There's a new trend in housing developments and it's not good for the average consumer.

Basically, if a developer wants to build a new housing development that doesn't yet have infrastructure (roads, water pipes, electricity, gas, etc.) the area government is allowing the developer to borrow the money to create the infrastructure and then pass the debt onto the homebuyer.

It's called a "Public Infrastructure District" and developers love it because it saves them millions of dollars on every project. Meanwhile, home buyers purchase a residence and are immediately on the hook to pay back the loan the developer incurred. The payback term usually lasts decades.

Made possible by a newish Utah code (17D-4 [PID Act] if you want to look it up), the practice is gaining popularity in Utah. It is already prominent in states like Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Florida.

Hurricane city councilman Joseph Prete, on the Andy Griffin Show on Thursday, said the practice hurts the "little guy," while helping the wealthy developers.

"I think we've had a little bit too cavalier an attitude about PIDs in Hurricane."

"Is it fair/right to shift a developer expense to taxpayers within the developing area? No! (It) massively increases developer profit while straddling future Hurricane residents (who aren’t here to voice an opposition) with a double tax."

Prete voted against allowing the practice in his city, but right now he is in the minority among politicians in Southern Utah.

The other states using PIDs have reported some problems with PIDs. From a report prepared by Prete, who is an attorney by vocation:

Report card for PIDs in other states

  • C-minus, at best
  • Problems reported at many levels (TX, AZ, CO, FL)
  • Residents losing homes.
  • Fights about “disclosures.”
  • Huge headache for states to manage.
  • Backdoor corruption with PID boards, lenders, double dipping, etc.
  • Cities lose control of infrastructure roll-out processes
  • Terrible problems and abuses in Colorado - Developers won’t build unless granted a PID.

Prete also said PIDs are rife with future issues:

"Bad policy!!

  1. Significantly less risk and greater profit for developers while burdening taxpayer with the cost.
  2. Developers dramatically increase property value without investing one red cent. Speeds up growth when majority want slower/measured growth
  3. Loss of small-town charm; rapid transformation into a large city
  4. Unfairness – people across the street paying less tax while enjoying same utilities; can’t point to meaningful benefit to those paying more; creates discord and division within the city
  5. Jeopardizing ability to effectuate future tax increases/bonds – Future PID participants will resist
  6. Irresponsible ceding of control to a self-interested developer board
  7. Control over process, rollout, payment of loan, contractors doing the work, tax levy, etc.; likely abuses and double dipping; annexation issues?

Prete said cities are starting to realize the problems with granting PIDs to developers.

"Most Other Cities are saying NO – and for good reason. (For instance) Saratoga Springs rejected all requests so far; generally against exploiting taxpayers to subsidize developer cost (and augment develop profit).

Ultimately, Prete warns all who will listen to beware of the PID.

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How We Can Stop This New Epidemic: Type 2 Diabetes

Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash
Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash
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Type 1 diabetes used to be rare ... and it still is.

But Type 2 diabetes, the same blood-sugar disease but with a different cause, is not rare,

In fact, there's a good chance you know someone with Type 2 diabetes and an even better chance that you or someone you love has pre-diabetes and doesn't even know it.

You've probably heard the stories about how Sir. Frederik Banting, a research scientist, discovered insulin and the potential use it had for treating diabetes, how he could have been a millionaire, but flatly refused to patent the cure. His desire was for insulin to be cheap or free for all who suffered from diabetes.

He was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

He passed away more than 80 years ago and doubtfully never could have seen this modern epidemic of Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity and sugar consumption. Here are some staggering numbers (from diabetesresearch.org):

  • 37.3 million people, or 11.3% of the U.S. population, have diabetes. An estimated 28.7 million people had diagnosed diabetes. Approximately 8.6 million people have diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed.
  • 26.4 million people aged 65 years or older (48.8%) have prediabetes.
  • Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 18–64 years.
  • As many as 80 percent of people who have prediabetes don't know they have it.

Perhaps the best news about prediabetes is it's easily detectable with a simple blood test.

The other good news is that you can actually prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes before it arrives by simply getting in better shape.

"Truthfully, if you are prediabetic and lose just 5- to 7-percent of your body weight, you can stop Type 2 diabetes before it ever arrives," said SWUPHD director Dr. David Blodgett.

That means a person weighing 200 pounds needs to lose just 10 pounds or so to prevent this crippling infirmity.

So that's it, we can find out if we're getting diabetes with an easy test and we can stop it in its tracks with a little bit of diet and exercise.

The link to the prediabetes screening test on the SWUhealth.org website is here.

Some other scary diabetes facts:

  • Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States in 2017 based on the 83,564 death certificates in which diabetes was listed as the underlying cause of death.
  • Diabetes was listed as the underlying or contributing cause of death on 270,702 death certificates in 2017.
  • In 2017, the total estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. was $327 billion.
  • Without insulin, the body’s cells would be starved, causing dehydration and destruction of body tissue.
  • Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a healthy meal plan and a program of regular physical activity, losing excess weight, and taking medications.

Nartional Diabetes Foundation website

KEEP READING: See the richest person in every state

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