JOHN ATTA MILLS DEAD

John Atta Mills Dead: Ghana President Reportedly Dies

Updated: 07/24/2012 9:17 pm

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Ghana, Obituaries, Atta Mills Dead, Ghana President, Ghana President Dead, John Atta Mills, John Atta Mills Dead, John Atta Mills Ghana, John Mills, World News

Ghana President John Atta Mills attends the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Friday, May 18, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

ACCRA, July 24 (Reuters) - Ghana's President John Atta Mills has died unexpectedly, a presidential statement said, and an aide said his death occurred on Tuesday after he took ill on Monday night.

The death of the president of the world's No. 2 cocoa grower comes months before Mills was due to stand for re-election at the helm of the West African country that posted double-digit growth in 2011 and has been praised for its strong democracy in a turbulent region.

"It is with a heavy heart...that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana," a statement sent to Reuters by the president's office said.

It said that Mills, 68, died a few hours after being taken ill but no further details were given.

A presidential aide, who asked not to be named, said the president had complained of pains on Monday evening and died early on Tuesday afternoon when his condition worsened.

Mills, who oversaw the start of oil production in Ghana, returned from medical checks in the United States several weeks ago. (Reporting by Kwassi Kpodo; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Michael Roddy)

• Jakaya Kikwete, John Atta Mills, Meles Zenawi

African leaders attend the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Friday, May 18, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington. From left are Jakaya Kikwete, president of the United Republic of Tanzania, John Atta Mills, president of Ghana, and Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

• John Atta Mills

Ghana President John Atta Mills attends the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Friday, May 18, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

• Timothy Geithner, John Evans Atta Mills

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner meets Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mills, Friday, March 9, 2012, at the Blair House in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

• Barack Obama, John Evans Atta Mills
Some of his pictures during his life time. May His Soul rest in Peace.





Jakaya Kikwete, John Atta Mills,
and Meles Zenawi

President Barack Obama listens as President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana, left, speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

• Barack Obama, John Evans Atta Mills

President Barack Obama shakes hands with President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

• John Evans Atta Mills, Jennifer Klesaris

John Evans Atta Mills, the President of Ghana, visits the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, and talks with specialist Jennifer Klesaris. (AP Photo/Dario Cantatore, NYSE)

John Atta Mills

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GOOD DIET FOR GOOD GROWTH OF YOUR HAIR

What You Eat Can Make a Big Difference

Move that shampoo and conditioner aside. The pursuit of luscious, shiny locks starts with fish, beans, bananas, and lentils. Indeed, a healthy diet is as good for the 150,000 hair follicles on your head as it is for your body. "Having a balanced diet, while putting a little extra emphasis on things like protein and iron, gives your hair a boost," says Neil Sadick, a clinical professor in the department of dermatology at the Weill Cornell Medical College.
Protein, for example, is the building block of hair. If you don't get enough, your mane will grow more slowly, and strands will be weaker. "Pump up the protein," says registered dietician Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of The Flexitarian Diet. "Include a small dose at each meal and with each snack, and you'll keep your hair follicles strong." Safe bets include poultry, lean beef, fish, beans, and nuts.
If you start a hair-healthy diet today, you'll likely see improvements within six months to a year, depending on how fast your hair grows. The following are the 10 best foods for your tresses.

Lean Red Meat

Too little iron can cause baldness, according to research conducted at the Cleveland Clinic. Treating iron deficiency may help regrow hair. "People who have problems with hair loss or hair growth tend to be iron deficient—especially women," says dermatologist Paradi Mirmirani, who practices in Vallejo, Calif. Other iron-rich options include turkey, egg yolks, whole grains, dried fruit, and dried beans (soaked and cooked, of course).

Eggs

They're full of biotin, a B vitamin that promotes hair growth and overall scalp health. A deficiency can cause brittle hair. Other high-biotin foods include peanuts, almonds, wheat bran, salmon, low-fat cheese, and avocados.

