Subsidies, tax dodges, and dead malls — An interview with Stacy Mitchell in Multinational Monitor, Feb. 2007 Continue reading
Presented to the R’07 Conference Recovery of Materials and Energy for Resource Efficiency Davos, Switzerland, September 2007 The recent paradigm shift in computer discard from disposal to recovery and recycling has been the result of grass roots organizing in the US. Refurbishing of computers has not been emphasized in new government policies, despite the overwhelming… Continue reading
A new online database created by the Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) will help local entrepreneurs find space for their businesses and give property owners and developers a way to recruit more independent businesses to their properties.
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After months of study and consideration by local officials and concerned citizens, the Bellingham City Council has enacted a law that prohibits stores over 90,000 square feet and imposes design standards on those over 60,000 square feet. Continue reading
In a now widely dispersed article, Greg Richardson of Civitium has a bone to pick with my organization. His complaint? Our “far left” “bias”“on public ownership” is “damaging to the public broadband movement.”
Dispensewith the red flag words, and you’ll find an important issue. Civitium and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance have very different definitions of the word “public.”
A study commissioned by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors recommends publicly owned fiber network to promote economic development and bridge the digital divide. Download the full report, "Fiber Optics for Government and Public Broadband: A Feasibility Study" from the city’s web site. Continue reading
This January 2007 paper by David Morris was originally published by the Center for American Progress. This report argues that Congress must recognize the dramatic benefits of clean, renewable energy on rural communities and then ensure that the federal farm bill policies work to maximize local ownership of the rapidly expanding biofuels and wind energy industries. Numerous policy options are recommended. Continue reading
ILSR’s Vice President, David Morris, on WCCO’s "Good Question" segment that asked Global Warming or Climate Change? Segment aired January 25, 2007. Continue reading
"Our results indicate that the presence of Wal-Mart depresses social capital stocks in local communities," concluded Goetz and Rupasingha in their study, which was published by the American Journal of Agricultural Economics. The implications include both a weakened social fabric and "real costs for communities in the form of reduced economic growth."
The study examined both communities in which new Wal-Mart stores were built in the 1990s and those that already had a Wal-Mart at the beginning of the decade. The study controlled for other variables known to affect social capital stocks in a community, such as educational attainment.
This year offers a rare historical opportunity for our nation to marry energy and agricultural policy objectives. The new 110th Congress will be revisiting the 2005 energy bill and reauthorizing the 2002 farm bill, giving congressional leaders the chance to link increased rural prosperity and energy security. Two reports released today will be useful guides.
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