Archive
The Democratic peril is especially high this year because it's a midterm election, and some of the biggest landslides for the legislatures have come during midterm elections.
Allowing the Bush-era cuts to expire will benefit some states while hurting others.
Many pension funds will cut their investment-return assumptions.
Some localities are preparing for a time when they've achieved most sustainable outcomes.
What happens next after communities have achieved sustainable outcomes, such as cutting greenhouse gas emissions?
The NYC bedbug epidemic is still going strong. What can be done to help people avoid the sleep-stealing parasites in New York and in other cities?
The White House's mortgage relief strategy to enable underwater homeowners to modify their current mortgages on more-favorable terms is too timid.
Plus: Payday Fraud, Citizen-Driven Budgeting, and More Management News
Does thinking about health care reform make your head hurt? A video by the Kaiser Family Foundation makes things easy.
Public-sector unions and management mean well, but they often fail to reward those actually doing the work: front-line employees.
Now is the time to refocus on the values that make public service truly worthwhile and rewarding.
Colorado didn't legalize medical marijuana to make money, but since regulations went into effect, it has raised millions.
A memo from a 1970 Office of Management and Budget official still resonates four decades later.
The Oregon legislature passed the nation's strictest anti- methamphetamine measure to date this summer. It requires prescriptions for what are currently over-the-counter cold medications--such as Claritin-D or Tylenol Cold and Sinus--that contain pseudoephedrine (PSE), a main ingredient for making methamphetamine.
A handful of public officials and agencies are making their messages
and meetings available by "podcast."
If Virginia governors could serve two terms, they'd get a lot more
done. But would the state be better off?
How can public policies make cycling safer and encourage people to
ride more often? Hint: It doesn't involve helmets.
In most places, traffic cops don't get no respect for hanging around to nab drivers for their sins. In Seattle, however, two motorcycle cops are revered for patrolling a freeway ramp to stop drivers who cut in line.
When children in school and books in libraries can be tracked by radio
waves, privacy advocates get all upset.
Absorbing the displaced from overseas can be a tough urban task. But
for a city in decline, it can be an unexpected opportunity.
A new group of urban leaders wants a strategy based on success, not on
pleading for help.
What's more surprising than Andrew Romanoff becoming Colorado's House speaker? His revenue-reform success.
Wisconsin politics used to be squeaky clean. Now "jaded" would be a
better word.
Los Angeles may get its first Hispanic mayor since 1872. But it will
take more than the Hispanic vote to elect him.
Corporate leadership of cities is at an all-time low. Business consolidations swallowed many of the local banks and newspapers that once called the shots in cities, and globalization has broadened the horizons of surviving companies. But as CEOs step back, others are stepping forward, including philanthropists.
Our household is just like a state: good at forecasting revenue, but
when it comes to expenditures, things get dicier.
The roots of the problems with government processes go all the way back to Adam Smith.
The process-improvement program has had success in Indiana and Louisiana.
Six Sigma, a process-improvement program, may be another management fad, but some of its methods are gaining traction in government.
An expert discusses whether tax increment financing (TIF), a local development tool, can withstand declining real estate values and a tough economic climate.
One of the best political reporters in New York predicts which races will determine control of the New York Senate.
A pilot program in South Carolina prepares high school students to take a certification test and become active firefighters as soon as they turn 18.
It may be difficult but human services departments should be doggedly trying to establish relationships with editors, reporters and bloggers.
Democrat Roy Barnes probably can't win the Georgia governor's race on his own merits in the current political climate. But, Nathan Deal's ethical problems and the taint of Deal's tenure in Congress may be enough to win it for Barnes.
The U.S. can learn a lot from other parts of the world about promoting energy sustainable communities.
Republican Meg Whitman's new ad in the California governor's race uses Bill Clinton's words against fellow Democrat Jerry Brown. Will Clinton come to the defense of his old rival?
Emergency response teams need to upgrade the ways they communicate with each other and the public. But what's the best way to do so?
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's potential write-in campaign in Alaska highlights states' diverse rules for counting write-in votes. Some states even let write-in candidates distribute stickers with their names for voters to use on the ballot.
A new online tool calculates average transportation costs, shedding light on the affordability and sustainability of a community.
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase, “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’” Here’s an approach for dealing with those who insist on putting an “I” in “team.”
Democratic candidates for governor are struggling in states with unpopular outgoing Democratic governors. A new ad from New Mexico Republican Susana Martinez is an illustration of how G.O.P. candidates are taking advantage.
