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Frank Shafroth

Columnist

Frank Shafroth is the director of the Center for State and Local Leadership at George Mason University, where he is also an assistant professor, and is an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Public Policy at George Washington University. He has served as the director of federal policy and intergovernmental relations for the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, was chief of staff for U.S. Rep. James Moran, was director of policy and federal relations for both the National Governors Association and the National League of Cities, and was assistant counsel for the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. He is a regular columnist for State Tax Notes and an attorney. He is currently heading a project for the MacArthur Foundation on the topic of severe municipal fiscal stress.

Confronting social inequality is harder when a city is struggling.
It's always going to be expensive, but getting it right is critical.
The diverse group of people dealing with the city's bankruptcy could teach Washington a lot about collaboration and creativity.
Demographic change and tax policies that favor the elderly mean an ever-widening fiscal gap for state and local governments.
Colorado's county secession movement was sparked by a growing disconnect between rural and urban areas. Rather than forming a new state, it might make more sense to try to deal with that disconnect.
The disinvestment and reliance on higher student fees and tuition creates significant risks not only for students—but for states, too.
There are positive signs, but there also is a lot of variation in how they fared through the downturn and beyond.