Bananas, Beer, Oats, and Raisins

These contain the mineral silica, which is thought to improve hair thickness, Jackson Blatner says. Emphasizing foods rich in silica helps make hair stronger and more durable. (Although beer contains a good dose of silica, it's wise to stick to a moderate amount—one drink a day for women and two for men.)

Dark Green Veggies

Load up on spinach, broccoli, and Swiss chard. They're packed with vitamins A and C, which help produce sebum—a scalp oil that works as a natural hair conditioner.

Oysters

Opt for these to get plenty of zinc, a mineral that helps regulate the production of androgens. These are hormones that, in low levels, are associated with hair loss. People with low levels of androgens can also suffer from slow hair growth and dandruff. Adjusting your diet—and emphasizing zinc-rich choices like oysters, along with crab, clams, liver, lean beef, and wheat germ—will help stave off hair loss and keep your mane shiny and healthy.

Sweet Potatoes

These are packed with beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A, a nourishing agent for your hair and skin. Vitamin A protects against dull hair and dry skin, a leading cause of dandruff. Other smart choices to get glowing hair and skin include carrots, kale, butternut squash, asparagus, and pumpkin.

Beans

Legumes like kidney beans and lentils are great sources of iron-rich protein. Lentils, in particular, play a role in hair maintenance and support.

Fruits and Veggies

They're full of vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron. Getting too little C makes hair dry and weak. The best sources? Broccoli, leafy greens, green peppers, citrus fruit, and strawberries.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

They support scalp health; a deficiency can lead to dry scalp and dull hair. Good sources include salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, flaxseeds, and walnuts.

Healthy Oils

No one wants dry, lackluster hair. But if your diet is too low in fat, that's what could happen. Healthy oils like olive, peanut, safflower, and sunflower can restore the shine. About a teaspoon a day will do the trick.


Try some and you shall appreciate!!!!!!!!!!!! there will be no buying of treatments or steaming up.

Unyama:Dk Ulimboka atekwa, aumizwa

Unyama:Dk Ulimboka atekwa, aumizwa

DRYBATH!!!!!!

S.African innovator takes water out of showering

By Enos Phosa, Reuters

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - With inspiration from a friend too lazy to take a shower and a few months of research on the Internet, South African university student Ludwick Marishane has won global recognition for an invention that takes the water out of bathing.

Marishane, a 22-year-old student at the University of Cape Town student invented a product called DryBath, a clear gel applied to skin that does the work of water and soap.

The invention, which won Marishane the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award, has wide applications in Africa and other parts of the developing world where basic hygiene is lacking and hundreds of millions of people do not have regular access to water.

The product differs from the anti-bacterial hand washes by eliminating the heavy alcohol smell. It creates an odourless, biodegradable cleansing film with moisturisers.

He came up with the idea as a teenager in his poor rural home in the winter when a friend of his said bathing was too much of a bother, made all the worse by a lack of hot water.

"He was lazy and he happened to say, 'why doesn't somebody invent something that you can just put on your skin and you don't have to bathe'," said Marishane.

It was his "eureka" moment.

He then used his web-enabled mobile phone to search through Google and Wikipedia in pursuit of a formula. Six months later, he came up with DryBath and a obtained a patent.

The product is now manufactured commercially with clients including major global airlines for use on long-haul flights and governments for its soldiers in the field.

Marishane also sees it helping conserve water in the poorest parts of the world.

"DryBath will go a long way in helping communities".

