Does Community Matter? by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance July 16, 1998 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press In the larger scheme of things, the news item the other day seemed a small story. A committee of the Metropolitan Airports Commission(MAC), which runs the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport, recommended that the airport not renew … Read More
The Colonies of the Spanish American War by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance April 7, 1998 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press Exactly a century ago, the Spanish-American War transformed the United States into an imperial power. That “splendid little war”, as Secretary of State John Hays described it, lasted only 100 days. But … Read More
Community ownership of professional sports teams is an idea with decades of successful experience. The Green Bay Packers have been operating as a nonprofit corporation since 1923, during which time they have won three world championships and three Super Bowls, and have recently financed two stadium upgrades from retained earnings. Their ownership structure has generated unprecedented fan support while maintaining the fiscal discipline exhibited by corporations. This report by David Morris and Daniel Kraker takes a closer look at the issues surrounding community owned sports. … Read More
Electric Deregulation, California Style by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance March 10, 1998 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press The $210 billion national power market is undergoing radical changes, in no small part due to the efforts of California. Two years ago California decided to allow customers to choose their electricity supplier. The decision … Read More
Can Communities Survive Electronic Commerce? by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance February 10, 1998 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press Can strong communities survive in the age of electronic commerce? Not if we continue in the direction in which we are presently headed. That electronic commerce is here to stay is undeniable. At the … Read More
Economic Giantism Threatens Democracy by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance January 27, 1998 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press The numbers are numbing. In 1997, a trillion dollars in mergers took place in this country. USA Today reports that health care providers are merging at a rate of 3.3 per day. The Big Five … Read More
Capital As Citizen by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance This column originally appeared in the January 1998 issue of Minnesota Law and Politics “We are writing the constitution of a single global economy”, boasts Renato Ruggiero, Director-General of the World Trade Organization. The document he’s referring to is the Multilateral Agreement on Investment(MAI). Most of … Read More
Privatizing Prisons is Dangerous to Our Health by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance January 13, 1998 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press “If it has a payroll, privatize it”. So goes the reigning doctrine of the day. The urge to privatize invades all sectors, all services, even when common sense screams out for us … Read More
The Bonding Bill Should Reflect Our Environmental Commitments by David Morris December 16, 1997 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press Kyoto is behind us. Now comes the hard part, making the climate change agreement work. We can wait on Washington and watch what promises to be a truly appalling debate unfold in the U.S. Senate. … Read More
