I also found this section interesting, especially the 11% poverty rating. Which I think is probably a lot higher consdering the census numbers probably didn’t include this year. Also considering that almost half of the kids in our school district receive FREE or reduced meals.
The poverty level is probably accurate. You don’t have to be totally destitute to get free/reduced lunches.
I just added a graphic on the summer meal program at the bottom.
I agree about the poverty levels. I think in order to qualify you have to be a family of 6 that has a yearly income of $30,000 or less a year.
There are a lot of working poor. People in SF are proud. They’ll work for minimum wage when they’re better off on welfare. Many people at ‘The Banquet’ are employed and pay rent but need help with food. Starve a developer, feed the poor.
I’m thinking of demonstrations at city council meetings. Shame the councilors with signs and printed T’s. The mayor cannot be influenced. There’s a hand up his back working the controls with developers taking turns throwing their voice into his framework.
There is a bright side. The starving poor kids will not get cramps when they sneak over the fence and swim at the new crack neighborhood swimming pool.
I think it is lighted at night, trust me, I thought about late night swims.
I have heard applications for food stamps in our city has the system and it’s workers overwhelmed. So out of curiosity I went lookin for food stamp guidelines. There are a lot of people in this town starting to feel this pain. Sure, we don’t hear much about it, and with the Gargoyle Leader, likely never will. We hear Sioux Falls is slipping around the recession. I don’t think so. A LOT of hard working South Dakotans settle for poverty level wages because of the pot at the end of the rainbow where working for 9-10 dollars an hour is sweetened by working 60-70 hours a week. Those kind of work weeks are gone. A lot of jobs around here that used to work a lot of overtime are now at LESS than 40 hours a week. Not a candidate or statistic for unemployment, but one for food stamps.
From http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/12/food-stamp-use-spreads-more-affluent-areas/
Getting food stamps
– Apply in person or online
For a list of offices and other help: 1-866-762-2237
Online: http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida
– Amount of benefit
Maximum is $200 a month for an individual, $150 for each additional person; $1,202 for a household of eight
– To qualify
Income guidelines: Gross monthly income at or below $1,127 for an individual, excluding certain deductions for shelter and utility costs, child care and other expenses. For each additional person in a household, add $390 to the limit. A family of two can earn up to $1,517, a family of three up to $1,907.
Assets: A household may have up to $2,000 in “countable” assets, liquid assets such as cash and some other assets such as non-homesteaded real estate. The limit increases to $3,000 for a household with a person 60 or older or someone with a disability. Excluded from the limit are a home, vehicle, household goods, a burial plot and cash value of a life insurance policy.
– What you can buy
List includes breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; meats, fish and poultry; dairy products; and seed and plants for growing food.
In other words you have to be dirt poor?
Thankyou for this report. Many people are this poor. Many qualify and do not realize they do. As times get harder, more will qualify. If you’re laid off more than a few weeks, you certainly qualify even tho you had a good job and will eventually get another. Meanwhile, this could be subsistance. Thanks again. I’ll relay this info for cases I hear of.
PG-
You’ll have to email me on how your trial goes tommorrow, and I’ll post it. I expect more Mexican Hat dances by Tornow.
l3wis says:
June 15th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
PG-
You’ll have to email me on how your trial goes tommorrow, and I’ll post it. I expect more Mexican Hat dances by Tornow.
*****************
Mind if I ask what you are talking about?
PG is the one suing the city over code enforcement and Home Rule.
Good luck PG.