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About David Morris

David Morris is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its initiative on The Public Good. He is the author of New City States and four other non-fiction books. His essays on public policy are regularly published by On the Commons, Alternet, Common Dreams and the Huffington Post. More

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Featured Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 5 Comments | Updated on Apr 29, 2011

All Hail the PUBLIC Library

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/all-hail-the-public-library/

“The word “public” has been removed from the name of the Fort Worth Library. Why? Simply put, to keep up with the times.“From the Media release on the rebranding of the Fort Worth Library Fort Worth, you leave me speechless.  You’re certainly correct about one thing.  The public library is indeed an institution that has… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 39 Comments | Updated on Apr 18, 2011

The Real American Exceptionalism

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/the-real-american-exceptionalism/

For Republican presidential candidates the phrase American Exceptionalism has taken on almost talismanic qualities. Newt Gingrich’s new book is titled, “A Nation Like No Other: Why American Exceptionalism Matters”. “American the Exceptional” is the title of a chapter in Sarah Palin’s book America by Heart. What is this American exceptionalism Republicans so venerate? David Morris digs deeper in this commentary. Continue reading

Private Sector Union Density back to 1900-source
Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 1 Comment | Updated on Mar 31, 2011

When Unions Are Strong, Americans Enjoy the Fruits of Their Labor

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/when-unions-are-strong-americans-enjoy-the-fruits-of-their-labor/

The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor. Thomas Donohue, Former President AFL-CIO In the early 1980s Ricardo Levins Morales, an artist and labor activist in Minneapolis designed a bumper sticker with a simple eight-word message,  “From the people who brought you the weekend. “ Since then, he’s sold tens of thousands.  In… Continue reading

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Featured Article filed under Banking, The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 5 Comments | Updated on Mar 1, 2011

And The Academy Award for Cowardice Goes To….

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/and-the-academy-award-for-cowardice-goes-to/

After winning an Oscar for Best Documentary for Inside Job, Charles Ferguson injected some much-needed real world relevance amidst the fabulously glitzy proceedings. Continue reading

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 3 Comments | Updated on Feb 11, 2011

The Superbowl Is Over. Now The Real Battle Begins

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/the-superbowl-is-over-now-the-real-battle-begins/

Dear football fan, The Superbowl is over. But the real combat is just beginning.  This time it’s not Packers v. Steelers.  It’s Workers v. Bosses.  And for thousands of workers and millions of fans, this is the game that counts. In the game of football, the rules favor neither side.  And they are enforced.  Each… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | 5 Comments | Updated on Jan 26, 2011

The State of the Union President Obama Should Have Given

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/the-state-of-the-union-president-obama-should-have-given/

I started to write a comment on President Obama’s State of the Union Address, and the Republican Party’s responses. But I quickly realized the difficulties in having to comment on someone else’s narrative. I’d end up with, at best, a worthy critique when what I wanted was an alternative narrative. So I decided to write one. Continue reading

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Jan 10, 2011

Once We Insisted On Civility: Reflections on Tucson

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/once-we-insisted-civility-reflections-tucson/

In the wake of the murders in Tucson, our leaders once again are calling for civility in public discourse. We forget that for almost 40 years we didn’t have to plead for civility. We demanded it. The story of how we did so, and why we stopped, illuminates the intersection of politics and culture. At the dawn of the broadcasting era, the government declared that the airwaves belonged to the public and fashioned rules to protect the public interest protect the public interest. Continue reading

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Dec 14, 2010

Obama vs. FDR on Social Security

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/obama-vs-fdr-social-security/

Today, 75 years and 4 months since Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, a Democratic president is ignoring his wisdom and abandoning his strategy for protecting the program from shifting political winds. If congressional Democrats go along with Obama on this, it could mark the beginning of the end of Social Security as we have known it. Continue reading

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Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Dec 13, 2010

How Canadians Built a Fair Health Care System from the Bottom Up

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/how-canadians-built-fair-health-care-system-bottom/

 The seeds of the current Canadian health system were sown in rural Saskatchewan in the early 20th century when small cities with no doctorsbegan to subsidize a physician to come and set up practice. Several communities then joined together to open publicly-funded hospitals.

In the 1930s, a new Canadian political party, whose name reflected its philosophy, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), came to powerin Saskatchewan.

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Article filed under General | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Dec 1, 2010

The First Internet: The Post Office and the Public Interest

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/first-internet-post-office-and-public-interest/

In the beginning, there was the post office. Before the Internet, before cable, before TV, before radio, mail delivery was our major means of mass communication. The founders of the United States understood its importance and deemed that it must be a public institution. Article I, Section 8, Clause 7, of the U.S. Constitution states, “Congress shall have Power to establish Post Offices and Post Roads.”

Congress wanted the U.S. Post Office to be a monopoly, but the Post Office still had to deal with private companies that found loopholes in these rules.

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