Bajeti Tanzania

From Mwananchi

Thursday, 14 June 2012 22:03

0diggsdigg Waziri wa Fedha, Dk William Mgimwa akionyesha begi lililobeba hotuba ya bajeti ya serikali kwa mwaka wa fedha 2012/2013, wakati akielekea kuingia katika ukumbi wa Bunge, mjini Dodoma jana. Picha na Edwin Mjwahuzi          Dodoma          SERIKALI jana ilitangaza Bajeti ya       Sh15trilioni kwa mwaka wa fedha 2012/2013 ambayo  pamoja na mambo mengine, imelenga  kudhibiti mfumuko wa bei kwa kutangaza kutoa  vibali vya kuingiza chakula kutoka nje, huku ikiwabana matajiri kwa kuongeza kodi ya bidhaa zisizokuwa za lazima. Akisoma bajeti hiyo bungeni Dodoma jana, Waziri wa Fedha, Dk William Mgimwa alitangaza pia kwamba Serikali imepanua wigo wa Kodi ya Mishahara (Paye) na sasa itawagusa wafanyakazi wenye kipato cha kuanzia Sh170,000 badala ya Sh135,000 ya awali, huku ikirejesha mafunzo ya Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa (JKT) kwa kutenga Sh7 bilioni kwa ajili ya kuchukua vijana 5,000. Dk Mgimwa katika Bajeti hiyo pia alitangaza ongezeko la kodi za bidhaa mbalimbali, ikiwamo, bia, soda, sigara, juisi zinazoingizwa kutoka nje huku ikifuta msamaha wa ushuru wa bidhaa kwa magari kwa wote waliokuwa wananufaika na msamaha huo. Alifafanua kwamba kodi ya vinywaji baridi imepanda kutoka Sh69 kwa lita hadi Sh83 na mvinyo unaotengenezwa kwa zabibu inayozalishwa nchini kwa kiwango kinachozidi asilimia 75, imeshuka kutoka Sh425 kwa lita hadi 145 kwa lita. Kodi ya mvinyo unaotengenezwa kwa zabibu inayozalishwa nje ya nchi kwa kiwango kinachozidi asilimia 25, imepanda kutoka Sh1,345 kwa lita hadi 1,614 kwa lita. Alisema kodi ya vinywaji vikali imepanda kutoka Sh1,993 kwa lita hadi Sh2,392 kwa lita, bia inayotengenezwa nchini kwa nafaka na ambayo haijaoteshwa, kodi yake imepanda kutoka Sh248 kwa lita hadi Sh310 kwa lita. Bia nyingine zote kodi imepanda kutoka Sh420 hadi Sh525 kwa lita. Akizungumzia marekebisho ya ushuru kwenye bidhaa za sigara, Dk Mgimwa alisema zote zisizo na kichungi na zinazotengenezwa kwa tumbaku inayozalishwa nchini, kiwango cha angalau asilimia 75, kodi imepanda kutoka Sh6,820 hadi Sh 8,210 kwa sigara 1,000. Alisema Sigara zenye kichungi na zinazotengenezwa kwa tumbaku inayopatikana nchini kwa kiwango cha angalau asilimia 75, kodi imepanda kutoka Sh16,114 hadi Sh19,410 na sigara nyingine zenye sifa tofauti na makundi hayo, kodi imepanda kutoka Sh29,264 hadi Sh35,117 kwa sigara 1,000. Alisema tumbaku ambayo ipo tayari kutengenezwa sigara (cut filler) kodi yake imepanda kutoka Sh14,780 hadi Sh17,736 kwa bunda la sigara 1,000 wakati ushuru wa cigars unabaki kuwa asilimia 30. Gharama za simu juu Katika bajeti hiyo, Waziri Dk Mgimwa alisema muda wa maongezi (airtime) kwenye simu za mkononi umeongezeka kutoka asilimia 10 hadi 12. Alisema lengo la hatua hiyo ni kuoanisha ushuru wa bidhaa unaotozwa na huduma hiyo katika nchi za Jumuiya ya Afrika ya Mashariki (EAC), kwa kipindi hiki ambacho nchi zipo katika Soko la Pamoja. Alisema hatua hizo za ongezeko la ushuru wa bidhaa kwa pamoja, zinatarajiwa kuongeza mapato ya Serikali kwa kiasi cha Sh144,054.9 milioni. Misamaha ya kodi ya magari Waziri huyo alipendekeza kufanyika marekebisho kwenye sheria husika za kodi ya matangazo