High Road:  Michigan’s Cool Cities Initiative

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is steering $30 million a year away from the sprawling suburbs and into the urban core in an effort to slow the brain drain from Michigan cities.  By using Brownfield bucks to revive 'cool' cities, she’s rebuilding older urban centers into economic powerhouses with vibrant downtowns to attract businesses and hip young city dwellers.  The program included a conference on job creation, and solicits college students on how to attract workers.

Low Road:  Bush Budget Shifts Taxes to Cities and Counties

 The fiscal outlook for local government -- already bleak  -- will turn dramatically worse if Congress passes the Bush budget. The National Association of Counties claims the President's budget is tough on county funding by making significant cuts in local government. Mayors continue to be upset about the lack of security funding for cities, while Stateline.org just released a special report: State and local finances: Still perilous seas.  In addition, the Bush plan to curtail Medicaid nationwide will end up costing state and county government millions of dollars next year, while claiming to save the federal government money.

Trailblazers: Leaders in Local Government

Trenton, NJ:  New Jersey plan would hire 1,000 in child welfare
A top-to-bottom overhaul of the state's child welfare system creates a team of specially trained investigators to look into claims of abuse; recruits about 1,000 more foster families and pays them more; removes hundreds of children who have lingered in group homes and institutions; and establish a 24-hour telephone hot line to report abuse.

Las Vegas, NV: Citizen task force to study limiting southern Nevada growth
Citing concerns that development may outstrip water, air and land resources, Clark County officials called for the creation of a task force on limiting growth in one of the nation's fastest-growing areas.

Norton County, KS: Norton County argues right to set feedlot regulations
A minority of Kansas Supreme Court justices reacted skeptically when attorneys for Norton County argued it could impose tougher regulations on feedlots than state law requires.

Beaver County, PA: Proposal calls for capping auto emissions test fee
A lawmaker is worried that auto garages are gouging customers on the computerized emissions analysis known as "on-board diagnostic" testing, or OBD tests. So state Sen. Gerald LaValle, D-Rochester, wants to cap the price for the test at $20, plus taxes and fees. He's one of two prime sponsors on an emissions bill to be introduced.

Denver, CO:  Bill targets specialty hospitals -- Across the United States, surgeons, cardiologists, and radiologists are opening mini-hospitals that compete with longstanding medical centers, and has sparked fierce debate over whether such facilities will lower costs and improve medical care, or will financially ruin community hospitals.

New York, NY:  Unionizing autism agency workers prevail -- The Quality Services for the Autism Community agency is officially a union shop. Following a contentious year-long battle pitting elected officials, state oversight boards and pro-union staffers against the agency's management, employees have forced the agency to accept the Civil Services Employees Association Local 1000.

Boise, ID:  Voters turn down government subsidies for convention center -- After opponents raised questions about whether property tax-payers would end up footing the bill, Sam Abajian voted against the project, saying “I don't think government should be getting into business like that.”

News from Local Government 

Saint Paul, MN: Web phones, 911 system clash
The board overseeing the Twin Cities' 911 system is concerned that public safety is at risk due to difficulties in accessing the system with new types of phone service provided over the Internet.

St. Louis, MS: Groups push for new voters
Groups out to fatten Missouri's voter rolls have registered more than 32,000 new voters since July in St. Louis County - a flood that city election officials say is taxing their staff.

Sacramento, CA: Electronic voting is challenged
With early and absentee voting for the March 2 primary already underway, a Sacramento judge will hear a request today for an injunction against registrars of 18 counties using electronic voting technology.  Related:  In a January 2004 special election in Broward County, FL, "134 voters were disenfranchised because the electronic voting machines showed no votes, and there was no way to determine those voters' intent." That election "was decided by only 12 votes."

Columbus, OH: Voting devices' security at issue -- Two state senators called for a thorough review of security problems with the electronic voting systems that Ohio's counties are considering buying.  Related: In a November 2003 election in Fairfax, VA, "at least 154 machines crashed or had power or printing problems; 10 others broke down altogether." And in 2002, "machines in several Florida districts reported no votes for governor." Nevertheless, a recent study by Election Data Services found that next November "six of every 10 voters will use electronically enhanced voting systems."

