Cities Struggle as U.S. Slashes Block Grants Program It is no secret that these are hard times for cities, with tax collections down, state aid dwindling, unemployment high and foreclosures pitting many blocks. So, as he sat in his office here, Mayor Ed Pawlowski of Allentown echoed the question mayors around the country are asking:…
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The Age Of Austerity?
Short piece from July on how the language of austerity (and “shared sacrifice”) is being used in the national debate around debt, stimulus, and taxes. The gist: The language of austerity has so far benefited the Republican position, which is all cuts and no taxes. The piece links to Nancy Pelosi’s statement of July 25…
Governments, Hungry for Money, Try Selling Ads – NYTimes.com
Headline and photo speak for themselves. Full story
The 30 Brokest Cities in America, from Detroit to Miami – The Daily Beast
From November, a slideshow of the U.S. cities whose residents are the most broke (i.e. those plagued by unemployment, low income, personal debt and poor credit scores). So not about “broke cities” per se, but cities are only as flush as the people who inhabit them. #30: Las Vegas, Nevada. #1: Columbus, Georgia. Most of…
Fiscal emergencies in Michigan
In 2010, Governor Snyder of Michigan signed an emergency manager law that has resulted in the takeovers of four Michigan cities and the Detroit Public School District. The state has also taken preliminary steps in the process of declaring fiscal emergency in the city of Detroit. There is an important backstory and politics to the…