ya Serikali yanayotoa msamaha wa kodi kwenye magari kwa walengwa mbalimbali ili kuweka ukomo wa umri wa miaka minane kwa magari hayo badala ya miaka 10. Alisema magari yenye umri wa zaidi ya miaka minane yatatozwa ushuru wa bidhaa wa asilimia 20. Lengo la hatua hiyo ni kupunguza wimbi la uingizaji magari chakavu na kulinda mazingira. Alitangaza pia marekebisho katika ushuru wa forodha, ikiwemo kufuta msamaha wa ushuru wa forodha katika vitu mbalimbali vikiwemo magari yenye ujazo wa CC 3000 huku pia ushuru wa forodha ukifutwa katika bidhaa nyingine nyingi muhimu. Alisema katika kuhamasisha na kuchochea ukuaji wa sekta ya ufugaji wa nyuki, vifaa vinavyotumika katika ufugaji na kurina asali vimepewa msamaha wa ushuru wa forodha vinavyoingizwa kutoka nje ya nchi na wafugaji wa nyuki. Alisema msamaha wa ushuru wa forodha kwenye migahawa ya majeshi ya ulinzi utaendelea kutolewa kwa kipindi cha mwaka mmoja. Alisema kumefanyika marekebisho katika Sheria ya Forodha ya Jumuiya ya Afrika ya Mashariki ya mwaka 2004 ili kutoa msamaha wa ushuru wa forodha kwa wazalishaji wa vyakula vinavyotengenezwa mahsusi kwa lishe ya watoto wenye utapiamlo na watu wanaoishi na Virusi Vya Ukimwi. Alisema kuwa katika Bajeti hiyo, pia wametoa msamaha wa ushuru wa forodha kwenye malighafi zinazotumika katika kutengeneza vifaa vya kufanyia uchunguzi wa magonjwa (medical diognastic kits) kwa kuwa vifaa hivyo hutozwa asilimia sifuri vinapoagizwa kutoka nje ya nchi. Katika marekebisho hayo, utatolewa msamaha kwenye mitambo (machinery) na vipuri vyake vinavyotumika kwenye uchimbaji wa madini lakini hautahusisha vipuri vya magari vitakavyoagizwa na makampuni yanayojihusisha na uchimbaji wa madini. Katika bajeti hiyo, pia umetolewa msamaha wa ushuru wa forodha kwenye vyuma vinavyowekwa kwenye kingo za barabara na lengo lake ni kutoa unafuu katika ujenzi wa miundombinu ya barabara. Alisema ushuru wa forodha umepunguzwa kwa ving’amuzi kutoka asilimia 25 hadi asilimia sifuri ili kuwezesha mabadiliko katika teknolojia ya analogia na kwenda katika teknologia ya digitali. Alisema katika Bajeti hiyo, pia ushuru wa ngano umeondolewa kuwa asilimia 0 badala ya asilimia 35 Alisema Serikali pia imesamehe VAT katika mashine za kutolea stakabadhi (electronic fiscal devices), ili kupunguza bei yake na kuwezesha wafanyabiashara wengi kuwa nazo, kuhamasisha matumizi yake na hivyo, kuongeza mapato ya Serikali. Katika eneo hilo, Serikali imeondoa VAT kwa vifaa mbalimbali vya kuhifadhia, kusafirisha na kusambaza gesi asilia ili kuongeza matumizi ya nishati hiyo katika sekta mbalimbali za kiuchumi, kwenye magari, majumbani na viwandani. Kodi kwa wafanyabiashara Wafanyabiashara ambao mapato yao hayazidi Sh3,000,000 hawatalipa kodi kuanzia Julai Mosi, mwaka huu. Dk Mgimwa alisema mpango huo umefanywa kulinda mapato ya Serikali. Kabla ya msamaha huo, wafanyabiashara hao ambao mapato yao hayazidi Sh3,000,000 walikuwa wanalipa Sh35,000. Marekebisho mengine ya kodi ya mapato ni kuwa wenye mapato kati ya Sh3 milioni –Sh7.5 milioni watalipa Sh100,000 badala ya Sh95,000. Malengo ya Bajeti Waziri Mgimwa alisema Bajeti hiyo imejielekeza katika Kukuza Pato la Taifa kwa asilimia 6.8 mwaka 2012 ikilinganishwa na ukuaji wa asilimia 