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Latest Blog Posts

• Government and the Big Unknowns
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   October 11, 2012
• We don't know what kind of huge, transformation events are coming, but one thing is certain: Governments will have to be ready to deal with them.
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• 3 Comments

• Why 'Politics' Shouldn't Be a Dirty Word
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   October 4, 2012
• It's the way we get things done as a society. We seem to have lost sight of that.
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• 6 Comments

• Bicycles, Beer and the Factory Jobs that Aren't Coming Back
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   October 1, 2012
• Manufacturing is going the way of agriculture, which technology has reshaped to employ ever-fewer workers. But traditional manufacturing isn't the only game in town.
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• 2 Comments

• When the Music Stops
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   September 27, 2012
• A lot of our symphony orchestras are in trouble, and the changing nature of cities is part of the problem. But Buck Owens may have some lessons for Beethoven.
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• Essential Values and the American Character
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   September 24, 2012
• We're better than we think we are, and so are our leaders. Just ask Tony Blair.
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• 1 Comments

• The Bottom-Line Benefit of a Healthier Public Workforce
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   September 20, 2012
• Some approaches to employee wellness programs have more of a track record than others. But they clearly can save a lot of money.
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• Leveraging Federal Flexibility to Innovate
• Posted By: John Kitzhaber |   September 18, 2012
• One state that is leading the way in building bottom-up solutions is Oregon, which is providing a roadmap on issues from health care to infrastructure to a "clean" economy.
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• 2 Comments

• The Subtle Slide into Municipal Bankruptcy
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   September 17, 2012
• The insolvency that leads to local-government bankruptcy unfolds gradually. Public officials need to monitor and heed the early warnings.
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• 7 Comments

• The Inexorable Pressure to Say Something Dumb
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   September 13, 2012
• The 24-hour news cycle makes it all too easy for public officials to react too quickly. They would do better to "think gray."
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• 2 Comments

• Riots, Rebellions and the Importance of Social Order
• Posted By: Mark Funkhouser |   September 10, 2012
• Effective government is critical to the stability we need for society to function. These days, that stability is threatened.
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• 6 Comments