July numbers are old news, but they don’t get published until August. It is important to remember that it is usually at least 30 days from the offer to closing. Home sales were down in July month over month nationwide.
Happy Labor Day – 2024
Labor Day marks the end of Summer, probably because school starts or has started. Technically summer doesn’t end for a few more weeks.
I have used most of these pictures before to commemorate Labor Day. You will notice that almost all of the workers are white. Last year I added a new picture of a hat factory that was partitioned off so that black women could work there.
Most of the jobs in the pictures don’t exist anymore. Back then wages were enough to pay for a place to live, food, and medical care too.
Working conditions for many have improved over the last 100 years but work is still work. It was once thought that technology would replace workers and it has but no one ever expected technology to be in charge of so many workers. I am thinking of those who work in warehouses, large discount chains, and call centers.
Some jobs are broken down into pieces so that each individual worker does part of a job, over and over. Many jobs don’t pay well enough so that the worker can afford life’s necessities.
Our brand of predatory capitalism is part of the reason why so many workers can’t have nice things but their bosses and the people who own the companies can.
On a happier note labor unions are experiencing a resurgence. I think we need strong labor unions.
The photos came from Flickr commons where there is a treasure trove of old photographs.
Happy Labor Day!
Fall isn’t far off
It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. Summer isn’t over, we have a few more weeks. Enjoy the last weekend of August and the Labor Day holiday.
Got lead pipes in St. Paul?
Water is in the news again. Lead water pipes need to be replaced and that is expensive. The federal infrastructure bill includes some 200 billion dollars for replacing lead pipes.
Some of that money will come to Minnesota. The St. Paul Regional Board of Water Commissioners voted to develop a plan to replace all the lead water pipes in 10 years. Those pipes would be replaced by copper or polyethylene lines.
Most of the lead service lines in St. Paul were installed in homes built before 1927, and a large percentage of St. Paul houses were built before 1927. It costs about $6000 to replace the water line into a house and it will take decades to get the lead out of St. Paul.
The drinking water in your home can contain lead if there is lead in the plumbing and or the water line going from the street into your home is made of lead. There is no safe level of lead exposure and lead poisoning can cause serious illness and even death.
If you own a home in St. Paul you can use the account number on your water bill to look up your waterline and see if it is made from lead or copper.
Find more information on the City of St. Paul household water page Also, read about having a lead water line replaced.
look up your address at Satin Paul Regional Water and find out what your service line is made of.
Where are the Monarchs?
We aren’t seeing many monarch butterflies this year. As of a year ago, they are listed as a vulnerable species. Global warming and drought have not been kind to them. You can do your part by not using pesticides and by growing milkweed.
I am unsure why, but my milkweed isn’t doing well this year. ?? Maybe it is because of all the rain.
At any rate, this photo was taken in my yard in 2019 and there is a monarch butterfly and a honey bee all in one picture. The flower is a purple aster. Purple asters are plentiful around these parts in the fall but honey bees and monarch butterflies are not as plentiful as they were a few years ago.
Real estate, lawyer, doctor or social worker?
Real estate agents often do more than sell houses. We can help people who are downsizing and we can recommend various professionals if repairs are needed or lawyers when real estate is inherited.
The real estate agent shouldn’t be the first call after a dementia diagnosis. Call a social worker first. Your doctor can give you a referral. You may also be able to get help/advice from Senior Linkage Line (A Minnesota thing) 1.800.333.2433.
Alzhiemers.org has resources for persons with dementia. Some services can help seniors with dementia stay in their homes.
Selling the house isn’t always the best solution. Generally, people can qualify for financial help with medical care and keep their house if it is their primary residence. Staying at home is less expensive than assisted living, which can easily cost $10,000 a month.
Selling the house and moving out isn’t always the best solution. Aging in place and making plans to move at some point in the future might be a better option.
There is no safety net for Seniors and persons who are over 55 now make up over 20% of the homeless population and the number is growing. Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death among seniors in the US.
If you think you have dementia see your doctor.