The Ferguson Group Blog

'Tis the Season for NIJ Solicitations!

I was pleased to open an email from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) announcing that they will be releasing many of their Fiscal Year 2013 solicitations for research, development, and evaluation in the coming months.

NIJ has a very user friendly site that includes a forthcoming funding page, which lists the title and descriptions of upcoming grant solicitations. NIJ will continue to update this site with details on more grant programs and future grant solicitations.

Take a minute to review the grant programs listed under the categories of forensic sciences, social sciences, and physical sciences and technology to help you and your agency prepare to apply for these grant opportunities.

In addition, please don’t hesitate to post a comment on this blog if you have a particular question regarding one of the grant programs, and a TFG staff member will get back to you with an answer!

Something Most of Us Can Agree Upon

While we don’t all agree on the solution to our current “fiscal cliff” challenge or who we favor in Sunday night’s key Redskins –Cowboys game (though us DC-based TFG staff certainly have strong opinions on this!) it turns out that most of us can agree that this County needs to get serious about investing in our infrastructure.  The Association of Equipment Manufacturers conducted a survey of 1,000 voters Dec. 5-7 that demonstrated serious concerns about the state of our infrastructure.

Seventy-seven percent said infrastructure “is in serious need of rebuilding and modernizing,” and 61 percent think improvements should come from “a combination of funding sources such as some additional tax revenues, user fees and private investment.” Additionally, 84% of voters believe that “If the United States can afford to spend billions of dollars rebuilding the infrastructure in foreign countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, we can afford to do the same here at home.” Hopefully this and other compelling data will spur Congress and the President to direct resources to this area.

If you’re interested in seeing the full survey results, you can check them out here.

Volunteering is Always in Season

So often my blog entries are about what the federal government is doing for local governments, or what local governments are doing for their citizens.  During this holiday season, I wanted to take just a minute to highlight the amazing work that citizens are doing for their fellow citizens.  The number for 2012 aren’t available yet, but the Bureau of labor Statistics found that in  2011 our nation’s volunteer rate rose to 26.8 percent of the US population with 64.3 million people volunteering through or for an organization at least once in that year.   These numbers are significant, but could and should continue to grow. 

If you or your residents are interested in identifying  volunteer opportunities or recruiting volunteers
in your own towns during this holiday season and beyond, you might consider visiting
Volunteer Match,  a comprehensive volunteer match site.

Senator Inouye, You Will be Missed

My heart sank when an e-mail crossed my screen yesterday with the headline, “Breaking News: Inouye Dies.”  Senator Daniel K. Inouye was not only treasured and revered in his home state of Hawaii and the Halls of Congress, he was a national treasure as well.  He epitomized the selfless lawmaker who worked tirelessly and selflessly for his state and the nation.  His presence on Capitol Hill will be greatly missed.

I had the good fortune to watch Senator Inouye, firsthand, when he found himself on the national stage as a member of the Senate Watergate Committee.  As an intern in the summer of 1973, I took advantage of the opportunity to spend any free time sitting in on the Watergate hearings in the seats reserved for congressional staff.  His calm, steady demeanor and his aggressive pursuit of the facts assured us all that no one, including the President , was above the law, that we would one day know the truth about the Watergate burglaries and the abuses of power that surrounded those events, and that the wrong-doers would be identified and punished.

As a staff member for a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I repeatedly observed his unwavering commitment to, and advocacy for, the best interest of his state and the nation.   And, with Senator Inouye, it was clear throughout his service that partisanship was not all important, relationships mattered.  He worked as well with those across the aisle as he did with those within his own caucus.   We are all better off for his more than 50-year commitment of public service in the House and Senate.  Again, Senator Inouye will be greatly missed.

Sandy Supplemental Begins its Legislative Journey

Yesterday, Senators began to debate the $60 billion Sandy aid package, which has an uncertain future.  While there is no disagreement that recovery and mitigation funding is needed,  there is criticism of the $12 billion for transportation repairs and future storm mitigation efforts. As with most disaster response funding bills, these funds are not offset by federal spending cuts in other areas.

Prompted to justify these expenditures, on Monday the New York MTA released a document that described how their nearly $5 billion share of the bill might be spent.  Senators McCain and Coburn have identified many issues that need to be addressed in this legislation, including in that list “$336 million for taxpayer-supported AMTRAK without any detailed plan for how the money will be spent.”

Other items highlighted in the McCain-Coburn statement include:

· $125 million for the Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Watershed Protection program, which helps restore watersheds damaged by wildfires and drought

· $20 million for a nationwide Water Resources Priorities Study

· $15 million for NASA facilities

· $50 million in subsidies for tree planting on private properties

Innovative Policy Ideas: A National Infrastructure Bank

Our nation’s crumbling infrastructure is creating an adverse impact on our economy. Over a quarter of our bridges are obsolete or face structural deficiencies. Americans spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic. This costs the American economy $78.2 billion, which is compounded by the $67 billion a year that is spent on repairing roads. In the past, airline delays have cost passengers and airlines a total of $25 billion. Inefficiencies in air travel can also directly impair the U.S. economy. In 2007, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was reduced by $4 billion because of air travel inefficiencies. Transportation is not the only infrastructure area where the United States is lagging. The United States electric grid is ranked 32nd in the world—a full seven spots behind China.

