• California’s Money-Saving MVP
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   December 2011
• If finding ways to save money for a cash-starved state wasn’t enough, California’s Auditor Elaine Howle is adding the task of setting up a new redistricting commission to her to-do list.

• Governments Abandon Fingerprinting for Food Stamps
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   December 2011
• Most states and cities stopped requiring that recipients be fingerprinted because it was costly and slowed the application process. New York City and Arizona are the last jurisdictions that still do it.
• 1 Comments

• N.Y. Credits Military Experience for Jobs, Education
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   November 21, 2011
• The Cuomo administration strives to make military experience transfer into college credit and job certifications.

• Oregon Is First State to Vote by iPad
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   November 10, 2011
• The technology helps people with disabilities cast their ballots easily and more privately.

• San Francisco Voters Approve Pension Cutbacks
• BY: Stateline   |   November 10, 2011
• A coalition of business and labor groups won passage of a ballot measure reducing pension benefits. The question is how far it will go in solving the city's serious long-term pension problems.

• Colo. Ballot Measure to Test Voters' Willingness to Raise Taxes
• BY: Stateline   |   October 28, 2011
• This year’s most high-profile tax measure on the ballot goes to a vote next week. The outcome will provide clues to the public’s mood about raising taxes.

• Accountability and the Elected Official
• BY: Todd Newcombe   |   October 26, 2011
• Outcome-based government can achieve a lot, but politicians sometimes have trouble making the cultural shift that is needed.

• The Politics of Outcomes
• BY: Babak Armajani   |   October 25, 2011
• Accountability-based government requires a culture shift for elected officials. It’s a change they’re not always ready to make.
• 3 Comments

• New Online Tool Tracks Personal Taxes
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   October 13, 2011
• The City of Houston has created a new tool to show taxpayers how their dollars are spent -- down to the very last cent.

• Student Solutions to Environmental Problems Save Governments Money
• BY: Caroline Cournoyer   |   October 2011
• Tapping into young peoples’ creativity in search of green improvements has paid off for an Alaskan school district and its taxpayers.
• 2 Comments

• Can Light Rail Unite Two Va. Cities?
• BY: Alex Marshall   |   October 2011
• Virginia Beach voted against the building of a light rail years ago. Now that it’s up and running in nearby Norfolk, Va., some think beach-dwellers may rethink their decision.
• 1 Comments

• Severe Budget Cuts Ahead
• BY: Peter Harkness   |   September 2011
• With stimulus funding gone, a misinformed citizenry is unprepared for the funding cuts on the horizon.

• Overcoming the Fear of Facebook
• BY: Steve Towns   |   September 2011
• Governments must interact using both traditional websites and social media.
• 6 Comments

• Critics Try to Knock Down Eisenhower Memorial Before It Goes Up
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   September 2011
• The design for the 34th president’s monument is too trendy and cold, critics say.

• Municipalities Challenge Census Numbers
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   September 2011
• Dozens of cities and counties insist that not all their residents were counted. They may be fighting a losing battle.