Theft at the Public Till
be centralized in a single organization, or would it be exercised by several, more specialized organizations? How could political support for such a radical change be found? In the meanwhile, our many jurisdictions compete for limited dollars, limited jobs, and for what they perceive is a limited quantity of having a quality way of life. Places receiving less direct funding from national and state sources have to rely more on generating their own funds to support basic services. Places will need to be more attentive to environmental forces and regulations in planning their future, which will require getting the most out of existing facilities, making public facilities and investments fit better into the natural environment, and meeting needs more creatively. Places will be influenced more than ever before by global developments and changes, and therefore must actively monitor and anticipate their impact on the place. Places caught between business-residential tax increases to support more public services and service decline due to tax-resistant voter will simply have to do more with less, which means different and more productive approaches to service delivery. Imagine a city that is initially attractive. It might be blessed with ex- panding industries, have an exceptional climate or natural beauty, and might have a remarkable historical heritage. Assuming that job opportunities are strong and the quality of life is appealing, this city inevitably attracts new residents, visitors, business firms, and investment. The inward migration of people and resources raises housing and real estate prices and strains the existing infrastructure and social service budget. The city typically raises taxes on residents and businesses to pay for the needed expansion of trans- portation, communication, energy, and social resources. Some residents and businesses begin to move out of the city boundaries to lower their costs, thus reducing the tax base. Thus the very state of being an attractive place may unleash forces that ultimately unravel the place’s attractiveness. As a place begins to lose its attractiveness, forces are released that worsen the situation. A major industry in the town might falter or exit due to busi- ness mismanagement, an eroding community infrastructure, the onset of a
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