Mark Funkhouser

Recent Articles

• The Enemy of Good Management
• Oct 1, 2013
• A new book has it right: We need to change the way we budget.

• Accountability, Transparency and the Uncertain Future of GASB
• Sep 30, 2013
• The standards-setting board for government financial reporting has been embroiled in one controversy after another, but the latest fight could result in the gutting of GASB's influence.
• 5 Comments

• When the Government Workspace is Dirty and Dangerous
• Sep 9, 2013
• It’s tough to find the money and political support to provide public workers with safe, clean places to do their jobs. Tennessee went the privatization route, and the results look promising.

• The Public Safety Tipping Point: When Saving Money Loses Lives
• Sep 1, 2013
• You can only tell you're not spending enough on public safety when it’s too late.
• 11 Comments

• Municipal Securities and the Exploding Demand for Transparency
• Aug 26, 2013
• Wary investors and analysts not only want more information than ever, they want better information and they want it all now. Giving it to them could be a good deal for governments.

• Why Detroit and Its Neighbors Need Each Other
• Aug 12, 2013
• Regime change is coming to Detroit. The next mayor will have an opportunity to heal the long dysfunctional marriage between the city and its suburbs.
• 3 Comments

• IRS Scandal Shows What Happens When Bureaucracy is Pushed Too Far
• Aug 1, 2013
• Bureaucracy allows us to do big things. But like every tool, it needs to be maintained and wielded with care and control.
• 4 Comments

• Job Creation and the Snake Oil of Tax Incentives
• Jul 29, 2013
• The pressure to give away the public's money for economic development is as strong as ever, but the pushback is growing.
• 1 Comments

• A Genuine Effort to Reinvent Detroit
• Jul 22, 2013
• Emergency manager Kevyn Orr and Gov. Rick Snyder say they want the city to emerge from bankruptcy as a livable, sustainable city. It looks like they really mean it.
• 3 Comments

• Innovating in the Crucible of Local Government
• Jul 11, 2013
• A New York county manager who made the jump to elective office is looking to fundamentally change how local government operates.

• Why the Federal Budget Crisis Won't be Solved Inside the Beltway
• Jul 1, 2013
• Washington can't fix the broken structure that it built. The key is for state and local officials to channel an aroused citizenry.
• 1 Comments

• Raleigh & Oakland Overdoing Hands-On Government
• Jun 28, 2013
• In these cities, as in many more across the country, elected council members have confused governing with administering.
• 7 Comments

• The Wrong Place to Look for Fiscal Transparency
• Jun 24, 2013
• In charging Harrisburg with securities fraud based partly on a former mayor's state-of-the-city speech, the SEC is taking a path it shouldn't.

• How to Bring Citizens' Voices to the Table
• May 30, 2013
• It's vital that we begin restoring the public's trust in government. A recently published book amounts to a detailed manual for officials who want to take on that challenge.
• 2 Comments

• Los Angeles Leads the Way in Police Auditing
• May 30, 2013
• The City of Angels established the nation’s first Police Performance Auditing School to train individuals to deal with the many complaints filed against cops.
• 1 Comments