Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at Nine Apartment Complexes in Three States
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owners, developers and design professionals involved in the design and construction of nine multi-family housing complexes in Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee. The nine complexes comprise more than 2,000 apartments with more than 800 ground-floor units that are required by the Fair Housing Act to contain accessible features. Eight of the complexes contain leasing offices that are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to contain accessible features.
The complaint names the Bryan Company; Bryan Construction Company Inc.; Steve Bryan; Mid-South Houston Partners; Mid-South Development LLC (aka MSD LLC); the Vineyards Apartments LLC; Equity Properties LLC (formerly known as Windsor Lake Apartment LP); Cypress Lake Development LLC; Stephen G. Hill; Pickering Firm Inc. (aka Pickering Inc.); Larry Singleton (dba Singleton Hollomon Architects); H D Lang and Associates Inc.; Richard A. Barron, Architect; Shows Dearman & Waits Inc.; Timothy R. Burge, PA (dba Professional Associates Inc.); Canizaro Cawthon Davis (formerly known as Canizaro Trigiani Architects); Smith Engineering & Surveying Inc. (aka Smith Engineering Firm Inc., aka S.E.C.O. Inc., dba Smith Engineering Co. Inc.); Evans-Graves Engineers; and J.V. Burkes & Associates Inc. as the parties responsible for violating these laws. The complaint also names eleven current owners as necessary parties in whose absence complete relief cannot be afforded.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, alleges that the nine properties are inaccessible to persons with disabilities because they, for example, lack accessible pedestrian routes; lack accessible parking; have steep cross and running slopes; have doors that are not sufficiently wide enough to allow passage by persons in wheelchairs; have insufficient accessible routes into and through the units; have light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls in inaccessible locations; and/or have kitchens and bathrooms that are inaccessible to persons in wheelchairs. Further, the complaint alleges that the leasing offices are inaccessible to persons with disabilities because, for example, they lack accessible pedestrian approach routes, lack compliant parking spaces, have inaccessible counters, and/or have inaccessible door hardware.
“The Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act include provisions to ensure that persons with disabilities have opportunities to find and live comfortably in multifamily housing across the nation,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue its vigorous pursuit of equal housing opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities.”
“The design and construction of multi-family apartment complexes must comply with the Fair Housing laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” said John M. Dowdy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “My office remains vigilant in its efforts to eradicate discrimination and to ensure that persons with disabilities have legally accessible accommodations in which to live. We will remain steadfast in making sure that developers, owners, architects and civil engineers design and develop apartments and other buildings which comply with these laws.”
The suit seeks a court order declaring that the defendants’ actions violate the Fair Housing Act and the ADA, prohibiting the defendants from engaging in future discrimination in the design and construction of multi-family housing; requiring the defendants to bring the covered multi-family dwellings, and public and common use areas into compliance with fair housing laws; and awarding monetary damages to persons harmed by the defendants’ discriminatory housing practices.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Title III of the ADA requires, among other things, that public accommodations comply with specific requirements related to architectural standards to ensure accessible public and common use areas. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
Source:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/May/11-ag-646.html
The complaint names the Bryan Company; Bryan Construction Company Inc.; Steve Bryan; Mid-South Houston Partners; Mid-South Development LLC (aka MSD LLC); the Vineyards Apartments LLC; Equity Properties LLC (formerly known as Windsor Lake Apartment LP); Cypress Lake Development LLC; Stephen G. Hill; Pickering Firm Inc. (aka Pickering Inc.); Larry Singleton (dba Singleton Hollomon Architects); H D Lang and Associates Inc.; Richard A. Barron, Architect; Shows Dearman & Waits Inc.; Timothy R. Burge, PA (dba Professional Associates Inc.); Canizaro Cawthon Davis (formerly known as Canizaro Trigiani Architects); Smith Engineering & Surveying Inc. (aka Smith Engineering Firm Inc., aka S.E.C.O. Inc., dba Smith Engineering Co. Inc.); Evans-Graves Engineers; and J.V. Burkes & Associates Inc. as the parties responsible for violating these laws. The complaint also names eleven current owners as necessary parties in whose absence complete relief cannot be afforded.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, alleges that the nine properties are inaccessible to persons with disabilities because they, for example, lack accessible pedestrian routes; lack accessible parking; have steep cross and running slopes; have doors that are not sufficiently wide enough to allow passage by persons in wheelchairs; have insufficient accessible routes into and through the units; have light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls in inaccessible locations; and/or have kitchens and bathrooms that are inaccessible to persons in wheelchairs. Further, the complaint alleges that the leasing offices are inaccessible to persons with disabilities because, for example, they lack accessible pedestrian approach routes, lack compliant parking spaces, have inaccessible counters, and/or have inaccessible door hardware.
