Author: Mary Scott Nabers

Sports and entertainment venues contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. The activities associated with both appeal to millions of people.  They generate revenue, attract retail establishments and provide benefits of all types to government. Because of this, sports and entertainment districts have become very “hot items” and every city wants at least one. In the […]

The country’s electric grid was once called one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century.  Now, however, its three interconnected grids are decades old and the world has shifted. Billions of individual devices and population growth have increased demand exponentially. Technology advances with the potential to lower costs and ward off cyber dangers […]

Something good could happen as a result of congressional action.  A recently introduced bill would provide a $5 billion boost for the construction and rehabilitation of government-owned buildings.  The Public Buildings Renewal Act (S. 932), if passed by Congress, will open up tax-exempt financing for public buildings – many of which are in dire need […]

A few motorists – those who are aware of America’s bridge conditions – are occasionally selective about the bridges they cross. Millions of other motorists, however, are unaware of the fact that government leaders nationwide are scrambling to find funds to repair old bridges throughout the U.S. A recent report from the American Road and […]

Municipal leaders throughout the country are focusing lots of attention on convention centers. That’s because convention-related business contributes millions to city coffers. Two years ago, communities in the United States with convention centers shared in $845 billion in revenue generated by the meetings industry along with $104 billion in tax receipts. New data shows a […]

The United States has incredibly busy airports – in fact, some of the busiest in the world. That’s good, because it indicates that many of the more than 4 billion global air passengers each year are flying in or out of America. However, a sobering statistic is troubling. America no longer has a single airport […]

Lots of funding is flowing to public transit authorities.  An American Public Transportation Association (APTA) report points out that there’s approximately $232 billion in critical public transportation needs across the country, and if that $232 billion were spent over 10 years, the result would be a return of $928 billion over 20 years.  That’s because […]

Government data centers reached a tipping point some time ago and now big changes are occurring.  A recent Gartner report explained that traditional (and older) data centers, which are exactly what most governmental entities rely on, are being relegated to legacy holding areas where only specific services are handled. As government leaders adapt to extreme […]

Most elected officials, especially at the local levels of government, desperately need more revenue. There are critical needs in their communities but they have no funds to address the problems. Although alternative funding is available, government leaders in many states are reluctant to accept it. Alternative funding sources are abundant. Funding is available through a […]

Cities and counties have common problems throughout the U.S. And, these common issues are opening up a new marketplace that is catching the attention of investors and contractors.  There’s definitely a trend developing here. Public officials at the state and local levels of government are seeking alternative sources of funding to deal with thousands of […]

A new U.S. marketplace is growing so fast many have not noticed it – the charter school network.  It is already extremely large and it touches almost every region of this country. Contractors of all types and sizes should take notice of the abundance of upcoming opportunities.  And, the public at large should also be […]

After a long period of totally inadequate funding for critical water projects, the tide appears to be turning and funding is becoming more readily available. Late in 2018, authorization was given for almost $6 billion in funding for water infrastructure projects. The funding resulted from passage of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act. The act also […]

Ports of entry in the United States will hold an abundance of contracting opportunities in 2019.  That’s because the needs are great and these border crossings are receiving lots of scrutiny. Long neglected, the country’s border crossings now face a $4 billion deficit for much-needed improvements. That trend should be turning significantly though and the […]

Public libraries are no longer just repositories for books, newspapers and magazines. They are much more, and new libraries bear little resemblance to libraries of the past. Twenty-first century libraries are state-of-the-art facilities – innovative, thoughtfully designed and architecturally appealing. Construction of new libraries is increasing nationwide, as are renovation projects that allow reconfiguration and […]

President Trump talked a lot about health issues (cancer treatment, HIV research, drug prices, etc.) in his recent State of the Union address. Other elected officials throughout the country are also speaking out about healthcare issues. There is no alternative to providing citizens with healthcare services and government leaders are searching for ways to upgrade, […]

Two rather shocking predictions are worthy of note. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrimes are expected to cost $6 trillion annually worldwide by 2021… and 2019 could be the worst year yet for cyberbreaches. Government portals are immediate targets for cyber terrorists. The valuable data available on public websites is all too tempting to hackers and […]

Across America, ports are expanding and posting record cargo growth. This will result in huge economic gains throughout the country.  However, the positive impact is vulnerable because many critical components in the infrastructure network that allow the movement of goods are woefully underfunded, especially when it comes to security. A majority of funding for port […]

Growth and change are descriptors common to colleges and universities throughout the country. That’s where the focus is…but managing the two is almost impossible without an abundance of human effort and financial investment. It would be hard to find individuals anywhere who disagree with the importance of higher education, but public funding has not kept […]

People in law enforcement have been under siege throughout the country for the past several years. Criticism comes from citizens who aren’t satisfied with the norm and want more protection. Angst, anger and fear are also evident from citizens who believe law enforcement officers are often bigoted and/or overly violent or impulsive. Frustrated public officials […]

Sometimes bad things happen…and lately, a number of calamities have stretched emergency operations almost to the brink of failure.  Lives have been lost and damages have resulted in horrifically high costs. Natural disasters are on the increase, affecting millions of people. Rivers tend to flood when there is heavy rain, hurricanes cause unprecedented damage, wildfires […]

While most people are preparing to file tax returns, elected officials throughout the country are looking at government coffers and evaluating whether they will raise taxes. They are also making decisions about how to spend funding that has not been available to them in the last few years. In the last decade since the financial […]