There’s been no shortage of interest and commentary about the importance of entrepreneurs and small business to the nation’s recovery. Almost daily, economists and policy wonks engage in a seemingly never-ending discussion on what the “right” businesses are to create jobs. And while these conversations have utility and value, they have not produced many actionable
Category: Cities – General
This is the last post in a seven-part series about US mayors’ 2012 State of the City speeches. Ten years ago, if you looked far and wide, you may have heard the word “sustainability” in one- possibly two- mayors’ State of the City addresses. Five years ago, a few more mayors, especially those with a
This week’s blog highlights two Wall Street Journal debates revolving around entrepreneurship and startup funding, gives a deserving mention to an increase in women-owned businesses in New York, and explores the recent explosion of interest in learning how to code. Comment below or send to common@nlc.org. Get the last edition of “The Latest in Economic
By Neil Bomberg, Program Director Last week, the House of Representatives passed Chairman Ryan’s budget resolution. Though it has no chance of passing by the Senate, it will have an impact on the way in which the House allocates funds to various line items in the appropriations process. My view is, and this is a
By Neil Bomberg, Program Director It is hard to understand, when one looks at the program outcomes for the Pell Grant program and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), why House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan wants to cut or eliminate their funding. Both appear to be helping Americans obtain the job skills and education they need
The following statement on Senator Harkin’s Rebuild America Act is from Donald J. Borut, Executive Director of the National League of Cities. “The National League of Cities thanks Senator Harkin for introducing “The Rebuild America Act.” Since the beginning of the Great Recession, America’s cities and towns have asked the federal government to invest in
By Neil Bomberg, Program Director I was deeply troubled by the impact House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget plan would have on the Pell Grant program, the federal program that provides needs-based grants to low-income post-secondary students. Like the cuts proposed to the Workforce Investment Act, the Ryan budget plan would
This is the fifth in a seven-part series about mayors’ 2012 State of the City Speeches. Economic development strategies come in all shapes and sizes. More importantly, what’s good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. We would not expect Biloxi, MS to have the same strategy as Washington, DC; and we
By Neil Bomberg, Program Director As I read through the budget proposed by House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), I was left wondering why House Republicans are so vigorously opposed to job training programs like the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). This program – which helps private sector employers find and train skilled
The city of Chicago stands high on a number of rankings that consider benchmarks such as economic output, educational attainment, public transit assets and quality of place. The numbers are pretty consistent across a number of research studies including the most recent one conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In the