“The Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act include provisions to ensure that persons with disabilities have opportunities to find and live comfortably in multifamily housing across the nation,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue its vigorous pursuit of equal housing opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities.”
“The design and construction of multi-family apartment complexes must comply with the Fair Housing laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” said John M. Dowdy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “My office remains vigilant in its efforts to eradicate discrimination and to ensure that persons with disabilities have legally accessible accommodations in which to live. We will remain steadfast in making sure that developers, owners, architects and civil engineers design and develop apartments and other buildings which comply with these laws.”
The suit seeks a court order declaring that the defendants’ actions violate the Fair Housing Act and the ADA, prohibiting the defendants from engaging in future discrimination in the design and construction of multi-family housing; requiring the defendants to bring the covered multi-family dwellings, and public and common use areas into compliance with fair housing laws; and awarding monetary damages to persons harmed by the defendants’ discriminatory housing practices.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Title III of the ADA requires, among other things, that public accommodations comply with specific requirements related to architectural standards to ensure accessible public and common use areas. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
Source:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/May/11-ag-646.html
Friday, May 13, 2011
Outlook Worsening for Social Security, Medicare, Trustees Say
If you're 54 or older and plan to live the average American life expectancy of 77.9 years, then you're in good shape.
But if you're planning to live past the year 2036, don't count on Social Security.
And if you're relying on Medicare, don't even think about the math.
That's the picture laid out in a new report released Friday by Social Security and Medicare trustees, who say the bad economy has shortened the life span of the trust funds for the nation's two biggest benefit programs.
Currently, 46 million American seniors use Medicare. For those depending on the medical insurance plan, the hospital fund exhaustion deadline is now set at 2024, five year's earlier than last year's estimate.
The report says the Social Security trust fund that now helps 55 million retirees, disabled people and children who have lost parents will be exhausted in 2036, one year earlier than before.
The trustees predicted that Social Security recipients, who now average $1,077.22 in monthly payments, will receive a 0.7 cost of living bump in 2012 even while noting that the cost of funding the program will jump dramatically in the next 24 years.
"We're going to have substantial continuing cost growth in the Social Security program to the point where by the mid 2030s costs will be roughly 50 percent larger, nearly -- relative to the size of the economy," said trustee Charles Blahous, a Hoover Institution fellow. "At the point of trust fund exhaustion in Social Security, we would be looking at either a 23 percent benefit reduction for an increase in the payroll tax rate to 16.4 percent."
The trustees said that they moved up the target date for the Medicare hospital trust fund because health care costs continue to rise while fewer people are working and paying Medicare premiums into the fund.
Last year's report had extended the life of the Medicare fund by 12 years -- to 2029 -- to reflect the savings they say would be found in the massive overhaul of health care that President Obama got Congress to pass in 2010.
"The Obama administration has already taken steps to strengthen and extend the solvency of Medicare, implementing policies including those in the Affordable Care Act that will save nearly $120 billion for Medicare over the next five years," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, another trustee.
The projections associated with the new law are still included in the trustees' calculations, but payroll taxes have fallen dramatically enough to reduce the life span.
The deficit in the Medicare trust fund is no surprise to Democrats and Republicans, who are sparring on how to reform the system to extend its lifetime. They argue that the annual "doctor fix" associated with rising medical care costs removes projected savings each year. Other cost cuts have been difficult to realize.
House Republicans have passed a plan introduced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan that would replace Medicare with a voucher-like payment system for future retirees. Paul said Friday that the program would prevent a raid on Medicare trust fund "ensuring that Medicare savings go toward saving Medicare, not creating a brand new entitlement."
"Rather than allow opponents of reform to allow Medicare to collapse, the House-passed budget saves Medicare, making no changes for those 55 and older and offering future generations a strengthened, personalized Medicare program they can count on," Paul said.
Sebelius said the proposal goes the wrong way.
"Some in Congress want to take us backwards and have proposed a plan that would end Medicare as we know it and shift costs to seniors and the most vulnerable. That's the wrong way to reform Medicare," Sebelius said.
