The group “Zero Population Growth” has put out its eighth biennial report, ranking Cedar Rapids 2nd and Des Moines 11th among U-S cities for the quality of life for children. Executive Director John Seeger says the organization has spent 30 years urging people not to overpopulate the earth.Zero Population Growth uses a list of 16 factors to rank cities for their quality of life for kids. He says low crime rates, clean air, parks, low teen birth rate are some of the things that make a community “kid friendly.”The organization, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, has always advised people to have few or no children. Seeger says Des Moines shows up very well in the kid-friendly ranking of American cities.Of 144 American cities, Des Moines gets an A-plus, ranking 111th. The Iowa capital gets top marks for unemployment rates, class size and test scores, a “B” for the number of teenage mothers and bad-air days. See the full rankings at www.kidfriendlycities-dot-org, slash 2001.
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