6.4 mwaka 2011. Malengo mengine ni kuimarisha miundombinu ya uchumi, ikijumuisha umeme, barabara, reli na bandari, kuongeza upatikanaji wa huduma za kifedha na kuongezeka kwa mapato ya ndani yatakayofikia uwiano na Pato la Taifa wa asilimia 18 kwa mwaka 2012/13 kulinganisha na mwelekeo wa asilimia 16.9 mwaka 2011/12. Dk Mgimwa alitaja malengo mengine kuwa ni pamoja na kuendelea kudhibiti mfumuko wa bei ili urudi kwenye viwango vya tarakimu moja na kuwa na kiwango tengemavu cha ubadilishaji wa fedha kitakachotokana na mwenendo wa soko la fedha. Malengo mengine ni kukuza mikopo kwa sekta binafsi kwa kiwango cha asilimia 20 ya Pato la Taifa ifikapo mwishoni mwa Juni 2013, sambamba na jitihada za kudhibiti mfumuko wa bei, kuboresha mazingira ya wafanyabiashara wadogo na wa kati, kulinda na kuendeleza mafanikio yaliyopatikana katika sekta za huduma za jamii, kuimarisha utawala bora na uwajibikaji na kujenga uwezo wa nchi kukabiliana na misukosuko ya kiuchumi na kifedha pamoja na kushiriki kwa ufanisi katika ushirikiano kikanda na kimataifa. Matumizi ya Maendeleo Kuhusu matumizi ya maendeleo, Waziri Mgimwa alisema itazingatia vipaumbele vya miundombinu ya umeme - mkazo ukiwa upatikanaji wake kwa kuongeza uzalishaji, usafirishaji na usambazaji na jumla Sh498.9 bilioni zimetengwa. Serikali pia itatekeleza mradi wa ujenzi wa bomba la gesi kutoka Mtwara hadi Dar es Salaam kwa mkopo kutoka Benki ya Exim ya China wenye thamani ya Dola za Marekani 1.2 milioni utakaosimamiwa na TPDC. Kuhusu usafirishaji na uchukuzi, alisema mkazo katika sekta hiyo utakuwa ni kuimarisha reli ya kati ikijumuisha ukarabati wa injini na mabehewa ya treni. “Kwa upande wa barabara, miradi inayopewa kipaumbele ni pamoja na barabara zenye kufungua fursa za kiuchumi. Katika usafiri wa anga na majini, miradi itakayotekelezwa ni pamoja na ujenzi na ukarabati wa viwanja vya ndege na uendelezaji wa gati ya Ziwa Tanganyika. Jumla ya Sh 1,382.9 bilioni zimetengwa katika eneo hili,” alisema. Kuhusu maji safi na salama, alisema lengo ni - kuongeza upatikanaji wake mijini na vijijini na kwamba kiasi cha Sh568.8 bilioni kimetengwa. Kwa upande wa kilimo, uvuvi na ufugaji alisema katika sekta hizo, Serikali kwa kushirikiana na sekta binafsi itawekeza katika kilimo cha mpunga na miwa katika mabonde makuu ya Wami, Ruvu, Kilombero na Malagarasi pamoja na kuongeza tija na thamani, kubadilisha mfumo wa kilimo na kukuza kilimo cha misitu. Kuhusu kuongeza uzalishaji wa mazao ya chakula pamoja na kuhakikisha uhakika wa chakula, Serikali itaimarisha utekelezaji wa dhana ya Kilimo Kwanza kwa kuhakikisha nguzo zake zote zinaendelea kuzingatiwa. Alisema mikoa inatakiwa kuendelea kutenga ardhi na vijiji kutakiwa kupima na kurasimisha ardhi kwa ajili ya wawekezaji wa ndani na wa nje na kwamba kiasi cha Sh192.2 bilioni kimetengwa katika eneo hilo. Ikizungumzia maendeleo ya viwanda, alisema Serikali inakusudia kuendeleza viwanda vinavyotumia malighafi zinazopatikana nchini; viwanda vinavyoongeza thamani ya madini; viwanda vikubwa vya saruji na viwanda vya eletroniki na Tehama pamoja na kuboresha mazingira ya biashara na kutenga maeneo maalumu ya uwekezaji mijini na vijijini na kukuza ubia kati ya sekta ya umma na sekta binafsi.

