Expert Insights

Last week, 14 packages containing pipe bombs were delivered to individuals who were either public officials or connected to government in some way. Another similar package carrying a bomb was intercepted before it reached its target this week. While the devices were...

Donald Trump has been promising to build a physical border wall since his earliest campaign days.  The wall, however, sparks so much controversy from all sides it is believed to be DOA with Congress. The cost of a wall would add billions more to the national debt and...

Demand for construction projects is at an all-time high in the U.S.  But, construction firms cannot respond aggressively because of the lack of skilled workers.  With no relief in sight, there is great angst! Spending on new construction projects reached $1 trillion...

When it comes to public transportation, the United States lags far behind other countries. Governments in Europe, Asia and Canada invest heavily in public transportation because it is viewed as an essential public good. The U.S. government, however, views public...

Many parts of the country were already in “full disaster recovery mode” when Hurricane Florence hit the East Coast last weekend. The Texas Gulf Coast, the state of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are all still rebuilding after weather-related disasters. ...

Weather-related disasters have become all too common. The destruction is horrific and the rebuilding costs are astronomical - not to mention the pain and sadness related to the loss of lives. Last year, weather-related disaster costs exceeded $306 billion. Companies...

Unprecedented and rapid growth multiplies challenges for municipal leaders. That could be extremely problematic, but fortunately, cities are not just getting bigger, they are also getting “smarter.” The “smart city” culture continues to sweep the country....

Water utilities in the United States were once operated almost completely by private companies. That began to change when Boston, New York, Los Angeles and other large cities expanded in the late 19th century.  Water utilities failed to manage the increased demand and...

If there’s one thing that government has a lock on, it’s data! The information that government is required to collect, protect and preserve is massive and diverse.  It covers almost everything – student school records from kindergarten through college, every...

As city leaders struggle to help their communities become “smart cities,” elected officials also grapple with more basic issues.  Affordable housing is a priority in every city in the country.  America is literally teetering on the brink of declaring an affordable...

Officials of the University of California, Merced (UCM) last week celebrated the first visible signs of a unique and successful $1.3 billion public-private partnership (P3) initiative that truly sets the bar for P3s in higher education. An on-campus event marked the...

Government funding is tight at every jurisdictional level, but there is a huge disconnect between available funding at the state level compared to the local levels of government. That disparity is causing strains that may soon play out in ways that are negative for...

Strange as it might seem, the threat of administration-imposed tariffs has not slowed investment in America’s ports. The extremely large megaships are coming through the Suez Canal headed to America and U.S. ports will be ready.  Most are already engaged in making...

Something significant happened at the end of 2017.  The federal government signed into law the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act. This signals a massive trend that will sweep the country, touch every state,  every jurisdictional level of government and all ...

Although somewhat guarded because the Trump administration’s energy policies appear to favor fossil fuels, cities and states remain steadfast in their efforts to lower carbon emissions as they continue to embrace sustainability and renewable energy. Energy experts say...

As local government leaders finalize fiscal year budgets, many are even more focused on long-range transportation planning. That’s because transportation planning is much harder than planning next year’s budget. How do government officials plan for transportation...

Digital platforms are changing every sector of business as well as lifestyles for all Americans. Digitization is also changing almost every aspect of government. Digital data makes it possible for citizens to handle transactions with government in a quick and...

Problems facing municipal governments continue to compound. Constrained budgets make it almost impossible to address many critical community needs.  Additionally, city leaders are faced with a paradox - how to develop a rundown area without pushing out the residents...

Although there is no compromise in sight on an omnibus spending bill, House members left the Capitol for a month-long August break. However, members of the Senate stayed behind and just passed a minibus appropriations package. The package includes allocations to...

Last week, President Trump held a National Security Council Meeting to discuss election security. The meeting covered Russian interference and the overall state of the country’s election systems. Just the fact that this meeting was called is evidence of a problem and...

We may be experiencing a building boom but it is not producing affordable housing …and that’s what municipal leaders desperately need. The lack of affordable housing has become a national problem. The Urban Institute reports that for every 100 low-income American...

Now that the rhetoric and the debate over passage of the federal tax bill have subsided, one component of that legislation is getting lots of attention. That would be “Opportunity Zones.” Last month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved the final round...

In its newest 21st Century reorganization effort, the U.S. Army has announced that Austin - known as a hub for innovation, technology, research and academia - has been chosen as its base for the country’s new high-tech, four-star Army Futures Command. The Army ...

Since the release of President Trump’s infrastructure plan earlier this year, not a lot has happened…at least not much related to funding. And, there are few signs that anything will happen anytime soon. The idea of infusing $200 billion in federal funds to spur...

Returning from a July 4 break, members of Congress found themselves facing a number of high-priority issues with no quick resolutions. With an omnibus funding bill still in limbo, lawmakers are now trying to pass individual funding bills. The consensus in Washington...

Public officials at all levels of government struggle with funding needs that are spiraling out of control.  Yet, the prevailing trend is to cut funding at the state and local levels of government even more. Revenue shortfalls and the ever-growing critical needs at...

Last week, President Trump unveiled a sweeping plan to reorganize the agency structure of the federal government. Administration officials say that many provisions don’t require congressional approval so some aspects of the reorganization plan will be rolled out...

Look! Up in the sky… It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s – a gondola??? Facing the dilemma of monstrous traffic congestion and horrific cost projections for expansion and maintenance of roadways, some municipal officials are looking to the skies for relief.  City leaders...

There’s a huge new marketplace emerging and it’s definitely worthy of watching.  The Internet of Things (IoT) is coming on strong…so strong, in fact, that the IoT marketplace is expected to exceed $130 billion by 2024. Here’s what the experts say to expect - by 2020 –...

Surrounded by advancing lava flows from the erupting Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, one terrified but fortunate islander’s life was saved by an improbable rescuer - a drone. The drone was utilized in the emergency response to the disaster and was used to lead the trapped...

Every region wants an airport and the larger the better. Airports stimulate the economic vitality of any area and long-term economic sustainability is difficult without an adequate airport facility.  But, airport ownership has become challenging and that challenge is...

A federal Infrastructure Plan still languishes a year and a half after it was touted as “coming very soon” by the Trump administration.  However, one key segment of the plan got a boost this week from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A final rule was issued...