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North Salem NY

NYC Styrofoam Ban Might Actually Happen | North Salem Real Estate

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Attention NYC eateries: It may be time to start thinking beyond styrofoam.

A sanitation official Wednesday revealed that a potential ban on the white stuff is under discussion as part of an upcoming report on increasing recycling rates in residential areas. “We’re studying all the different things in our waste stream. We want to make sure that everything in our waste stream is recyclable,” Ron Gonen, deputy commissioner for recycling at Sanitation, told The Post.

According to the AP, Mayor Michael Bloomberg last year set a goal of recycling 30 percent of the city’s household trash by 2017, up from about 15 percent now.

Of course, none of this is surprising. Styrofoam in notoriously difficult to recycle and takes a very long time to decompose (anywhere from a decade to centuries). Here’s NYC current official position on the stuff: 

Styrofoam is very difficult to recycle unless kept very clean and separate from all other types of plastic. For this reason, New York City and most other cities’ plastics recycling programs do not collect it with commingled recycling.

Because of the difficulty of recycling expanded polystyrene, there are relatively few plants in the U.S. that will take it. This means that the material must be shipped to distant factories. The transport and processing is expensive, unsustainable, and not environmentally friendly.

DSNY Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling encourages New Yorkers to consider alternatives to Styrofoam wherever possible.

So yes, it’s basically only a matter of time before styrofoam is shown the door. Naturally, the restaurant industry is less than pleased.

“We shouldn’t start banning products until we have done a more full analysis of the costs associated, not only with government but for small businesses,” New York State Restaurant Association spokesman Andrew Moesel told the AP Wednesday. “Now is not the time to continue to put more regulations and cost burdens on an industry that is already struggling to make a profit.”

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →

via ecorazzi.com

L.A.’s affordable housing crunch | North Salem Real Estate

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Los Angeles, a city where 63.1% of residents rent their homes, is in the midst of a crisis in rental housing.

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development laid out the stark facts. Los Angeles rents have increased, after adjusting for inflation, by nearly 30% over the last 20 years. During the same period, renter incomes have decreased by 6%.

One important part of the problem is an inadequate supply of affordable rental units. Only 37 units are available and affordable for every 100 would-be renters living at the average renter income level.

 

Moreover, the foreclosure crisis, which many predicted would relieve pressure on the rental market by increasing the volume of rental units, has instead exacerbated the problem. Families who lost their homes through foreclosure have turned to the rental market and are competing for units, which has made for an even tighter rental market and more upward pressure on rents.

The effects of the affordability problem extend well beyond those struggling to find places to live. Adequate affordable housing is a key factor for continued growth in a region. Without it, employers can’t hire enough skilled workers, and cities have trouble attracting new businesses.

What’s more, the abolishment of redevelopment agencies in California, which each year provided more than $1 billion statewide and $50 million in Los Angeles alone for affordable housing, has stymied development at a time when we need it most.

It’s against this backdrop that the next mayor will take office. The three leading candidates — Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry — all seem to recognize the challenges, and at a forum last month convened by Housing for a Stronger Los Angeles, they expressed a commitment to solving the city’s housing crisis. Here are some ways the next mayor can address some of the key challenges:

Establish a dedicated, consistent source of funding to support affordable housing. Finding new money in a time of tight budgets is never easy, but for years policymakers have agreed on the need for a dedicated pool of money for city-backed loans to support the construction of affordable housing. This would not be a giveaway because loans would be repaid. Rather, it would be an investment in the city’s future, and the next mayor needs to see that such a fund is created and sustained.

Take advantage of the opportunities presented by transit expansion. Over the next 10 years, Los Angeles will be adding dozens of new transit stations. What happens around these stations could help ease the city’s housing crisis, but only with thoughtful community planning. Yes, we need higher-density, transit-oriented developments, but it will be crucially important to ensure that this housing isn’t exclusively for the affluent. The mayor should lead the way on this.

Attack homelessness with renewed vigor. Los Angeles has more homeless people than any American city other than New York, and the number of homeless veterans continues to be unacceptably high. The next mayor should focus resources from across government and the private sector on addressing the issue. This will require a comprehensive assessment of the needs of those on the streets in order to develop the kinds of assistance and housing that will make the biggest difference.

Address the city’s foreclosure crisis before it debilitates neighborhoods. Concentrated foreclosures can lead to neighborhood distress that extends beyond the foreclosures themselves. The city must provide leadership that limits the extent of this damage, both by working with at-risk neighborhoods to make sure homeowners are aware of the resources available to them and by using the considerable financial leverage it has to encourage lenders to work with homeowners in trouble.