But Republicans who have been urging Congress to act on the plan submitted by Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, said Friday that the new projections are a wake-up call to take action.
"Washington has no excuse. We have known for years this was coming," Senate Budget Committee ranking Republican Jeff Sessions said in a written statement. "House Republicans have passed an honest, serious plan to confront our nation’s long-term challenges. It has been 744 (days) since this chamber has passed a budget. If Senate Democrats go another year without passing a budget it would be a national scandal."
Even as some Republicans plead for changes to Medicare, Social Security reforms are evidently already off the table. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has insisted that Social Security doesn't have a problem.
After meeting with President Obama on Thursday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that changes to Social Security won't be part of any deal to reduce spending as part of an extension of the debt limit.
Six trustees oversee Social Security and Medicare. They are Sebelius, Blahous, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue and former Congressional Budget Office Director Robert D. Reischauer.
Source and More:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/13/trustees-worsening-picture-social-security-medicare/?cmpid=cmty_fb_Gigya_Outlook_Worsening_for_Social_Security%2C_Medicare%2C_Trustees_Say
But if you're planning to live past the year 2036, don't count on Social Security.
And if you're relying on Medicare, don't even think about the math.
That's the picture laid out in a new report released Friday by Social Security and Medicare trustees, who say the bad economy has shortened the life span of the trust funds for the nation's two biggest benefit programs.
Currently, 46 million American seniors use Medicare. For those depending on the medical insurance plan, the hospital fund exhaustion deadline is now set at 2024, five year's earlier than last year's estimate.
The report says the Social Security trust fund that now helps 55 million retirees, disabled people and children who have lost parents will be exhausted in 2036, one year earlier than before.
The trustees predicted that Social Security recipients, who now average $1,077.22 in monthly payments, will receive a 0.7 cost of living bump in 2012 even while noting that the cost of funding the program will jump dramatically in the next 24 years.
"We're going to have substantial continuing cost growth in the Social Security program to the point where by the mid 2030s costs will be roughly 50 percent larger, nearly -- relative to the size of the economy," said trustee Charles Blahous, a Hoover Institution fellow. "At the point of trust fund exhaustion in Social Security, we would be looking at either a 23 percent benefit reduction for an increase in the payroll tax rate to 16.4 percent."
The trustees said that they moved up the target date for the Medicare hospital trust fund because health care costs continue to rise while fewer people are working and paying Medicare premiums into the fund.
Last year's report had extended the life of the Medicare fund by 12 years -- to 2029 -- to reflect the savings they say would be found in the massive overhaul of health care that President Obama got Congress to pass in 2010.
"The Obama administration has already taken steps to strengthen and extend the solvency of Medicare, implementing policies including those in the Affordable Care Act that will save nearly $120 billion for Medicare over the next five years," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, another trustee.
The projections associated with the new law are still included in the trustees' calculations, but payroll taxes have fallen dramatically enough to reduce the life span.
The deficit in the Medicare trust fund is no surprise to Democrats and Republicans, who are sparring on how to reform the system to extend its lifetime. They argue that the annual "doctor fix" associated with rising medical care costs removes projected savings each year. Other cost cuts have been difficult to realize.
House Republicans have passed a plan introduced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan that would replace Medicare with a voucher-like payment system for future retirees. Paul said Friday that the program would prevent a raid on Medicare trust fund "ensuring that Medicare savings go toward saving Medicare, not creating a brand new entitlement."
"Rather than allow opponents of reform to allow Medicare to collapse, the House-passed budget saves Medicare, making no changes for those 55 and older and offering future generations a strengthened, personalized Medicare program they can count on," Paul said.
Sebelius said the proposal goes the wrong way.
"Some in Congress want to take us backwards and have proposed a plan that would end Medicare as we know it and shift costs to seniors and the most vulnerable. That's the wrong way to reform Medicare," Sebelius said.
But Republicans who have been urging Congress to act on the plan submitted by Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, said Friday that the new projections are a wake-up call to take action.
"Washington has no excuse. We have known for years this was coming," Senate Budget Committee ranking Republican Jeff Sessions said in a written statement. "House Republicans have passed an honest, serious plan to confront our nation’s long-term challenges. It has been 744 (days) since this chamber has passed a budget. If Senate Democrats go another year without passing a budget it would be a national scandal."
Even as some Republicans plead for changes to Medicare, Social Security reforms are evidently already off the table. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has insisted that Social Security doesn't have a problem.
