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Until next time, I am and will always be Frank...

How many A.D.D. children are actually Lead Poisoned children?
Topic: Health
What percentage of children in the U.S. have been misdiagnosed to have Attention Deficit Disorder but have never been tested for lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning symptoms are:

Children have reading and learning difficulties, behavioral problems, difficulty paying attention and hyperactivity, seizures, coma and death.

Children can get lead poisoning by breathing or swallowing lead dust particles.

Homes built prior to 1978 are prone to contain lead paint which can crack and turn to dust.

Unborn children can be exposed by their pregnant mothers.

Adults can have a loss of sex drive, physical fatigue and/or high blood pressure.

To learn more, go to EPA web site.

Anyone selling or buying homes, renting or leasing homes (landlords and tenants) or remodeling homes (built in or before 1978) should get tested for lead poisoning.

Blood testing shows lead poisoning acquired within only 30 days.

A "ZPP" test is a better test for long term lead poisoning.

Our bodies can not distinguish lead from calcium nor iron. Lead is stored in our bones for up to 30 years.

Most doctors have only minimal training in identifying lead poisoning.

Lead Safe Work Practices
Topic: Government
I attended a Lead Safe Work Practices seminar today. The Environmental Protection Agency is working to reduce the number of lead poisoning cases in the United States.

All houses built in and before 1978 should be tested for potential lead hazzards.

The EPA has created a brochure to be given to people who purchase, lease/rent, or work in (and neighbors of) homes containing lead paint. Violation of EPA and OSHA standards have legal consequences.

Home sellers, landlords, renovation contractors, and real estate agents are responsible by federal regulations to comply with informing people of the possible lead hazzards. In fact, the responsible parties are required to get a written receipt from the people they hand the lead hazzard brochure to.

Special equipment and supplies are required to be used by renovation contractors. I have researched some of the suppliers and provided links to their websites for your convenience.

Let me know when you have any questions. Until next time, I am and will always be Frank...
Read More...

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Katrina Fund, Alabama's Landlord-Tenant Bill and Mobile Gas Rates
Topic: Government
There were three items in today's Mobile Register that caught my eye. I read that Bayou La Batre, AL was finally getting assistance towards getting back in the shrimping industry. Bayou La Batre is normally a very productive shrimping town in South Alabama. It was severely hit by hurricane Katrina. But it should be getting some relief next month because of the efforts of past Presidents Bush and Clinton. They established The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to help those hurt by Katrina and later by federal assistance programs that excluded them from getting back on its' economic feet. If you remember, FEMA stopped the Coast Guard from recovering shrimp boats stranded by Katrina. I applaud both Bush and Clinton for their initiatives.

The Mobile Register also reported that the Alabama House of Representatives passed the Landlord-Tenant Bill yesterday. This is an important step in raising the quality of life in Alabama. I understand that both landlords and tenants agreed to the final bill. The actual bill can be found at the Alabama Legislature's Web Site. You can search HB287 and read the bill in its' entirety. It is up to the Senate to approve the bill before it becomes law next year.

Also, Mobile Gas is in the news again. The PSC has been investigating why Mobile Gas is billing its customers higher rates than nearby gas distributers in Louisiana and Mississippi. The Public Service Commission mistakenly investigated whether or not meter readers were inflating customers' actual gas usage. Fortunately, PSC Commissioner George Wallace Jr is now investigating the wholesale prices (and hopefully Mobile Gas internal cost factors) that Mobile Gas pays for our gas. I got a breakdown of Mobile Gas cost factors in my current bill. It shows 14% of the billing that has nothing to do with supply costs (55%), operation and maintenance expenses (16%), nor taxes (15%). Ever since the Mobile Register published its' article comparing Mobile Gas rates v.s. nearby area rates, Mobile Gas has been sending tips on how to save on our gas bills. The one thing they missed was moving out of their jurisdiction. Most of their suggestions had to do with insulation improvements to rental housing that tenants have no control over. However, the IRS have incentives for energy efficient homes that homebuilders and homeowners can use to cut their tax obligations. Take a look at my 2/21/06 post for the IRS pdf file links.

Until next time... I am and will always be Frank

New Orleans Levee Reconstruction Progress
Topic: Government
I get press releases on a regular basis from the federal government. One of today's notices was about the Corps of Engineers' progress report on the reconstruction of New Orleans' levee damaged by hurricane Katrina.

"To date, 100 of the 169 damaged miles of levee have been repaired, and 85 percent of pumping capacity is restored, Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, commander and chief of engineers, Army Corps of Engineers, said at a White House news conference."

I thought you might want to read about their progress. Take a look at it here on the Corps of Engineers' web site. I wish New Orleans a speedy recovery. Until next time... I am and will always be Frank....