By: Chelsea Gow At the Clearwater Free Clinic (CFC), a 58-year-old cook, William Jordan, sought care for what appeared to be a large blister on the bottom of his foot. Lacking health insurance, William put off seeing a doctor for months as his wound increased in size and severity. “I was terrified of what my … Continue reading Free Clinic Serves Health Care Needs of Poor and Uninsured
Why the U.S. Should Adopt the Nordic Approach to Private Roads
By Giovanna da Silva Many view the United States as a free market capitalist state and Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland as socialist due to their extensive welfare system. Yet, in the United States, most roads, highways, and other transportation infrastructure are publicly owned and operated. Meanwhile, the vast majority of roads in … Continue reading Why the U.S. Should Adopt the Nordic Approach to Private Roads
Bethel Church Vital to Frenchtown Community Redevelopment
By N'namdi Green Today, faith-based organizations continue to influence communities beyond the religious realm. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Tallahassee is a prime example of a faith-based organization inserting itself into non-conventional fields. Bethel has been at the forefront of economic development within the Frenchtown community in Tallahassee for almost 30 years. This includes past … Continue reading Bethel Church Vital to Frenchtown Community Redevelopment
Hurricane Response Efforts are Most Effective When Decentralized
By Chad Thomas According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), emergency responses to hurricanes aim to prevent further loss of life and property damage. Effective emergency responses utilize local information and enable decentralized responses from within the disaster zone. Local information about necessary relief in affected areas aids response efforts. A decentralized response enables … Continue reading Hurricane Response Efforts are Most Effective When Decentralized
Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises
By Matt Kelly Government consolidation is an often-touted solution to economic and social problems in American cities. Several initiatives to combine local governments have resulted in conjoined regional governments, including Indianapolis-Marion County (IN), Athens-Clarke County (GA), and Jacksonville-Duval County (FL). Tallahassee and Leon County have seen six campaigns for consolidation over 50 years, all of … Continue reading Government Consolidation Rarely Lives Up to Promises
Tallahassee’s Local Permitting Process Reviewed
By Benjamin Peterson, Colin Cook, and Scott Williams One of the core issues of the DeVoe Moore Center (DMC) is regulatory streamlining and reform. Previous reports on local permitting have considered particular development types, including shopping centers and telecommunications towers. The DMC’s Data Analytics Group continues to examine the permitting process and most recently began … Continue reading Tallahassee’s Local Permitting Process Reviewed
Regulators Adapt to the Sharing Economy
By Matt Kelly The so-called “sharing economy” has revolutionized the way people travel, lodge, eat, and work through companies such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, and OpenTable. Buyers and sellers are increasingly transacting on online platforms that use a mix of demand pricing, reputation mechanisms, and computer algorithms to match users. This innovation represents a dramatic challenge … Continue reading Regulators Adapt to the Sharing Economy
Study Finds Growth Management Laws Reduce Housing Affordability
by Matt Kelly A new study by Cato Institute Senior Fellow Randal O’Toole explores the history and effects of growth management in the United States. Growth-management laws, according to O’Toole, “restrict rural development in order to force most growth into the cities.” In “The New Feudalism: Why States Must Repeal Growth-Management Laws” O’Toole finds these … Continue reading Study Finds Growth Management Laws Reduce Housing Affordability
Preparing Florida’s Government Policy for The Next Big Hurricane
by Chad Thomas Political and economic conditions in New Orleans before 2005 left the city unprepared for Hurricane Katrina. The government bureaucracies responsible for levee maintenance were mismanaged and corrupt officials diverted needed funds. Weak economic performance before Katrina also set up affected areas for slow recovery afterward. New Orleans’ experience shows how government can … Continue reading Preparing Florida’s Government Policy for The Next Big Hurricane
New Overtime Rules Blocked For Now, But Uncertainty Weighs on Businesses
By Matt Kelly CLOCK IN TIME: 6:10pm Work in the United States may be about to change. The Department of Labor (DOL) has updated overtime rules relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and some changes could have a big impact on businesses’ labor costs. The rules were set to take effect on December 1, … Continue reading New Overtime Rules Blocked For Now, But Uncertainty Weighs on Businesses
Community Redevelopment Agencies
By Casey Barr Local governments face the perennial dilemma of obtaining money to fund community redevelopment projects. Requesting state or federal funds can be an arduous bureaucratic process, and these funds are often awarded to larger, more prominent cities, ignoring smaller towns where need is arguably greater. Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) allow local governments to … Continue reading Community Redevelopment Agencies
Special Districts in Florida
By: Matt Kelly and Tyler Worthington Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O’Neil once said, “all politics is local,” meaning that politicians must appeal to local constituents to succeed. Yet political economy is arguably most opaque and complex at local levels. Local governments have grown as numerous as they are multifaceted. Over … Continue reading Special Districts in Florida
Urban gardens face zoning restrictions
By Stephany Bittar Urban gardens are cropping up all over the country, and it’s easy to see why. Growing food inside cities can be cheap, and can provide a new level of control over what we consume. Urban gardens can also strengthen communities by providing a healthy alternative to impoverished areas with limited access to … Continue reading Urban gardens face zoning restrictions
Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget
By: Nick Hyder and Tian Ma With 2015 behind us, it’s worthwhile to take stock of last year’s spending by state government. A state’s spending says a lot about its priorities, and accountability to taxpayers is an important component of a democracy. The Agency for Health Care Administration tops the list of spending by state … Continue reading Health Care and Education Departments Spend the Most of Florida’s State Budget
EPA’s W.O.T.U.S. rule would affect much of Florida
By Tyler Worthington On June 29, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers added a new rule that redefined “Waters of the United States” (W.O.T.U.S.) to the Federal Register and broadened what streams, rivers, ponds, wetlands, ditches, and waterways are subject to federal regulations under the Clean Water Act. This rule marks … Continue reading EPA’s W.O.T.U.S. rule would affect much of Florida
Property-tax hike in Tallahassee reveals broken budget process
Proposed tax increase in Tallahassee shows broken budget process. Zero-based budgeting would help.
Florida’s Pensions Could Be Reformed Locally
By Matt Kelly On January 27th, the managers of 19 Florida pension funds received a “call to action” letter from the Florida Department of Management Services informing them that reforms are needed to address their unfunded liabilities. A previous blog pointed out that while Florida’s state’s employee pension fund is 86% funded (better provisioned than … Continue reading Florida’s Pensions Could Be Reformed Locally
Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
By Logan Shewmaker U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) is pushing to expand into Florida. Between 2008 and 2013, the average MLS franchise’s market capitaliztion grew 175 percent. The average attendance for MLS games exceeds 18,000, higher than the NBA. “The beautiful game” is growing in the United States, but does MLS growth justify public subsidies? … Continue reading Orlando’s Soccer Stadium Not Worth Public Investment
Florida’s Dysfunctional Property Insurance System
By Matt Kelly Many readers will remember the hurricane season of 2004 as a chaotic time to be a Florida resident. The Sunshine State received four torrential storms that year, causing $45 billion in losses. School was cancelled, streets were covered with debris, and 37 lives were lost. Since 2005, Florida has experienced a nine-year … Continue reading Florida’s Dysfunctional Property Insurance System
Reevaluating Benefit Corporations
Original post date: October 13, 2014 Article by: Dan Davy A previous blog discussed the potential for Florida’s recently passed Benefit Corporation (B-Corp) legislation to encourage social enterprise. Some consider the B Corp movement a “seismic sea change in the world of corporations.” However, whether this legal innovation will make a significant impact on social … Continue reading Reevaluating Benefit Corporations