Recently we published an item on the GINI index which measures poverty in the United States and also various US census statistics related to it.

Poverty is measured by three times the average amount spent for food. However, things have changed so much (in productivity) that we now spend 15 percent of income on food.

A man who suffers short-term losses but has millions in the bank is one of those "poor" people.

The American Enterprise Institute reports that the bottom fifth in income reported pretax income of less than $6,800 but spent an average $14,000. Also, the government doesn't count benefits like healthcare, food stamps and housing aid.

The Heritage Foundation reports that 41 percent of the "poor" owned their own homes; 70 percent own automobiles; and 37 percent owned two or more cars.

The US Census Bureau estimates $4.8 trillion in US income but the Department of Commerce says $6.8 trillion.

If standard of living is used as a measurement, poverty shrinks to an extremely small number.

The lesson, obviously, is that those who rely on government statistics do so with more optimism than is warranted.

(Once again, thanks to Investor's Business Daily for the latest statistics.)

Money is pouring into Manhasset and maybe it isn't doing us much good.

People are enlarging houses to an extreme extent, filling up side yards and backyards.

Others buy homes for as much as $750,000, pay for tearing down the house, then paying to build another lot-filling house. This makes no economic sense and perhaps we should be flattered that people think Manhasset's status warrants irrational expenditures.

When economics push us into a recession we may all scratch our heads. For now, maybe we should glory in our enhanced perceived worth.

This summer is different.

Traffic in past years diminished by a good 20 percent during the summertime. This happened because of vacations and should have been expected. That didn't occur.

Our local roads have been loaded with traffic, both north and south, not to mention Plandome Road and Bayview Avenue.

Something is different, perhaps more cars or increased population. Whatever it is, life is less pleasant, and September looms ahead.

Manhasset Rotary has concerns about lack of community related projects presently under way. This is, after all, the purpose of a service club.

Suggestions for locally effective activities, whether totally charitable or locally enhancing in some way, would be very welcome.

If you have some thought please write to Manhasset Rotary, PO Box 32, Manhasset.

Don't be shy, do it!