Inexpensive single-room-occupancy dwellings were common in America decades ago, but overregulation has driven them from the housing market.
Sweeping state limits — or eliminating the tax altogether — are politically appealing. But cuts in property tax rates combined with targeted state tax relief are less disruptive to local finances.
The notion that we can assume people suffering from substance use disorders will freely choose what is best for them and their children is regularly undermined by reality. Too many children have paid the price.
A lot of cities have tried doing away with the fare box. Most of them have run into problems of one kind or another.
As long as Congress disregards the collateral damage that AI and other new technologies are already bringing to our economy, states and municipalities will need to move quickly to capture new revenues to support workers left behind.
Formerly incarcerated women have expertise that is policy-ready. We need to mandate including them on the bodies that shape jails, prisons, parole, sentencing and reentry.
This long-depressed city has overcome some of its most serious problems. Maybe others can accomplish the same thing.
Especially when it comes to data centers, it’s hard to square the costs to taxpayers with the benefits to states’ economies.
It’s a core public safety issue: Researchers need access to agency data, but it can be difficult or impossible to come by. You can’t solve a problem you can’t measure. Model state legislation offers a framework for expanding access.
Construction regulations have evolved through a rigorous process guided by professional expertise. But safety and housing affordability shouldn’t be seen as competing goals.
For public officials who support equal opportunity, recent court rulings and other developments provide reasons for a little optimism.
Whether it’s political polarization, ruthless social media or federal interference, this is a particularly tough time to be in elected office in a city or a state.
For a few of them, particularly ambitious Democrats, the answer is yes.
Compounds far more potent than fentanyl are emerging faster than ever. State and local overdose tracking systems should be built to detect them.
We need to reward outcomes that enhance community safety. The place to start is with the way we staff our prisons.
We make it too hard for immigrants with substantial education and professional experience gained in other countries to work here at their skill level, filling critical labor shortages. We should evaluate competence in a rigorous yet realistic way.
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