THE MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN AMERICA

The most dangerous cities in America, 2012

By Michael B. Sauter, Douglas A. McIntyre, Ashley C. Allen, Alexander E. M. Hess, Lisa Nelson and Samuel Weigley | 24/7 Wall St.com – Tue, Jun 12, 2012 3:07 PM EDT

New FBI data shows that violent crime rates are improving across America, but among cities with the highest crime problems, murder rates continued to rise in 2011. The FBI finds that violent crime dropped 4% in 2011, compared with a 5.5% drop in 2010. Nationally, the murder rate fell 1.9% from 2010, and robbery, forcible rape and assault fell 4% each.

Yet a 24/7 Wall St. review of 2011 FBI crime data shows that violent crime rose in more than half of the cities that have among the highest rates in the country. In seven of the 10 cities, murder rates increased. In eight of the 10, burglary went up.

See full report: The most dangerous cities in America.

Strained budgets are forcing police layoffs that many cities cannot afford to make. More than half of local police departments that responded to a national survey reported cuts in the 2011 fiscal year, according to the Police Executive Research Forum, an organization of police executives from across the country. Many are cutting police forces through planned layoffs and attrition. More than half of the cities with the highest violent crime rates are cutting law enforcement budgets and police forces as well. However, unlike the national picture, the situation is worse for these cities, which depend on tax bases that are shrinking faster than most.

The most dangerous city: Flint, Mich. (Photo: Jessi *AfterImage* / Flickr)The cities with the highest crime rates tend to have particularly high poverty rates, high unemployment and low median income. Two of the worst-off cities, Flint and Detroit, Mich., both have had well-publicized budget woes. Flint was taken over by an emergency city manager after failing to pay its bills in 2011. Detroit is facing similar budget problems and recently came to a temporary oversight agreement with the state.

While the Detroit Police Department reported no budget cuts for fiscal year 2012, the city is planning a 15% cut next year. Detroit also has one of the highest crime rates in the country.

On its Web site, the FBI cautions against using crime data to compare city violence because rankings tend to be simplistic and ignore factors that influence crime, as well as the different ways crimes are measured and reported. “Data users should not rank locales because there are many factors that cause the nature and type of crime to vary from place to place,” the FBI warns.

Congressional Quarterly, which publishes and analyzes FBI crime statistics each year, referred to crime rate in terms of the “safest” and “most dangerous” cities. However, the publication recently dropped the terms “safe” and “dangerous” because of the concerns of criminologists, Dr. Rachel Boba Santos told 24/7 Wall St.

Despite these objections, Dr. Boba Santos said the data is useful to get a feel for the needs of a particular community and to look at a specific city’s trends on a year-over-year basis. She said the data also is used at the federal level to determine funding resources for different communities, comparing crime rates.

Based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more with the highest rates of violent crime per 1,000 residents. Using the estimated populations and crime incidents from UCR, which measures incidents of eight types of violent and nonviolent crime for 2011, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the incidence of the four types of violent crime per 1,000 persons for that year: murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In addition to crime data, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median income and poverty rates for these cities from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2010, the most recent available year. We also included average 2011 unemployment rates for these cities, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

These are the five cities with the highest rates of violent crime.