Although investment in infrastructure is an easy way to reap benefits from a stagnant economy, fiscal and political realities can make these investments difficult. While infrastructure investments create jobs directly in the manufacturing and construction industries, the improved flow of goods, people, and ideas also results in enhanced productivity and economic growth. Currently, infrastructure investment can be a tough task because local budgets are strained, the highway trust fund does not have the revenue to cover all infrastructure expenses, and it can be hard to plan and implement projects that span municipal or state borders. Given the potential benefits from infrastructure investments and the breakdown of the usual processes to make those investments, this is the moment for creative policy solutions such as a national infrastructure bank.

The Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program recently put out a report titled Setting Priorities, Meeting Needs: The Case for a National Infrastructure Bank. The report advocates creating a “Public/Private Partnership Unit” within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to provide local governments with technical assistance, encourage private infrastructure investment, and start creating a national infrastructure agenda. The report gives three reasons why parties would want to invest with an infrastructure bank and elaborates on why government spending is still required. First, infrastructure experts at the bank would generate very reliable estimates of risk and return on potential infrastructure investments. Second, the bank would fund regional projects that span jurisdictions. Finally, the staff at the bank would identify unique opportunities to leverage private capital for public needs. The report does not advocate that governments retreat from spending on infrastructure, but that governments use “scarce public resources strategically.” The bank should complement government infrastructure investment, but not replace it.

Click here to read the entire Brookings report.

Municipal Bonds Threatened – Your Voice Needed!

Several weeks ago I wrote you about the real threat to the tax exempt status of municipal bonds. Unfortunately, the threat has not diminished and there is still talk of repealing the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds in order to generate revenue as part of the ongoing tax reform debate.  These proposals would destroy this widely used public financing tool, making infrastructure investments more costly.

This op-ed in Politico, “Groups Make Case for the Muni Bond,” does an excellent job of capturing just how vital these bonds are to our economy and our communities. Please consider contacting your Senator and Members of Congress, voicing your concern, and explaining the very real and detrimental impact that repeal would have on your community. 

(Belated) Wednesday News Roundup

Every Wednesday, and in this case Thursday,  The Ferguson Group blog will be posting a series of articles published over the previous week that discuss topics of interest to local governments. Learn about emerging trends and keep up on key policy issues by browsing the TFG Wednesday News Roundup!

Congress Prepares to Handle White House’s $60.4 Billion Sandy Aid Package

This past Friday the White House asked Congress for $60.4 billion in emergency aid for communities hit hard by Sandy.  This is the first formal monetary request for aid to those affected by the storm, and is not likely to be the last.  The White House’s request adds an additional challenge to Congress during this lame duck season, while Senate Democrats have set a goal of passing an aid bill this month.  Read More…

Health Centers Find Opportunity in Brownfields

A community health center in West Philadelphia owes its inception to a Brownfields grant that spurred its creation.  Because of the contamination the health center, Spectrum Health Services, received $2 million in federal cleanup grants.  Philadelphia isn’t the first to capitalize on building health care facilities on cleanup sites, Florida, Colorado, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Oregon, and California have done it too.  Read More…

States facing a fiscal cliff of their own

States and local governments may end up feeling the greatest effects of the fiscal cliff.  For 25 states, including the District of Columbia, lower federal reductions means more income being taxed at the state level, higher state revenues.  But that’s about the only good news.  State budgets are still recovering from the Great Recession of 2008, and with the looming sequestration could see additional cuts.  Read More…

Farm Bill Becomes Fodder in ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Wrangling

Amongst all the conversation on the fiscal cliff, the farm bill has seemingly been set aside.  The last farm bill expired in September, the Senate has since passed a new one, and the House has not.  Lawmakers from farming states are advocating including a farm bill in their budget deals, but not everyone thinks that that is a good idea.  Read More…

Low-profile Fiscal Cliff Issue Could Undermine Cities and Counties

If during fiscal cliff discussions municipal bonds lose their tax exempt status it will not only raise taxes on middle-class families, but also stifle job growth.  If the exemption is removed the costs of building roads, highways, airports, water sewers, and other types of public infrastructure will increase.  This increase could force local governments to raise property taxes or forego these projects altogether.  Read More…

Big News on Exchange and Medicaid Front

While much of Washington awaits news about whether or not a deal will be made to avert the “Fiscal Cliff,” the Obama Administration announced that they are moving forward with preliminary approval of exchanges and sharing big news about how Medicaid will be run.  HHS announced today that it would not permit states to partially expand their Medicaid programs and still receive 100% of the funding coverage promised under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  The Acting Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Marilyn Tavenner, made the announcement today in a question and answer period with stakeholders.  ACA provides matching funds for states who expand eligibility for families earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level.  HHS also announced that six states were approved to move forward with their state-based exchange, giving preliminary approval to  Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington. 

Online Tax Fairness Bill Will Wait Until Next Session

Earlier this month in a post entitled  “All I Want for Christmas…” I let you know that Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin had expressed some optimism about passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act as part of the package that Congressional leaders are working to put together to stave off the fiscal cliff.  The legislation would allow states and local governments to collect sales tax on Internet retailers, just like their brick-and-mortar peers.

Late last week, hopes of passage of the legislation during the lame duck session dimmed, after Senator Durbin  received assurances that the Marketplace Fairness Act would be taken up next year. Instead of attaching the tax bill to a potential fiscal cliff package, Senator Durbin told reporters Thursday he would wait until next Congress for the Senate Finance Committee to take it up and bring it to the Senate floor.