A single fact illustrates the significance of the once-a-decade redrawing of political lines.
There are no magic bullets, but one approach to consider is the establishment of a joint labor-management committee.
How to align your administrative systems to your agency's mission.
Do your HR, procurement, budget, accounting and contracting systems say what you mean?
Every candidate for governor in Massachusetts opposes a ballot measure that would cut the sales tax rate from 6.25 percent to 3 percent. But, voters might approve it anyway.
Exchange programs for local officials promote common ground rather
than competition.
Philadelphia's school superintendent is brimming with ideas about how
to improve things, and he's trying all of them at once.
An abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is slated to become the Pike 2 Bike Trail.
States and localities will have to book future health costs in today's
budget--and that could be bad news for retirees.
The part-time soldiers fighting for the Pentagon overseas have work to
do at home.
Tense relations between police and fire departments, long a fact of
life in many cities, are now emerging as a serious domestic-
preparedness problem.
Lillian Koller likes to cut through red tape--even if that means
bending a few rules of courtesy.
When it comes to education funding, only one word seems to count:
more.
Everybody agrees John Rowland made a mess managing Connecticut. What
they don't agree on is how to fix it.
The politics of staying safe is still politics, whatever you choose to
call it.
The London bombings show the promise and limitations of surveillance cameras. In the July bombings, the cameras were extremely valuable as investigative tools, capturing the bombers and an accomplice on tape, but did nothing to deter the crime itself.
Criteria and formulas for basic performance measures are so varied,
comparing data from one state to another is often a fruitless
exercise.
There's danger in expecting wellness programs to work miracles and
abandoning them when they don't.
Here are some notions that have been percolating in my brain as I think about the upcoming elections.
The economic burdens of "hardening" transit systems are huge--and
raise politically divisive questions.
Midwestern states are experiencing a round of legal challenges to
longstanding laws that ban corporate ownership of farms.
Seat-Belt mandates are no panacea, no matter how much money is thrown
at them.
Interstates created mega regions, and mega regions will change how we
see this country and its transportation needs.
Any city that tries to build its own high-speed Internet connections
can expect a whole lot of pushback.
Damaged sites don't fade away. They just give local officials a
planning headache.
The U.S. Supreme Court is about to turn right. Will that help states?
Not necessarily.
Joel Silverman was asked to reform his state's vehicle license
management. Not everyone wanted it reformed.
Can all the ethical problems of the Ohio GOP be laid at the governor's
feet? Some Republicans hope so.
The smart-growth movement isn't making much noise these days, but it's
learning how to win.
Last time you saw a parade, probably there were politicians perched on the back seats of convertibles or marching along, with supporters holding signs identifying them by name and office. If the parade was in Boston, then you can be sure that the grinning politicians paid for their places in the procession. It's a tradition, the Boston Globe reported recently.
Hospital infection rates are rising and killing 90,000 patients a
year. Can the states put a stop to it?
When some Delaware students return to the classroom in September, they
won't be the only ones anxiously awaiting test scores. A new trial
evaluation method will be used to measure teacher performance.
A small but growing number of localities, predominantly in the South,
have a deal for some of their wayward citizens: Those who've failed to
pay fines, missed a court appearance or committed a misdemeanor can
throw themselves on the mercy of Amnesty Day. By paying their fines,
those with civil bench warrants against them can walk away without a
jail term.
A city and a university sharing a library? It's not easy, but San Jose
is doing it.
States are leaping on the identity theft issue, hoping to reassure
consumers. The data industry wants them to take it easy.
A familiar quip about depression in New York City blames it all on the fact that the light at the end of the tunnel is New Jersey.
A few weeks ago, Governing sat down with Michael Leavitt, the U.S.
Health and Human Services secretary and former governor of Utah, to
talk about changes that could be in store for the Medicaid program.
Here are some key points he made.
Population explosions usually mean lots of new residents. But that's
not always the case.
A California court of appeals has ruled that Borders.com is responsible for the collection of use taxes on purchases made by California residents at its Web site.
Internet sales taxes go live on October 1. That's when online retailers will be asked to start collecting the tax--at least for the 18 states that have recently passed laws simplifying and harmonizing their sales tax systems. The big question for this meticulously designed scheme, which is strictly voluntary for the retailers, is how many of them will actually sign up.
Here's a simple definition of business-friendly: Tell me what the
rules are up front and then apply them fairly.
