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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Monday, October 31, 2005
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U.S. Adults Split as to the Job Their Member of Congress is Doing
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire), October 31, 2005 - While the American public seems to be disenchanted with the way things in Washington are going and as President Bush and Congress have seen their approval ratings decline since 2001(1), U.S. adults are a little more content with the job their individual member of Congress is doing.
When asked to rate the job their representative is doing, 42 percent of U.S. adults give their member a positive rating while 41 percent give their representative a negative rating. This approval, however, is soft, as only seven percent say the job their member of Congress is doing is excellent, while 35 percent say it is pretty good.
These are the results of a new Harris Poll of 1,833 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive(R) between October 11 and 17, 2005.
Republicans are more likely to approve of the job their member of Congress is doing (56%) as opposed to Democrats (39%) and Independents (37%). However, even among Republicans, only nine percent think their representative is doing an excellent job.
What does this mean for the 2006 congressional elections just one year from now? If the elections for House of Representatives were held today, almost half (47%) of adults say they would vote for the Democratic candidate, one-third (33%) say they would vote for the Republican candidate, and 13 percent say they would vote for another or the Independent candidate.
The numbers for the Senate elections are similar as 47 percent say they would vote for the Democratic candidate, 34 percent say they would vote for the Republican candidate, and 12 percent say they would vote for another or the Independent candidate. It will be interesting to see what happens next November.
New Study Investigates Residential Real Estate Foreclosures
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire), October 30, 2005 - First American Real Estate Solutions (RES(R)) has released a new study that investigates the prevalence of foreclosure sales and the depth of discounts in 629 counties in 36 states, including the District of Columbia.
Entitled "Residential Foreclosures: The Prevalence, the Power and the Opportunity," the study by Christopher Cagan, Ph.D., director of research and analytics at First American Real Estate Solutions, quantifies the correlation between foreclosures as a percentage of total sales and the size of the discount buyers typically receive when purchasing foreclosure properties.
For example, in Maricopa County, Ariz., where foreclosure sales accounted for 1.6 percent of total sales during the first half of 2005, the median discount was 6.3 percent. Whereas in St. Louis, Mo., foreclosures made up 7.9 percent of sales for the same time period, with a median discount of 29.5 percent.
"The prevalence of foreclosures and the depth of discounts are sensitive indicators of the present and future state of a real estate market, regardless of geographic location or market type," said Cagan.
Among the areas with few foreclosure sales and little or no foreclosure discounts during the first half of 2005 were California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, New Mexico, Virginia, Nevada, Florida and Arizona. States where foreclosures were most prevalent and discounts were deepest included Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.
"Our clients are seeking advanced analytics to respond to trends, often in multiple markets," said George Livermore, president of The First American Corporation's Property Information and Services Group. "This comprehensive, nationwide analysis helps businesses identify areas where foreclosures are more frequent, and that helps them make more informed decisions."
During the last decade, First American RES has compiled the nation's largest database of property information and today utilizes it in conjunction with proprietary processes to improve operational efficiency and deliver new analytical products and services to its clients.
Nixon Freezes Assets of Home Appliance Chain That Closed Suddenly
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), October 30, 2005 - Attorney General Jay Nixon obtained a temporary restraining order to freeze the assets of Cohen Appliance, a home appliance chain that closed its two remaining St. Louis-area stores last Friday without notice.
Nixon took the action to protect consumers who paid several thousand dollars for appliances that have not been delivered; in the case of one consumer who complained to Nixon's office, the purchase was made only one day before the stores closed.
One of the stores is located in University City and the other is in Chesterfield. A third Cohen Appliance store in South County reportedly closed last month; a fourth is believed to have been closed last year.
Consumers who went to the locations that closed on Friday reported a sign on the door directed them to call a telephone number for more information. When the consumers called, they heard a recorded message that gave no additional information. Messages left at the number were not returned. Other customers who were told they could meet a Cohen representative at a warehouse to pick up their appliances reported the warehouse was locked when they arrived and that no one from Cohen was there.
"The first step to protect consumers is to account for the assets of this business that are on hand, both in appliances and in financial resources," Nixon said.