After meeting with President Obama on Thursday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that changes to Social Security won't be part of any deal to reduce spending as part of an extension of the debt limit.
Six trustees oversee Social Security and Medicare. They are Sebelius, Blahous, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue and former Congressional Budget Office Director Robert D. Reischauer.
Source and More:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/13/trustees-worsening-picture-social-security-medicare/?cmpid=cmty_fb_Gigya_Outlook_Worsening_for_Social_Security%2C_Medicare%2C_Trustees_Say
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Paquin Geo Thermal Update
The drilling of the 40 some odd 500 foot deep well was completed today and that crew will be getting their work cleaned up and then the next demolition crew will move in to tear up the entire parking lot so all of the Geo Thermal Well Lateral Lines can be installed per plans and then the entire parking lot can be resurfaced.,
Work inside is proceeding nicely too with the start of tearing out the old base board type radiator units and the new Geo Thermal Units being installed but the process of drilling for the piping has not yet begun.
The new Air Handlers and Boilers are coming into place as well.
Work is proceeding and looking good.
Work inside is proceeding nicely too with the start of tearing out the old base board type radiator units and the new Geo Thermal Units being installed but the process of drilling for the piping has not yet begun.
The new Air Handlers and Boilers are coming into place as well.
Work is proceeding and looking good.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Project Homeless Connect Fundraising Events
Hello Everyone!
I am excited to send out this email in regards to the upcoming Project Homeless Connect fundraising events that we are conducting this year. As always we are in need of all your support. Project Homeless Connect is a 100% donation driven homeless event and we could use your help this year! Below is a list of all the events that will be coming up over the next month. I am attaching a flyer, and will be sending out more emails with flyers attached so that you will be able to print them out and take them with you.
Please remember to invite everyone you can! Hope to see everyone there!
Houlihan’s – Thursday May 5th 5-8p - No flyer necessary
Chevy’s – Saturday May 7th 11a-11p - Flyer attached, please print and bring with you to the event
Culver’s Monday May 16th 5-8p – Waiting on flyer from restaurant, will distribute by next week
Gary Stoner II
Community Support Supervisor
Stephens Lake Clinic - Burrell Behavioral Health
gary.stoner@burrellcenter.com
(p) : (573) 777-7501
(f) : (573) 777-7577
Flyer URL:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=12fb69bde377cb66&mt=application/msword&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3Dc0c0980580%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12fb69bde377cb66%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&sig=AHIEtbQ_JaMnY4c21OsbqVslL402CbRPVw
https://docs.google.com/viewer?attid=0.1&pid=gmail&thid=12fb69bde377cb66&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3D2%26ik%3Dc0c0980580%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12fb69bde377cb66%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&docid=1c6de7d41cfca9b28efd8dc5bf3dc72d%7C94507c5c05d5d54eb15a00069f3095bc&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800
I am excited to send out this email in regards to the upcoming Project Homeless Connect fundraising events that we are conducting this year. As always we are in need of all your support. Project Homeless Connect is a 100% donation driven homeless event and we could use your help this year! Below is a list of all the events that will be coming up over the next month. I am attaching a flyer, and will be sending out more emails with flyers attached so that you will be able to print them out and take them with you.
Please remember to invite everyone you can! Hope to see everyone there!
Houlihan’s – Thursday May 5th 5-8p - No flyer necessary
Chevy’s – Saturday May 7th 11a-11p - Flyer attached, please print and bring with you to the event
Culver’s Monday May 16th 5-8p – Waiting on flyer from restaurant, will distribute by next week
Gary Stoner II
Community Support Supervisor
Stephens Lake Clinic - Burrell Behavioral Health
gary.stoner@burrellcenter.com
(p) : (573) 777-7501
(f) : (573) 777-7577
Flyer URL:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=12fb69bde377cb66&mt=application/msword&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3Dc0c0980580%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12fb69bde377cb66%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&sig=AHIEtbQ_JaMnY4c21OsbqVslL402CbRPVw
https://docs.google.com/viewer?attid=0.1&pid=gmail&thid=12fb69bde377cb66&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3D2%26ik%3Dc0c0980580%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12fb69bde377cb66%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&docid=1c6de7d41cfca9b28efd8dc5bf3dc72d%7C94507c5c05d5d54eb15a00069f3095bc&a=bi&pagenumber=1&w=800
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