Chicago's mayor is encouraging citizens to exercise control over seedy
bars in their neighborhoods.
The feds say participation in the "Secure Communities" initiative is voluntary, but can cities really opt out?
A program in Boston is encouraging the poor with incentives to record positive behaviors.
The city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, moved closer to bankruptcy after announcing it is broke and will miss a bond payment.
Recently legislation introduced in Congress would make it a lot easier for the public to access thousands of congressionally mandated reports, which often provide valuable insight into what the federal government is (or should be) doing.
A ballot measure in Florida would create new obstacles to development. It's opposed by many business groups, unions, developers, planners, local governments and newspaper editorial boards. But, with the esteem of many of those groups at an all-time low, could it pass anyway?
Federal reimbursement for high-cost early retirees will begin soon.
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board's pension disclosures could help CFOs sleep at night.
A good option for new public employees is a "half & half" defined-benefit and defined-contribution plan.
All the challenges in government management share the same basic cause: a capacity problem.
Plus: Performance evaluations, the challenge of cell phones and government, and more management news.
If there were one conservative candidate in the Colorado governor's race instead of two, he'd have a chance to win. But, if Don Maes and Tom Tancredo are going to join forces in Colorado, they'd be best off doing it this week.
Technology is helping public officials make more safety-informed decisions that stretch public dollars.
Evolving bridge sensor technology offers tools to far more accurately assess the structural health of existing bridges.
Some states are looking for ways to spend federal stimulus cash that was intended for schools in completely different ways.
One of the first orders of business for the new Mayor Pedro Segarra: getting rid of the 'Butt Ugly' building.
Kansas' governor has taken the politics out of lawmaking -- and has had great success so far.
Once open to choices, Colorado appears headed toward all-mail balloting.
Bedbugs are biting again in a major outbreak, forcing local officials to scramble for solutions.
Cities are increasingly decking highways with piles of greenery and new development.
Before contracting out a government function, a jurisdiction must have solid information about a firm's performance.
States must create better ways of modernizing important computer systems before they become a liability.
Could credit default swaps undermine the fiscal stability of state and local bond issuers?
The politics of immigration policy are tricky for both parties.
The Sunshine State's new workforce strategy breaks with the past.
The citizens of Colorado Springs must decide how much they want from their government, and how much they're willing to pay for it.
Victor Valley College in Victorville, Calif., provides vocational training in the emerging field of green energy.
Community colleges face a new challenge today -- meeting the overwhelming demand for their services.
The Houston Independent School District will soon hand out cash incentives to parents for being more involved in their child's education.
The fiscal situation and IT push within the Obama administration is sending a signal across all levels of government that a sea change is coming.
As Sunlight Foundation sets the stage for advocating on local and state transparency issues, inevitably the question comes: How exactly do you go about learning more about policies in your state?
Sunlight Foundation is digging into state level transparency issues best practices. The three issues it is focusing on: ethics and campaign finance, legislative data and budget transparency.
Texas is now home to the world's largest airport automated train system.
Pennsylvania's plan to use gambling revenue for property tax relief
has turned into a political lemon.
Under a new federal law, state DMVs will be forced into the role of
immigration police.
Anthony Thigpenn has spent years promoting reconciliation among blacks
and Hispanics. L.A.'s new mayor needs him.
Getting reelected as a party outcast isn't easy, but Randy Kelly is
trying.
It's easy to boost school test scores--if you don't care how you do
it.
When American Airlines pulled 200 daily flights out of St. Louis's Lambert Field airport in 2003, it wrecked the airport's finances. As you might have guessed, airports are weighted down with fixed costs-- things they must pay for regardless of how many people they serve, such as runways, terminals and baggage systems.
In the latest round of budget cuts, mid-level managers are considered
the easiest and most defenseless target.
Award-winning programs usually spawn copycats, but there may be good
ideas to replicate from innovative projects that falter.
Even if it's nailed down, thieves are stealing government property to
sell for scrap.
It's time for the states to break down Congress's door with some basic
solutions to the sustainability problem.
A puncturing of today's inflated real estate values would have
negative and broadscale effects on local governments.
Minority-contracting programs can be undone by a city's inability to
distinguish between a real and a fake minority firm.
In Kansas politics, the Christian Right doesn't just pressure the
establishment anymore. It is the establishment.
Pennsylvania is moving its big construction contracts away from the
low-bid model.
A surprising number of Republicans are joining with liberals to enact
new state minimum wage laws.
