Free Republic

Massachusetts has lost thousands in population over the last two years, according to newly released U.S. Census numbers. But the numbers do more than signal an...exodus from the Bay State... It puts Massachusetts in danger of losing yet another congressional seat after 2010, when the House of Representatives is reapportioned. "It's discouraging," said Phil Johnston, chairman of the state Democratic Party. "It means we're losing political clout with the Congress, and it's not good." Since 1920, when Massachusetts had 16 representatives, the state has seen a steady decline, down to the current 10 representatives... "It would be likely we would...

The number of immigrants without health insurance has soared, accounting for most of the growth in the nation's uninsured population, a new study finds. Immigrants are much more likely than native-born Americans not to have health coverage, accounting for 86 percent of the increase in the uninsured population in the five years ended in 2003, according to research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The report, released Monday, finds that the increase is partly due to a 1996 federal law banning legal immigrants' participation in public insurance programs for five years after arrival in the U.S. Those restrictions have since...

DANBURY, Conn. - Mayor Mark Boughton blames the government for his town's inability to cope with 15,000 illegal immigrants, approximately 19 percent of the overall population. "This is one community that has been incredibly stressed by failed federal policy and we need help," said Boughton. Because the illegal residents aren't counted in the U.S. census, Danbury doesn't receive any federal aid for them. "In terms of our social services, this presents a tremendous strain, particularly on quality of life of our neighborhoods, our schools our health care system," Boughton said. Residents complain the influx is killing property values. Homeowner Peter...

Remember the concept “Owning a piece of the American Dream?” That goal you had when you graduated from college to eventually own your own home? Well, some recently released statistics suggest that, although the percentage of homeowners in our nation is at an all-time high, the preponderance of interest-only and home equity loans is creating a society of baby boomers that might never actually achieve this dream. Maybe even more concerning is that these home “lessees” don’t seem to mind. As reported by The Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/content/homes/re_news/story/12425263p-13281615c.html "‘Folks paying off their loans and owning their homes free and clear is...

Home ownership embodies the American Dream. It is something to which most of us aspire. By and large, we do pretty well as a nation in fulfilling this dream. U.S. Census Bureau data show the home ownership rate in America stood at 67.9% in 2002, a figure that's been steadily trending higher since 1982. One wouldn't guess this by reading the headline of the May 5 announcement from the National Housing Conference, which stated, "New National Data Reveals Annual Salaries for Five Vital Community Occupations Fall Short of the $50,000 Necessary to Own a Home." In even more dire language,...

<p>WASHINGTON -- The number of married teenagers surged nearly 50 percent during the 1990s, reversing a decades-long decline.</p> <p>Marriage remains fairly uncommon in this age group -- only 4.5 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds were hitched in 2000 -- but researchers were nonetheless surprised by the increase reported by the Census Bureau.</p>