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Innovators Insights




  • Civic Engagement
  • Defense Services
  • Sustainable Development
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  • Housing
  • Sustainable Energy
  • Community Development
  • Energy Resources
  • Alternative Schools
  • Technology
  • Housing
  • Governance and Politics

  • Management Insights: The Stimulus Hot Seat
  • National Institute of Justice Conference 2009
 
March 13, 2009
What's New
America's Innovative Leaders
A Governing.com Series


Stephen Goldsmith examines Mayor Curtatone's successful transformation of Somerville, Massachusetts, by budgeting for performance.

New on our site
Stephen Goldsmith on the Serve America Act


In an op-ed for the Washington Times, Goldsmith and John Bridgeland discuss the need for "good works in hard times," while analyzing the Hatch-Kennedy Serve America Act currently working its way through congress.

Civic Engagement
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Economy inspires public service

03/09/2009 | USATODAY.com News - Top Stories

Government-funded community service programs, such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, are seeing a huge boost in applications at the same time that the recession has made the need for services soar. The stimulus package includes $200 million to help meet demand. Additionally, lawmakers are circulating a bipartisan proposal that would encourage community service by offering tax incentives for employers to allow workers time off for service activities, as well as funding to help nonprofit groups recruit more volunteers.

Defense Services
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NSA joining social network for intelligence analysts

03/04/2009 | Baltimore Sun

Signaling a major cultural shift within the intelligence community, the National Security Agency is joining a secure social network that will allow its analysts to share information with intelligence professionals from other agencies. Analysts will be able to post their photo, phone number and e-mail address on a secure, Facebook-like page accessible only to senior analysts. The online network will allow them to identify and consult with experts, post drafts of reports for informal interagency comment, as well as use the system to text-message suggestions, tips, and professional gossip.

Sustainable Development
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Victory gardens: Digging their way out of recession

02/26/2009 | The Economist: United States

As the economy slides and food safety concerns persist, victory gardens are coming back into fashion. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced that a community garden will be planted at the department's headquarters, and he wants gardens to be added to each of the department's offices around the world. At the state level, Arkansas communities are placing victory gardens in school grounds and backyards. Some gardens focus on preserving heirloom varieties, and several demonstration projects are serving as community models. Victory gardens became popular during both world wars when the nation faced food shortages.

Education and Technology
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In Search Of Answers, Teachers Turn To Clickers

03/02/2009 | NPR Most Emailed: NPR Most Emailed Stories

Many educators are equipping their classrooms with small keypads that allow students to instantly and anonymously answer questions. According to teachers, these clickers help measure how much students are absorbing the material, which leads to improvements in the quality of education. At the end of class, a teacher can determine how each student voted on certain questions, allowing the teacher to determine who might need extra help.

Human Resources
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Garland creates temporary worker pools to cut costs

03/08/2009 | The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)

Garland, Texas, has set up two temporary worker pools to staff vacant municipal jobs. One consists of former or retired employees and the other consists of Garland residents. The move is expected to minimize fees that the city currently pays to temporary employment agencies, utilize individuals already familiar with municipal operations, and allow some citizens and retirees to make some extra money without committing to a full-time position.

Housing
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Program helps owners remain in their homes; Those facing foreclosures can get assistance through unique local partnership.

01/31/2009 | Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)

The Foreclosure Intervention Program in Jacksonville, Florida, assigns counselors to work with local banks, mortgage companies, lawyers, and local funding organizations to help homeowners make alternative payment arrangements or negotiate loan modifications to avoid foreclosure. The program, which began last May through a partnership between the city and the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and Family Foundations, has also provided funding in the form of a no-interest mortgage of up to $5,000 per household, which is forgiven if the homeowner stays in the home for five years. The surprising challenge has been getting at-risk homeowners to make use of the program.