Boston, MA: State's rules on valuation irk localities
Some town officials and state legislators are complaining about the new procedures that the state Revenue Department is using to calculate the amount and value of state-owned land within municipalities.  

Birmingham, AL: Shelby model for modified home rule bill
Unlike almost every other state in the nation, Alabama requires its county governments to go through the Legislature every time they want to pass an animal control ordinance, a fine for littering or restrictions on junkyards.

Topeka, KS: Lawmakers want to scrap or delay destination sales tax -- The House began work on the repeal or delay of a law that changes the way state and local sales taxes are collected on delivered merchandise.

Concord, NH: Snow plow drivers want law change
Those who drive city and town snowplows say they are being treated unfairly by state law. If someone hits them as they clear snow, the incident goes on their personal driving record, and can raise their private insurance rates. Police officers, firefighters and ambulance drivers do not face the same situation.

Milford, CT: Lawmakers pushing bill on DEP rule
The city’s delegation is proposing legislation that would mandate the state notify municipal leaders of any contamination found in their community.

Wichita, KS: Bill in Senate could make city fluoridate -- A Senate committee has introduced legislation requiring all Kansas cities to fluoridate their water if grant money is available.

High Road Reports

The Hudson River area has a long history of taxpayer-subsidized job piracy, job blackmail threats, and eight-figure "retention" deals. New Jersey Policy Perspective recently released the first comprehensive report on business incentives in New Jersey: "Taking Care of Business: Does it Cost Too Much?"   Also see GJF’s Report: The Policy Shift to Good Jobs:  Cities, States and Counties Attaching Job Quality Standards to Development Subsidies.

 The Status of Women in the States reports measure and track women's status in all 50 states and DC.  Overall, the reports find that while women have made many strides in recent decades, they are far from gender equality. For more information, click here.

 A New Metro Economies Report documents how Michigan residents lost $13.2 billion in wages during 2003. Click here to see Key Findings or download the Full Report. 

The Oregon Center for Public Policy recently released Time to Raise the Corporate Minimum Tax, showing how top execs get pay raises while Oregon gets just $10.  Also from OCPP: Oregon's Business Tax Burden: Lowest in the Nation?

Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania contends that the economic future of a major rust belt state depends on revitalizing its demographic mix and curbing some of the nation's most radical patterns of sprawl and abandonment.

Report bemoans Iowa wages. The annual incomes of one in five Iowa families fall short of covering the basic costs of running a household, according to a study by Iowa State researchers.

Even though the recession "ended" over two years ago, Wisconsin has continued to lose jobs according to data analyzed by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS).  Related Story:  After the Administration released its economic report, Bush began backing off just-released jobs forecasts. Read the follow up to the recent Issue Brief, Missing the Moving Target, that was jointly released by EPI and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

"State Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Solvency: How Are States Doing in the Continuing Job Slump?" provides an overview of state UI trust fund performance. Reforms including alternate base periods (ABPs), part-time UI eligibility, and family-friendly good cause provisions are especially needed in these states. To find out more about your state's current trust fund level and how to assess its solvency, view the NELP report.

Quote of the Week

"PonyExpress has been able to advance by taking the 'high road' in all of its dealings as well as staying focused on our mission. We are dedicated to. . . providing an environment that encourages professional development, personal growth, and rewards the efforts of our employees. We have found that when taking this position, it sometimes takes a little longer to achieve aggressive goals in today's competitive marketplace, but in the long run our progress is real and long lasting."

       -Peter Ticktin, President and CEO, while reporting on profits for PonyExpress

ALICE offers best practices in high-wage, low-waste, worker-friendly, publicly-accountable  local policy.  Our website serves as a collaborative clearinghouse for local elected officials, activists, organizations, and issue experts who want a map and a vehicle to take the high road.  If you have innovative policy you'd like to share with the rest of the country, send them to our National Director at andy@highroadnow.org