5. Memphis, Tenn.
Violent crimes per 1,000: 15.8
Population: 652,725
2011 murders: 117
Median income: $37,045
Unemployment rate: 11.1%

In 2011, Memphis defied the national trend of declining crime rates in major U.S. cities. The rate of violent crimes per 1,000 people increased, from 15.4 to 15.8. This was the product of increases in murders, which rose from 89 to 117 cases, and aggravated assault incidents, which rose by 100 cases. A rising unemployment rate, which grew 1.2% to 11.1% in 2011, likely has not helped to reduce criminal behavior.

4. Oakland, Calif.
Violent crimes per 1,000: 16.8
Population: 395,317
2011 murders: 104
Median income: $49,190
Unemployment rate: 15.6%

Oakland historically has been among the most crime-ridden cities in California, with a violent crime rate this year of 16.8 per 1,000 people. There were 14 more murders in 2011 than in 2010, causing Oakland to maintain the ninth-highest murder rate in the country two years in a row. Oakland is the number one city for both robbery and motor vehicle theft rates in the country. Oakland city councilmember Desley Brooks, who wants to allocate $11 million in revenue to the police force, acknowledges the increased violent crime, saying, “we cannot ignore that we have had an increase in violent crime, and so we cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and expect that it’s going to be a different result.”

3. St. Louis, Mo.
Violent crimes per 1,000: 18.6
Population: 320,454
2011 murders: 113
Median income: $32,688
Unemployment rate: 11.7%

Although the total number of murders in the city has decreased by 31 since 2010, crime in St. Louis did not improve overall last year. Violent crime rates in St. Louis have risen dramatically, from 17.5 to 18.6 cases per 1,000 people. And the city’s murder rate is still the fourth highest in the nation, its robbery rate is the fifth highest in the nation and its aggravated assault rate is third highest in the nation. Despite these troubling facts, the St. Louis Police Department recently faced potentially drastic budget cuts that may require the elimination of 100 street-patrolling officer positions through attrition.

2. Detroit, Mich.
Violent crimes per 1,000: 21.4
Population: 713,239
2011 murders: 344
Median income: $25,787
Unemployment rate: 19.9%

Long regarded as one of the poorest cities in the U.S., with a 32.3% poverty rate and nearly 20% unemployment in 2010, Detroit has the second-highest violent crime rate in the country. Homicide increased by 11% in 2011, while robbery and aggravated assault are fourth and second highest in the country, respectively.

In response to an 18% decrease in the Detroit police budget, which will result in the elimination of 380 positions through attrition and early retirement, the city has begun taking steps to decrease police funding by introducing “Virtual Precincts.” The plan, which closes police stations between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m, requires citizens to report non-emergency crime to a call center, and frees up more patrol officers to respond to 911 emergency calls.

1. Flint, Mich.
Violent crimes per 1,000: 23.4
Population: 102,357
2011 murders: 52
Median income: $22,672
Unemployment rate: 18.9%

According to the FBI, no city with more than 100,000 residents had a higher violent crime rate than Flint. In 2011, there were 2,392 incidents of violent crime in Flint, which has a population just above 100,000. That same year, there were just 1,246 violent crimes in all 10 of the safest cities in America — which have 13 times as many residents as Flint among them. Flint has the second-highest murder rate and the highest rates of aggravated assault, burglary and arson in the nation. According to Flint Mayor Dayne Walling, “there are too many guns on the street and it’s easy for individuals with evil motives to take another human being’s life.”

Though the violent crime has long been a problem in Flint, in 2010 the city laid off 20 of its 140 police officers, a decision that diminished both the police’s street presence and response times to crime.

Click here to see the full list of the most dangerous cities in America.

CCM, yageuka paka, yatapika na kuramba

CCM, yageuka paka, yatapika na kuramba