Sustainable Communities

• Florida Governor Calls for Obama to Pay Up on Port Improvements
• BY: Stateline   |   Florida   |   March 29, 2013
• Ahead of President Barack Obama's visit to the Port of Miami, Florida Gov. Rick Scott criticized him and the federal government for not paying their share of port improvement projects costs in the state.

• Who Should Control Broadband?
• BY: Alex Marshall   |   April 2013
• The question of who will install fiber-optic networks and who will control them is key because it could impact decades of economic growth. Telecom giants like AT&T think they should be the only player.
• 2 Comments

• How to Talk About Tax Expenditures
• BY: Justin Marlowe   |   April 2013
• There are ways to take some of the partisan heat out of the discussion.

• GOP Governors Ask ‘What Would Reagan Do?’
• BY: Donald F. Kettl   |   April 2013
• Furious at Washington gridlock and seeking to get their party back on top, Republican governors -- like President Ronald Reagan before them -- are waging an anti-tax campaign aimed at the income tax.
• 2 Comments

• Is Mayor Scott Smith Arizona’s Next Governor?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   April 2013
• The businessman-turned-mayor is turning Mesa around while leading the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Could this moderate Republican bring his pragmatism and policy knowledge to the governorship next?

• How Smaller Cities Hold onto Major Employers
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   April 2013
• When a city’s economy depends on one employer, leaders will go to great lengths to make them happy. But to survive, towns need to attract new businesses.

• Whatever Happened to the Office of Urban Affairs?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   March 29, 2013
• Created four years ago, the federal office was supposed to engage cities and metro areas in all major policy decisions. Today, the Obama administration has “little to show for its efforts.”
• 2 Comments

• Tennesse Overpaid $73M in Jobless Benefits
• Source: Tennessean   |   Tennessee   |   March 29, 2013
• A series of failures in the operation of the state’s unemployment insurance program has resulted in the overpayment of more than $73 million in benefits and created a backlog so long that Tennesseans have had to face unreasonable delays before receiving aid, according to a state audit report.

• What Makes Grand Rapids So Grand?
• BY: Tod Newcombe   |   March 28, 2013
• The Michigan city is rebounding, and its secret to success includes partnerships and a regional agenda.
• 1 Comments

• Where Are State Travel Taxes the Highest?
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   March 28, 2013
• State and local politicians would rather avoid raising taxes on locals who can boot them out of office, but they also know that tourists can still “vote with their feet” and go where taxes are lower.

• 2 Governors Ask Obama to Study Environmental Impacts of Exporting Coal
• Source: Seattle Times   |   Northwest   |   March 26, 2013
• Gov. Jay Inslee has joined with Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber to ask the Obama administration to review the climate-change consequences of leasing and exporting Western coal.

• Detroit's Emergency Manager Says He Wants Mayor, City Council's Help
• Source: Detroit Free Press   |   Detroit   |   March 26, 2013
• Kevyn Orr arrived for his first day on the job at 7 a.m. Monday, an early start to a historic day as Detroit's first emergency financial manager tasked with fixing the city's budget crisis.

• Maryland, Virginia and D.C. Vie for FBI Headquarters
• Source: Washington Post   |   Virginia   |   March 25, 2013
• As the three jockey for a prize worth perhaps as much as $3 billion, the presence of the classified site has left several Northern Virginia officials feeling as if one of their best prospects has been mysteriously hobbled.

• A Jimmy Fallon Tax Credit in New York?
• Source: New York Daily News   |   New York   |   March 22, 2013
• Quietly tucked into tentative state budget is a provision that would help NBC move “The Tonight Show” back to New York.

• A Transplant from Queens in the Heart of the Confederacy
• BY: Mark Funkhouser   |   March 21, 2013
• Stephen Benjamin, the mayor of Columbia, S.C., has ambitious goals for his city. He's off to a strong start.
• 1 Comments