Food & Water Watch has issued a thoroughly researched report on water privatization. A survey of more than 200 public and private water systems found that private suppliers charge significantly more than public systems. The 10 largest initiatives increased water rates on average 15 percent a year after privatization. After local governments brought water systems back … Read More
In early February 12 nations, including the U.S. signed the highly controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This trade agreement would diminish U.S. sovereignty, undermine democracy and create a new world court where corporations can sue governments and corporate lawyers decide the cases. The TPP now goes to Congress for a vote. If you want to know about … Read More
As the rightly acclaimed tv series Downton Abbey unspools its final episode some fans have criticized the producers decision to devote so much time to a debate about the future of Downton’s Cottage Hospital. The show makes the issue mostly personal with delightfully snippy exchanges between Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham who speaks for a way … Read More
This month we featured David’s recent piece on the Two Mistakes That Obama Made That Lost the Country, as well as a recently archived interview David did on KFAI Community Radio in Minnesota discussing the history of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Open up the January 2016 – Public Good Newsletter here or by clicking below.
In 2014, on ILSR’s 40th anniversary co-founder David Morris sat down with Siobhan Kierans and Tom O’Connell, co-hosts of TruthToTell, a weekly public affairs program on KFAI radio in Minneapolis to talk about our history, our approach and our decentralist perspective. TruthToTell Description: AIRING MONDAYS @ 9:00 a.m., TruthToTell is produced by CivicMedia/Minnesota as part of … Read More
While other cities try to regulate or ban panhandlers, Albuquerque, N.M., offers them an income and social services for the day. Twice a week, a city van rolls through downtown Albuquerque, N.M., stopping at popular panhandling locations, Governing magazine reports. The driver asks panhandlers if they want a day job. Work pays $9 an hour, higher … Read More
On December 28th at 10:52PM, a few minutes before the New Year holiday recess, without public notice or hearings, the Michigan legislature, on a straight party line vote passed a law prohibiting any public official from using “Public funds or resources for a communication” about a local ballot question within 60 days of the election. The … Read More
On March 18, 2015, President Obama addressed the Cleveland Club. After his speech a 7th grader asked him, “If you could go back to the first day of your first term what advice would you give yourself?” Better that she would have inquired, “Given that the country was lost on your watch, what would you have done differently?” … Read More
New York makes it hard for citizens to influence policy. They cannot put an issue on the state ballot no matter how many signatures they gather. And although the state Constitution has a home rule provision, cities and counties lack authority to undertake some of the most basic initiatives. Even mighty New York City, with over … Read More