The order, signed by St. Louis County Circuit Judge Barbara Wallace, prohibits Cohen Appliance and Douglas Kolker, who is substantially involved with the day-to-day operation of Cohen, from selling, moving or transferring property without an order of the court and freezes the business' bank accounts.
Nixon said his office will work to get customers the merchandise they paid for or refunds for the amounts they paid. He has filed for preliminary and permanent injunctions, asking the court to order Cohen Appliance to make customers whole. A hearing on the request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Nov. 7. Nixon also is asking the court to order the defendants to pay appropriate penalties and costs associated with bringing the legal action.
Consumers who want to file a complaint are encouraged to contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or obtain a complaint form.
Initiatives May Help Missourians Cope With High Heating Costs
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), October 30, 2005 - AmerenUE has joined the Office of Governor Matt Blunt, the Missouri Public Service Commission and other Missouri electric and natural gas utility companies in an initiative to help Missourians cope with the high heating costs expected this winter.
At Gov. Blunt's request, AmerenUE has agreed to waive all reconnection fees and suspend deposit requirements for Missouri customers receiving Low- Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Utilicare assistance (authorized by state statute) to pay winter heating bills. LIHEAP is a federal program with allocations made to states to assist with utility costs. The company's agreement with the governor and the PSC will cover the period Nov. 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006.
AmerenUE customers who are having difficulty paying their bills should call the Ameren company listed on their bills. Company representatives will work with customers on payment arrangements and refer eligible customers to agencies that may be able to help with energy assistance. AmerenUE's Dollar More Program is the region's largest privately managed energy assistance programs aimed at helping needy individuals and families cover their energy costs.
AmerenUE purchases natural gas from wholesale suppliers located in various U.S. natural gas production areas. The wholesale price is not regulated. It rises and falls based on market conditions caused by supply and demand. AmerenUE passes the cost of natural gas on to customers, dollar for dollar, without any "markup" in price -- so customers pay what Ameren companies pay for the natural gas supplies purchased from gas producers -- not a penny more. Approximately three-fourths of a residential customer's bill is the cost of natural gas from Ameren utility companies' suppliers, while only a quarter of the billing amount goes to pay for the operation and construction of gas distribution systems.
To dampen price volatility and ensure reliable supply for customers, Ameren uses a range of financial tools, negotiates long- and short-term gas supply contracts, diversifies interstate pipeline transportation, and uses extensive underground storage resources.
"Despite these efforts, natural gas prices continue to rise -- driven by record high prices for crude oil, an extremely active hurricane season which has threatened offshore gas production platforms and a very hot summer when gas has been used to generate electricity," says Scott Glaeser, vice president, Gas Supply and System Control, AmerenEnergy Fuels and Services. "In addition, we've had stagnant or declining gas production. Many promising areas for exploration of new gas supplies in the U.S. are off-limits due to federal policies or environmental regulations."
"While Ameren has adequate supplies of gas with firm contracts established, we must pass on higher prices on the gas we supply. We are encouraging customers to take steps to conserve, to call us if they are worried about paying their bills and to consider a range of payment options because we are concerned about the financial impact of high winter heating bills -- especially if there is a cold winter," says Richard Mark, AmerenUE senior vice president, Missouri Energy Delivery. "Customers can minimize the impact of higher natural gas prices by signing up for our Budget Billing program, which spreads payments out throughout the year."
By signing up now, customers can avoid paying high bills immediately. No additional deposit is required for Budget Billing. The plan allows customers to pay an average monthly bill amount based on the last 12 months of usage. The program is open to electric only, gas only and combination electric and gas customers. Customers can enroll in the program or request program removal at any time.
To better manage rising gas costs, customers can also take steps to conserve energy -- by plugging air leaks, caulking and weather stripping and by sealing doors and windows and turning down thermostats (every degree you turn down your thermostat will reduce consumption by 10 percent). Regularly changing furnace filters and replacing inefficient furnaces can also save energy. And while heating accounts for the largest portion of residential natural gas usage, the water heater is the second largest user. Turning a water heater to the lowest setting (usually 120 degrees F) and placing an insulated jacket over that water heater can save on energy bills.
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