Preserve the affordable units that we have. Construction can ease pressure on rents, but only if it adds units to the total stock of housing. Merely tearing down old units and erecting new ones doesn’t help. The city needs to exercise its zoning and permitting power to encourage development that expands housing opportunities.

Los Angeles is an expensive place to live. Its broad economic base, diverse and interesting population and temperate climate make it a very desirable place to live, which necessarily drives up costs. This won’t change. The next mayor must take an assertive approach and deal with the affordability challenges directly

via latimes.com

 

QROPS, Double Taxation Agreements | North Salem Real Estate

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Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) are seen by many as the best route to tax effective retirement savings for expats.

However, with so many countries offering QROPS there is another issue for those thinking of transferring their pension to consider.

That is whether the country where the QROPS is based has a double tax agreement (DTA) with the UK.

This is a quick guide to understanding the issue

What is QROPS?

QROPS allows for anyone with a UK pension pot planning to leave the country to retire, or has already done so, to transfer their pension offshore.

With planning, this can be a hugely rewarding but the QROPS must be recognised by HM Revenue and Customs.

However, financial advisers should take careful note of the DTA in place before recommending a QROPS jurisdiction.

What is a DTA?

This is an agreement between the UK and other countries to avoid earners and investors paying tax twice on the same money.

What do I need to do?

You need to ensure that your financial advisor is aware of a few issues – most importantly where does the DTA in place put the primary taxing rights – in the QROPS jurisdiction or the UK? This could be a very simple and expensive mistake to make.

Will the DTA cover my scheme?

You will need to check this, but the scheme may only cover occupational pensions rather than private pensions, for instance.

How much tax will I pay?

A financial advisor will advise on tax bands under a DTA and whether it will be a nil rate when you retire. Essentially tax will have to be paid on your pension and the DTA will define in which of the two countries you will pay it – either in the UK or where you are planning to live. You will only be taxed once.

If your QROPS is in a third country, the benefit will be paid gross of tax.

What is Unilateral Tax Credit Relief (UTCR)?

This is similar to a DTA and is the relief given when a source of income has already been taxed in another country. Most countries have these in place rather than a DTA as they are easier to implement and are, generally, fairer to those being taxed.

For more information about the double taxation treaties for 185 countries and territories, click this link http://unctad.org/en/Pages/DIAE/International%20Investment%20Agreements%20(IIA)/Country-specific-Lists-of-DTTs.aspx

via iexpats.com

Developing Calls-to-Action and Landing Pages | North Salem Realtor

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One of the goals of marketing is to generate qualified leads to increase sales. Small business owners are always thinking about prospects and ways to capture those that come to their website. Information is continually being shared with visitors so they feel the need to fill out a form, and provide their contact information to begin the buying process and become a customer. One of the best ways to share content and obtain visitor information is by using calls-to-action (CTAs) and landing pages.

Optimized Landing Pages and Calls-to-ActionThe overall goal of CTAs and landing pages is to generate qualified leads for your business that eventually turns into revenue.

To begin developing and creating CTAs and landing pages, you must determine where the CTAs should be placed.

  • On the website homepage, include at least 2 CTAs above the page fold (you shouldn’t have to scroll down to see the CTAs).
  • Have one CTA on every page that links to a landing page.
  • Incorporate different CTAs for the different stages of the buying cycle.
  • CTAs should be added to the sidebar on your blog page.
  • CTAs should be added at the end of blog posts.
  • Include at least one CTA on thank you pages after someone has downloaded content.

Develop Optimized Calls-to-Action

  • Should clearly describe what the offer is and what the visitor will be getting.
  • Should be action-oriented – use verbs such as “Download” or “Register.”
  • Should be above the page fold.
  • Should “pop” off the page – add contrast.

Develop Optimized Landing Pages

  • Action should be clear.
  • Explain the value of the offer.
  • Use bullet points.
  • Keep the form short. The form should help you contact or qualify the lead.
  • Do not include any navigation or other links.
  • Keep the content above the page fold.
  • Include at least one relevant image.
  • Have the page redirect to a thank you page after the form has been submitted.

Creating calls-to-action and landing pages will help attract and engage with your website visitors. CTAs and landing pages promote and guide visitors to specific content on your website. The content being promoted in the CTAs and landing pages should provide real value to your visitors and demonstrate thought leadership, which can help build trust, credibility and increase your leads and sales.

What offers and calls-to-action have you responded to in the past? Why and how did they get your attention? We’d love to hear your thoughts below.

via socialmediatoday.com