AltWeeklies Wire
Who, Exactly, Does Gay Marriage Benefit?new

Gay marriage has become a black hole that is sucking untold amounts of money, time, and energy out of the LGBT community.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Tommi Avicolli Mecca |
06-24-2009 |
LGBT
Foreclosure and Its Aftereffects in East Oaklandnew

The wave of foreclosures affecting East Oakland and other low-income neighborhoods has been accompanied by a related wave of blight, decay, and crime.
East Bay Express |
Sam Levin |
06-24-2009 |
Housing & Development
Greeting Society's Collapse with a Smile and a Shovelnew

Transition was launched when one Rob Hopkins recognized that modern Western society cannot continue at its current pace of life as fast access to oil begins to dwindle. Global warming and economic meltdown are the two other principle drivers of the Transition movement, but in an ideal "Transition Town," society would be ready for such changes.
North Bay Bohemian |
Alastair Bland |
06-22-2009 |
Environment
Exposing The Biggest Scam In The Auto Industrynew

While insurance companies vehemently deny that "steering" is practiced throughout the industry, the evidence gathered by a Press investigation suggests that some of the largest and most popular auto insurance companies in the nation are involved.
Long Island Press |
Michael M. Martino, Jr. |
06-19-2009 |
Economy
GM Hits the Rocks: Will it be a 'Surgical' Bankruptcy?new
GM will now concentrate on small cars, and it is expending a lot of capital on the Chevrolet Volt, a radical plug-in hybrid still due in late 2010 that can travel 40 miles on its lithium-ion batteries alone.
New Haven Advocate |
Jim Motavalli |
06-16-2009 |
Business & Labor
GM's Bankruptcy Marks the End of an Era of Second-Best Arrogancenew
The truth is we all lose and, in a sense, it is the end of an era. But romanticizing GM's past, particularly the past several years, when we've watched it fall further and further behind Asian automakers in terms of affordability and technology isn’t healthy either.
Pasadena Weekly |
Jennifer Hadley |
06-16-2009 |
Business & Labor
How Do You Take the Rust Out of the Rust Belt?new
It's a question politicians and policymakers have been asking themselves for years. Now, with a new administration in the White House and stimulus money at the ready, local lawmakers and nonprofits are looking for ways to funnel some much-needed capital into revitalizing Great Lakes cities.
Working the Home Price Reductionsnew

In today’s buyers' market, you hear stories of $500,000 homes selling for as little as $250,000 -- a buyer's jackpot by any standard. Price reductions are everywhere -- so how can a savvy homebuyer make the most of them?
C-Ville Weekly |
Jessie Knadler |
06-10-2009 |
Housing & Development
Overcoming Illness Is Only Half the Battle for Cash-Strapped New Mexicansnew

Through outreach work, Health Action New Mexico has discovered common scenarios that force people to fall into the trap of insurmountable health costs.
Weekly Alibi |
Simon McCormack |
06-09-2009 |
Economy
Michigan Communities Use HUD Dollars for Demolition, Rehab and Ownershipnew

In Michigan, the HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Program is funding projects aimed at offsetting some of the harmful effects that foreclosed and vacant properties have on neighborhoods, as well as increasing home ownership and redevelopment.
Metro Times |
Sandra Svoboda |
06-09-2009 |
Economy
It’s Survival Of The Fittest For Urban Pioneers in Downtown Dallasnew
Dallas dreams of a vibrant city center, where residents, shops and restaurants mingle. But this is not a report on what city officials envision. This is a look at downtown from the street-level. Restaurants are still struggling. Homelessness is still an issue. People still perceive the area as dead, although that perception is beginning to change.
Dallas Observer |
Kimberly Thorpe |
06-08-2009 |
Business & Labor
Minnesota Governor Cuts Healthcare for the Poornew

For over 30 years, General Assistance Medical Care has protected patients living far beneath the poverty line in Minnesota. But in the twilight of the legislative session, it became the victim of a line item veto from Gov. Tim Pawlenty's budget.
City Pages (Twin Cities) |
David Hansen |
06-05-2009 |
Policy Issues
Buffalo or California: Which Is the Better National Bellwether?new
It's now reasonable, and not far-fetched, to expect fiscal chaos in state and local governments in the next two years. Here's what fiscal chaos means: more Californias.
Looking for Work in South Texasnew

Economists now say the Rio Grande Valley may ride out the economic crisis more comfortably than the rest of the U.S. Despite such optimism, the region is still plagued by the same structural problems that have long depressed its economy.
The Texas Observer |
Kevin Sieff |
05-13-2009 |
Economy
It's Easy for a Homeowner's Payments to Fall Through the Cracksnew

Nancy Perez discovered that the worst thing to happen to her home was not a fire, but mismanagement among the mortgage servicers -- the companies charged with collecting monthly payments -- on her $76,000 loan.
Houston Press |
Craig Malisow |
04-08-2009 |
Economy