• Los Angeles Transit Needs Taxpayers' Money to Rebuild
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   July 2012
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking voters to pay a half-cent sales tax longer so he can finish his plans to improve the highway and subway systems quicker.
• 1 Comments

• Reducing Pet Populations in Pittsburgh
• BY: Jessica Mulholland   |   July 2012
• Pittsburgh has begun to shift funds away from impounding and euthanizing cats and dogs toward a free spaying and neutering program.
• 4 Comments

• Limit on Public-Defenders' Caseloads Strains Washington Cities
• Source: AP/Seattle Times   |   Washington state   |   June 26, 2012
• Officials in cities across Washington state say that even as they're trying to find ways to cut budgets, new guidelines from the state Supreme Court will force them to cough up more money for people who are accused of crimes but can't afford their own attorneys.

• Nuclear Cost Recovery Laws at Issue in States
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   June 25, 2012
• Charging ratepayers for nuclear plant construction made sense to many legislatures a few years ago. Attitudes have shifted since then.

• Incorporating Innovation into Local Government
• BY: Neil Kleiman   |   June 12, 2012
• Backed by $24 million in foundation funds, five cities are creating dedicated teams in their mayors’ offices to look for ways to fundamentally restructure how the cities do what they do. There is much to be learned from this ambitious effort.
• 7 Comments

• Governments Discover Need for Mental Health First Aid
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   June 2012
• Mental disorders are more common than heart disease and cancer combined -- one reason states and localities are teaching their employees how to recognize the signs of mental health problems and how to help.
• 4 Comments

• 'Stand Your Ground' Law Backed by Most Florida Voters
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Florida   |   May 25, 2012
• Though much maligned nationally, the state's Stand Your Ground law at the center of the Trayvon Martin shooting case is supported by 56 percent of Florida's registered voters, according to a new poll conducted by Quinnipiac University.

• Government Performance Auditors at Risk of Becoming Endangered
• BY: Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene   |   May 2012
• Many governments have shifted into reverse, cutting and even eliminating auditing offices.

• Mayor Brenda Lawrence Walks a Mile in Their Shoes
• BY: Paul W. Taylor   |   May 2012
• In Southfield, Mich., the mayor takes early morning walks with her constituents – a move that’s changed the physical and civic health of her city.
• 1 Comments

• Lawmakers Sue New York City over Occupy Wall Street Response
• BY: The Associated Press   |   New York City   |   April 30, 2012
• Four New York lawmakers sued the city Monday over its handling of the Occupy Wall Street protests, saying police conduct is so problematic that the department needs an outside monitor.
• 2 Comments

• Encouraging Biking, Walking in Large U.S. Metro Areas
• BY: Alex Marshall   |   April 2012
• When home, work, school and shopping are in closer proximity, travel is easier. What can cities do to help get people out of their cars and onto their feet?
• 3 Comments

• Occupy Salt Lake City Ends Peacefully
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   April 2012
• Police Chief Chris Burbank’s diplomatic ways helped the city avoid the violent clashes that plagued other places.

• GIS Mapping Helps Frogtown, Minnesota Track Neighborhood Data
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   April 2012
• Residents use geographic info systems to learn more about where they live.

• Sunday Alcohol Sales Making a Comeback
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   April 2012
• In the last decade, 15 states have repealed so-called blue laws that banned Sunday sales of beer, wine and liquor.

• The Incalculable Things that Define Us
• BY: Mark Funkhouser   |   March 26, 2012
• As we try to measure everything that moves, we need to remember that some of the most important things about us can’t be measured.