Sustainable Energy
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Mayor Newsom asks private sector to partner with San Francisco on Clean Energy Loan Program

02/02/2009 | US States News

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has called on the banking sector to partner with the city through the underwriting of a low-interest loan program to boost residential and commercial solar energy purchases and energy efficiency improvements. Officials envision that the Clean Energy Loan Program will create a multimillion dollar funding pool, financed by the banks and co-administered with the city, to issue loans to residents and businesses to upgrade their solar systems.

Community Development
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Neighbors aim to protect vacant homes across metro Detroit

03/07/2009 | Detriot Free Press (Detroit, MI)

Community members and local governments in the Detroit area are fighting to protect vacant properties and the crime that comes with them. Neighbors of some buildings are buying and renovating them. Dearborn offers free trees to residents to beautify their front lawns. Volunteers in other areas guard foreclosed and empty houses from burglars through patrols, and combat blight by making minor repairs and mowing lawns. Foundations have also provided mini-grants to community groups to pay for paint, light bulbs, security cameras, and other equipment to fight the negative effects that decaying buildings have on neighborhoods.

Energy Resources
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Austin signs up for $250 million solar project

03/05/2009 | Statesman (Austin, TX)

The Austin City Council has approved a proposal to build and operate a 300-acre solar array, one of the largest arrays in the world. While critics charge that the $250 million project is too costly, supporters argue that the project will both make the city more eco-friendly and attract employers that want to work with a city at the forefront of the solar power industry. It is hoped that the plan will work on an opt-in basis in which customers volunteer to buy the array's power and pay its higher monthly bills.

Alternative Schools
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Anti-dropout push; New La. plan aims to keep more in school

02/01/2009 | The Advocate

Louisiana has chosen 540 at-risk public school students to participate in a pilot program that hopes to combat the state's high dropout rate. Students enrolled in Educational Mission to Prepare Louisiana's Youth, or EMPLoY, will be taught with a new curriculum; trained at technical colleges; and will benefit from paid job experiences, adult mentors, and job placement assistance. Currently, about 19,000 students in the state drop out each year. Many educators feel that earlier efforts were too narrow in scope to adequately address the problem.

Technology
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Village automates water meter reading through Wi-Fi

02/11/2009 | Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

The village of Wellington, Florida, has launched a citywide wireless network to increase the efficiency of its city services. The installation of the network was prompted by the opportunity to change how the city reads its water meters. Currently, an employee must drive by a resident's water meter to detect its signal. Now, the meters will be read from a centralized location on a daily basis versus a monthly basis. These readings will not only save time and money for the city's employees, but will also allow them to more quickly identify suspected water leaks and notify homeowners.

Housing
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Obama foreclosure fix is open for business

03/04/2009 | CNN - Top Stories

Last week, the Obama administration launched its foreclosure prevention program. The complex and controversial initiative provides incentives to borrowers, servicers, and mortgage investors to modify eligible loans. Under the plan, the government will also subsidize interest rate reductions to help borrowers avoid foreclosure by offering more affordable monthly payments.

Governance and Politics
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Stimulus Bill Resources for States and Locals

03/02/2009 | Government News in IT

Government Technology has assembled a comprehensive resource list for those who wish to follow developments regarding the economic stimulus bill, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Management Insights: The Stimulus Hot Seat
Paul PosnerPaul Posner describes the "stimulus hot seat" in our Governing.com series, and provides valuable advice to state and local government managers about ways they can be proactive about accountability.
National Institute of Justice Conference 2009
NIJ logoThe NIJ Conference 2009 will be held June 15–17, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia. For more than a decade, NIJ's annual conference has brought together criminal justice scholars, policymakers, and practitioners at the local, state and federal levels to share the most recent findings from research and technology. Registration is free of charge.

Newsletter produced by: Jessica Engelman, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer.
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About the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Roy and Lila Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Institute fosters creative and effective government problem-solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. Asia Programs, a school-wide initiative integrating Asia-related activities, joined the Ash Institute in July 2008. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Institute. Additional information about the Ash Institute is available at www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu. For more information about the Government Innovators Network, please visit www.innovations.harvard.edu.

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