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The Importance of Transparency in Public Procurement: The Case of a Japanese Waste-Disposal Project After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

No Author — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:16:00 EST

This article is part of a series to be published at PA TIMES Online during the month of March under the topic of 'Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery on the Anniversary of the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami.'

We are still accepting articles for this topic and all others on the 2012 PA TIMES Online Editorial Calendar. Email Editor Christine Jewett McCrehin at cjewett@aspanet.org for more information or a copy of our submission guidelines.

Satoru Tanaka

After large-scale natural disasters, governments must procure enormous amounts of supplies of many sorts without delay. Since the Tohoku Earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, the Japanese government has had to carry out various types of procurement on a large scale. Of these, one of the most important is the procurement of services and avenues to dispose of disaster waste. According to the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (current situation of disposal of disaster waste in disaster-stricken areas, Feb. 20, 2012), the amount of physical waste created by the disaster is estimated to reach 22,530,000 t, which is 10�20 times the amount of waste produced annually in disaster-stricken areas in normal times.

The Need for a New Immigration Season

No Author — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:29:00 EST

Helping Immigrants Help Themselves

No Author — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:27:00 EST

States� Responses to Increased Immigration

No Author — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:24:00 EST

This article is part of a Special Section titled 'CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS IN AMERICA' that ran in the August/September 2011 print issue of PA TIMES. Contact Editor Christine Jewett McCrehin (cjewett@aspanet.org) for more information on the print issue. See the Related Articles box for links to more articles from the Special Section.

Wiha Powell

�We define ourselves as a nation of immigrants�a nation that welcomes those willing to embrace America's precepts,� said President Obama during a visit to El Paso, TX, as he addressed the nation�s daunting immigration issues.

America, as the president reminded, is a nation of immigrants. Most Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants who journeyed to the United States in search of a better life. In recent years immigration has become one of the nation�s hot button topics with numerous bills being introduced in the United States Congress to address the growing concerns. Unfortunately, Congress has been dragging its feet on approving immigration reform. What we have seen has resulted due to the absence of a unified federal response, in some states moving forward unilaterally to implement laws designed in effect to remove illegal immigrants from that state and ultimately the country. This leaves many with the opinion that the land of dreams and opportunities is rejecting the very philosophy upon which it was founded.

States Taking Matters into Their Own Hands

No Author — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:19:00 EST

This article is part of a Special Section titled 'CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS IN AMERICA' that ran in the August/September 2011 print issue of PA TIMES. Contact Editor Christine Jewett McCrehin (cjewett@aspanet.org) for more information on the print issue. See the Related Articles box for links to more articles from the Special Section.

Daniel G. Bauer, Alex Roman, Adam Williams

Immigration has become an important issue in recent years on the political agenda mainly due to the perception of a growing number of illegal aliens making their way into various parts of the country. Federal legislation has not taken a stance which would be considered satisfactory for many state and local governments. The resulting backlash found in lower level governmental policies on immigration have led to an even greater sense of awareness from the general public. Questions must now be asked of administrators and the field of public administration in general, regarding the future effects of these policies.

Population Change and Local Government Reaction: Examples from the Washington, DC Region

No Author — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:14:00 EST

This article is part of a Special Section titled 'CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS IN AMERICA' that ran in the August/September 2011 print issue of PA TIMES. Contact Editor Christine Jewett McCrehin (cjewett@aspanet.org) for more information on the print issue. See the Related Articles box for links to more articles from the Special Section.

Joseph Adler

Population Growth and Transformation
Demographers have been consistent in forecasting that a major shift in the population of the United States is taking place, leading to a state where no single ethnic or racial group will comprise a majority of the residents. How local governments respond to demographic shifts will have a significant impact on the ability to effectively fulfill the needs and requirements of their residents. The recently completed 2010 Census verifies that the transition of the United States into a multi-hued ethnically diverse nation is well on its way. Of the nearly 310 million residents, Hispanic-Americans are the largest minority group at 16.3 percent, followed by African-Americans at 12.6 percent and Asian-Americans at 4.8 percent. Caucasians currently make up 72.4 percent of the populace, but by 2050 the Census Bureau projects that will decline to under 50 percent while the proportion of Hispanic-Americans and Asian-Americans is expected to nearly double.

The 2012 Budget Proposal: Administration Remains Dedicated to Environmental Initiatives Despite Immense Budget Pressures

No Author — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:04:00 EST

This article is part of a Special Section titled 'ENVIRONMENT VS. ECONOMICS�REVOLUTION OR RESOLUTION?' that ran in the March/April 2011 print issue of PA TIMES. Contact Editor Christine Jewett McCrehin (cjewett@aspanet.org) for more information on the print issue. See the Related Articles box for links to read more from the Special Section.

Alexandru V. Roman, Schnequa N. Diggs

On February 14, 2011, President Barack Obama�s 2012 budget proposal was unveiled. The proposal attempts to address budgetary challenges that are historic in scope. As stated in the President�s budget message �The fiscal realities we face require hard choices. A decade of deficits, compounded by the effects of the recession and the steps we had to take to break it, as well as the chronic failure to confront difficult decisions, has put us on an unsustainable course. That�s why my Budget lays out a path for how we can pay down these debts and free the American economy from their burden.� The proposal stated that the number one goal is a significant reduction in America�s budgetary deficit.

