Nearly all communities spend more, however, and must raise these funds through local property taxes.
Suburban communities spend far too much time cleaning up rivers, lakes, our precious wetlands.
Per-capita spending on home-health services was five times higher than in El Paso and more than half of what many American communities spent on all health care.
The communities spent months wrangling with the Fire Island National Seashore, in which all the island's private communities are situated, before gaining permits allowing the projects.
Home-health agencies there, for example, spent more than $3,500 per Medicare beneficiary — not only five times more than in El Paso, but also more than half what many communities spend on all patient care.
"These communities spend about $11 billion a year on ghettoized financial services, about the same as what Wall Street spends on mergers-and-acquisitions fees," says John Hope Bryant, founder of the nonprofit Operation Hope.
Home-health agencies there, for example, spent more than $3,500 per Medicare beneficiary not only five times more than in El Paso, but also more than half what many communities spend on all patient care.
Communities spend all year making kites that are not only impressive (the kites can reach nearly 10 feet in length and are controlled by crews of up to 10 people), but that can also sabotage their opponents' kites in midair.
This is because the local communities spent more time on crop cultivation than being engaged in the PFM.
