The Decade Since Sept. 11

Governing, Government Technology and Emergency Management have joined together to provide complementary articles on 9/11's impact on states and localities.

Policing in the Post-9/11 Era Governing In America’s largest Arab community, police are pioneering a new way to fight terrorism by strengthening neighborhood ties. National Need for a New Network Government Technology Ten years after 9/11, plans to build a national communications network for public safety agencies -- a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission -- remain on the drawing board. Homeland Spending Uncertainty Emergency Management The United States spent an estimated $635.9 billion spent on homeland security in the decade since 9/11, but what is the return on that investment?

 

FEATURES

• What Experts Think of Five Medicaid-Savings Strategies
• By: John Buntin
• States are testing several strategies in an effort to reduce Medicaid costs. Experts assess those approaches.

• The Price of Medical Illiteracy
• By: Jonathan Walters
• Not understanding what doctors say is costly for patients' health and for health care itself.

• Curiosity's Mars Landing Highlights State Space Race
• By: Russell Nichols
• The successful landing of NASA’s rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars is a reminder that America’s space exploration program is in a state of transition.

• The Logging Industry and Conservationists Partner to Restore Forests
• By: Linda Baker
• After decades of fighting, forestry stakeholders have a reconciliation of sorts.

POLITICS + POLICY

• Were Connecticut Workers Duped?
• By: Ryan Holeywell
• State union leaders blamed a conservative organization for intentionally spreading misinformation about a labor agreement -- one that was voted down by workers.

• Critics Try to Knock Down Eisenhower Memorial Before It Goes Up
• By: Ryan Holeywell
• The design for the 34th president’s monument is too trendy and cold, critics say.

• Counties Sue Fannie and Freddie for Back Taxes
• By: Ryan Holeywell
• Michigan municipalities want to clear up the confusion over the two mortgage giants’ status. Are they government agencies or private companies?

• The Nasty, Ineffective World of Politics
• By: Paul W. Taylor
• Politically-involved high school students could teach legislators a thing or two about compromise.

• Severe Budget Cuts Ahead
• By: Peter Harkness
• With stimulus funding gone, a misinformed citizenry is unprepared for the funding cuts on the horizon.

• Municipalities Challenge Census Numbers
• By: Ryan Holeywell
• Dozens of cities and counties insist that not all their residents were counted. They may be fighting a losing battle.

• State Health IT Coordinators Brace for Health-Care Reform
• By: David Levine
• Overhauling how the health-care industry uses technology is already a difficult job. Meeting the new requirements under the health reform act is an even greater challenge for states.

• Mini Nukes Could Help Meet Electricity Demands
• By: Elizabeth Daigneau
• The Tennessee Valley Authority, a public utility in the Southeast, is testing small nuclear reactors as a source for cheaper, cleaner energy.

• Jobs Aren’t Enough
• By: William Fulton
• Economic development’s key measure of success is not the only approach to turning lagging economies into prosperous communities.

• Houston’s Green Revolution
• By: Tod Newcombe
• America’s oil capital embraces the sustainability movement.

PROBLEM SOLVER

• How A County Reduces Homeless and Jail Populations
• By: Caroline Cournoyer
• Unlike most shelters, this one offers a place for people with mental illness and substance use problems to avoid jail and better their situations.

• Small Energy-Efficiency Investments Add Up
• By: Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
• States and cities are finding that even the simplest tasks, like switching to LED streetlight bulbs, can result in significant savings.

• Overcoming the Fear of Facebook
• By: Steve Towns
• Governments must interact using both traditional websites and social media.

• States and Localities Can’t Afford Big Government Projects
• By: John E. Petersen
• The fiscal situation will likely make huge capital projects like the space shuttle program and Boston’s Big Dig a thing of the past.

• Florida’s Unlikely Emergency Management Director
• By: Tina Trenkner
• Many are watching to see how former Wal-Mart executive Bryan Koon will adapt his private-sector knowledge to aiding the Sunshine State.

Training Opportunities

• Outsmarting the Social Services Fraudster
• Learn how IBM InfoSphere Identity Insight helps social services organizations reduce time and labor for caseload management, comply with new regulations fast and cost-efficiently and identify fraudulent behavior rapidly to stop it before it occurs.
• A Safer Public Through Advanced Analytics
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