Environmental Justice: A Promise for Sustainable-Livable Communities

No Author — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:01:00 EST

Financial Stewardship through Green Public-Private Partnerships

No Author — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:59:00 EST

This article is part of a Special Section titled 'ENVIRONMENT VS. ECONOMICS�REVOLUTION OR RESOLUTION?' that ran in the March/April 2011 print issue of PA TIMES. Contact Editor Christine Jewett McCrehin (cjewett@aspanet.org) for more information on the print issue. See the Related Articles box for links to read more from the Special Section.

Daniel G. Bauer

Rising resource and infrastructure costs combined with an inability to keep pace with explosive energy, information and resource demands are creating a tenuous position for communities, citizens and businesses. Higher social service costs combined with falling municipal tax receipts are creating untenable fiscal situations. Scientific evidence validates the derogatory impact greenhouse gas, or carbon, emissions are placing on our environment.

The Reluctant Troublemaker (Part 3)

No Author — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:10:00 EST

Jill Tao

I am now �known� as both a professor and an activist...the latter is a label I never thought I would wear. Political scientists may not mind such labels, but public administrators are a different breed. We do not seek out the limelight; we work behind the scenes, where we can be effective and discrete. But sometimes, events call for more.

The Reluctant Troublemaker (Part 2)

No Author — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:42:00 EST

Jill Tao

And so, after months of negotiations, a decision was made in September 2009 to begin furloughs for teachers in October. The outcry started when the calendar highlighting the furlough days was published: every single Friday, 34 days in all, over a two-year period, would be furloughed.

A Washington State Initiative: Veterans� Service to Country, Service to Community

No Author — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:20:00 EST

Mary Van Verst, Debbie Schuffenhauer

As a part of its mission to engage all Americans in service, and as directed by the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) places a high priority on engaging veterans in national service and using service as a strategy to support veterans and their families.

Integrating Citizens into Local Governing How Much Democracy Can You Take?

No Author — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:18:00 EST

David Swindell

Many years ago, I attended a neighborhood association meeting in a large Midwestern city. It was a long meeting, as many of these can be. There was a good turnout this particular evening as the residents argued the merits of a city plan to devolve certain responsibilities for small scale services to neighborhoods.

Fiscally Constrained Cities Protect Public Services with Volunteers

No Author — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:36:00 EST

Civic Engagement the Key to Success in Community Building, Urban Revitalization and Our Future

No Author — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:27:00 EST

Schnequa N. Diggs, Alexandru V. Roman

Historically, during times of economic adversity, American communities have relied on social connections. As far back as 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville in Of Democracy in America suggested that civic engagement is inherently a part of American democracy. Mark Lilla supports this idea in his 2007 book, The Stillborn God: Religion, Politics, and the Modern West.

The Reluctant Troublemaker

No Author — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:03:00 EST

Jill Tao

So, given the somewhat pitiful portrait I imagined for academics called into the limelight to belabor points of policy, imagine my surprise when I was drawn into just such a position. In the fall of 2009, when a small group of parents reacted in outrage to a decision to furlough public school teachers here in Hawai�i for 17 school days in order to balance the state budget in 2009, I found myself in the crux of a dilemma.

A Boost to AmeriCorps: Success of Stimulus in Washington State

No Author — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:09:00 EST

Mary Van Verst, Debbie Schuffenhauer

Using service as a strategy to support those affected by the nation�s economic crunch isn�t exactly a revolutionary concept. In 1933, America was in the grip of the Great Depression. More than 25 percent of the population was unemployed, hungry and without hope. Out of this economic chaos emerged the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Its purpose was two-fold�to preserve our natural resources and to offer work to Americans in a time of great instability. But more importantly, it offered citizens the chance to improve the nation�s future, while strengthening their own dignity.

Where is Accountability and Transparency in State, Local Gov.?

No Author — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:03:00 EST

Adam Wiliams, Daniel Bauer and Alexandru Roman

State and local governments have begun to encounter unprecedented spending and budget problems. The trend line points in a downward direction with revenues and expenditures. While the federal budget is permitted to move into a deficit, state and local budgets do not possess this luxury.

Improving the Corruption Perception Index Rank for United States

No Author — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:01:00 EST

Alexandru V. Roman

In the recently released 2010, Transparency International�s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which measures the perception of corruption in the public sector, the United States received a score of 7.1 (ranking the United States 22nd among 178 surveyed countries). This is the lowest ranking for United States since the index�s inception in 1995. This represents a decrease from a score of 7.5 (ranked 19th) in 2009 and a 7.7 score (ranked 16th) in 2000. Iceland, Hong Kong, Chile, Barbados and Qatar all received higher scores.

Business as Usual?

No Author — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:57:00 EST

Josephine Gatti

Business hasn�t been �as usual� in Las Vegas, NV, for quite a while. Metropolitan Las Vegas has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation and Nevada recently surpassed Michigan in number of unemployed persons. But, economic turmoil is not the only thing not as usual in the City of Las Vegas. New collaborations, led by motivated and innovative public employees, have been created to manage the crisis and the unique demands placed on city government by receiving stimulus funds. This article draws on the experiences of the City of Las Vegas� Neighborhood Services Department as the administrators of stimulus funds to explore issues of capacity in crisis.