Amtrak Over Time

Didn't realize May 1 was Amtrak's 40th Birthday.  Greater Greater Washington has a neat map showing the evolution, or rather, the devolution of Amtrak and passenger rail over time as roads and other modes of transportation rose (with massive government subsidies).

NLIHC's Out of Reach 2011

The National Low-Income Housing Coalition will be releasing their Out of Reach 2011 on Monday afternoon.  As some of you may know, NLIHC has released a study of housing costs around the country each year, with the most recent being Out of Reach 2010.

If you are interested in using Out of Reach to help you advocate on housing issues, Minnesota gives us some hints on how to do it effectively.

During the week, I'll be posting some data from the new Out of Reach.

New Berlin Claims No Racism

Uh, uh, sure.

New Twist to Story of Homeowner

On Sunday, I blogged about a homeowner who had done nothing wrong, but nevertheless, was facing foreclosure because of the actions of the previous lender.  Now, a not-too-surprising twist to the story.  The bank that bought Mr. Williams' home, Harris Bank, sent someone to change the locks on Mr. Williams' home (which, oddly, was "sold" at a sheriff's sale by a Harris subsidary, Amcore Bank).

"They invaded my privacy - they broke into my house," Williams said. "You can't just walk into somebody's house and change the locks - I'm just shocked."

Unfortunately, during this foreclosure crisis, this kind of mistake happens far too often, with some banks being so notorious that it actually was one of the reasons why a moratorium on foreclosures was placed in many states.  Mr. Williams, unfortunately is "lucky" that nothing was stolen or damaged during this lockout.