What governments save in salaries and benefits often “ends up on the government books through all sorts of programs,” said Paul C. Light, a professor at the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, referring to unemployment insurance, Medicaid and other public assistance for workers earning low incomes. … Economists and other academics who study…
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The attack on government
An interesting issue about the conservative attack on government as an idea: by Demos and the American Prospect. Features stories Wisconsin, Connecticut, Florida, New York, and a feature on pensions. These battles at the state level are, of course, echoing in city halls. Even if the debates seem less heated and the stakes not as high,…
Privatization – how is it debated?
These New York Times debates are never wholly satisfying, but are an interesting indicator of what kinds of “debates” are coming to the fore of political conversation, and how those debates are framed (what are the central questions? how are the sides staked out?). Interestingly, just as austerity policies are driving the outsourcing and privatization…
Picturing the Crisis
How does the mortgage and foreclosure crisis compare to the Great Depression in photogeneity? Nice article here, with some great links to jump to. Read: Picturing the Crisis
Minding the Candy Store: State Audits of Economic Development
Sara Hinkley and Fiona Hsu Executive Summary An analysis of 122 audits of state economic development programs in 44 states reveals a troubling policy landscape. In a time when these programs – such as tax breaks, grants, and loans – are rapidly proliferating, many audits reveal that taxpayers are getting a poor bang for their…