Recent articles by John Buntin from governing.com http://www.governing.com/authors/rss/rss/?a=87483752 John Buntin is a GOVERNING staff writer. He covers health care, public safety and urban affairs. Should Local Government Be Run Like Silicon Valley? http://www.governing.com/topics/technology/gov-local-government-run-like-silicon-valley.html Cities are contracting with Code for America -- what some call “the Peace Corps for geeks” -- in an effort to seed Silicon Valley virtues in local government. The Power and Danger of Setting Extreme Goals http://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt/gov-power-and-danger-of-setting-extreme-goals.html Extreme goals are ambitious and attention grabbing. They also often seem impossible -- and that can be a problem. Milwaukee Police Give 911 a Facelift http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-milwaukee-police-911-facelift.html Milwaukee has overhauled how it responds to serious crimes -- but not without criticism. Are the risks of challenging policing's status quo worth the rewards? Cathy Lanier Changes Policing in D.C. and Maybe Nation http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/chief-cathy-lanier-changes-policing.html The police chief's rejection of zero-tolerance policing that’s driven urban crime fighting for a generation may change the future of public safety in America. Can Universal Health Care Work Without a Mandate? http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-universal-health-care-without-individual-mandate.html President Barack Obama and the 26 states trying to overturn his federal health reform law say no, but some states have some real-world experience that could answer that question. Kitzhaber: Three-Time Governor Turning Oregon’s Tide http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-john-kitzhaber-three-time-governor-turning-oregons-tide.html John Kitzhaber once called Oregon “ungovernable.” Now, he’s forging bipartisan alliances that are making it one of the best-governed states in the nation. Ex-Police Chief William Bratton Discusses Government Collaboration in New Book http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-ex-police-chief-william-bratton-discusses-government-collaboration.html In Collaborate or Perish!, William Bratton and Harvard Kennedy School senior researcher Zachary Tumin tell governments how they can work together more often and more effectively. Connecticut Moves Away from Medicaid Managed Care http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/col-connecticut-moves-away-from-medicaid-managed-care.html Connecticut’s Rod Bremby is finding novel ways to connect health and human services. How Game Theory is Reinventing Crime Fighting http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-how-game-theory-is-reinventing-crime-fighting.html Elected officials across the nation from both political parties have begun to examine ways to replace a tough corrections policy with a smart one. Managing Care without Managed Care http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-col-managing-care-without-managed-care.html North Carolina is achieving big savings with a very different approach. A Doctor's Fix for Health-Care Delivery http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/gov-col-doctor-fix-for-health-care-delivery.html Commonwealth Care Alliance CEO Bob Master has a plan to change health-care delivery — and it doesn’t involve Medicaid managed care. Legislative Issues to Watch in 2012 http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/lawmaking/gov-legislative-issues-to-watch-2012.html These nine topics will shape debate in state legislatures in 2012. Red States, Green Jobs http://www.governing.com/topics/economic-dev/red-states-green-jobs.html The South has more green jobs than any other region. But will politicians keep investing in something many Southern voters don’t believe in? Thinking Through Health Exchanges http://www.governing.com/columns/thinking-through-health-exchanges.html TennCare Director Darin Gordon has distinguished himself by asking hard questions about the impact of the Affordable Care Act. Gov. Shumlin and the Push for Single-Payer Health Care http://www.governing.com/columns/gov-shumlin-push-single-payer-healthcare.html At a time when states are struggling to comply with healthcare reform, Vermont's governor sees his state's push for a single-payer system as common sense.