Tea, Tax and a Revolution
We recently celebrated the 4th of July and I couldn’t help but think back to my years in local government where I learned Americans disliked paying taxes - any kind of taxes - Federal, State and Local – but especially local property taxes and that so many candidates...
Life as a State Social Work Contractor
State agencies of every order use their power and budgets to contract others to do their work. These budgets shrink considerably when they are used for services like behavioral healthcare for children. In the case of adult services, the struggle as a state contractor...
Being Radical in a Leadership Role
Like many others, I have read and appreciated the insights of Steve Farber’s The Radical LEAP, and seen in many instances the various ways in which love, energy, audacity and power have been key ingredients in the advancing successes of our organizations. And like...
God Bless America!
America, to the outsider, can be many different things. A Superpower, the Land of Hope and Glory, the most advanced nation on earth, the capital of the world for, among other things, film and entertainment, space exploration, global business and information...
Information Governance Insights: It’s All About the Metrics
Organizations run on metrics. In the previous article we discussed measuring your Information Governance program against the ARMA International Generally Accepted Records Keeping Principles® using their NextLevel™ assessment tool. This gives you a baseline score of...
Government Careers in Agriculture & Natural Resources
It’s hard to imagine that there are many other fields where the employment outlook so favors the job seeker: There will be nearly 58,000 agriculture-related job openings annually over the next five years, according to a Purdue University report released in May. But...
Government Funded Resources for Your Education
If a career in local government is your target, acquiring the necessary education is essential. The biggest obstacle? It can be summed up in one word: money. Yes, money may seem hard to come by, especially considering the rise in tuition and fees for colleges and...
Be Inspired: What Would You Do With 3 Months to live?
13 years ago I was given 3 months to live. It appeared to be absolute. I had just been diagnosed with one of the worst cases of Head & Neck cancer ever seen. All of those who had gone before me were gone within 3 months. I was just getting to grips with this...
Calling All Veterans: Your County Wants You!
San Diego County’s commitment to the local veterans community, one of the largest in the nation, continues to grow. Recognizing the opportunity to capture the talents and resources of this group, the County’s Human Resources Department launched the Veterans Outreach...
Public Policy: Evaluating Climate Change into Risk Assessments
Public-private partnerships are quickly garnering an increasing amount of attention for public policy requirements, including water/wastewater, energy, economic development, and transportation projects. P3s require an exceptional amount of planning, design, and the...
Recruiting Millennials in Local Government
Gone are the days that local governments can attract top talent based only on the notion of job security. Furthermore, local governments across the country have been forced to lay off staff, reduce benefits, and cut core services. Additionally, even as the market...
Leadership in Government
My fundamental philosophy is that if we are not willing to open our minds, listen with our hearts and seek understanding of some of the most crucial problems of our time, then we have failed as leaders. Over the last few years, I have thought a lot about how leaders...
Public Policy: Economic Growth & Development
There are numerous forces that function together to enhance economic growth and development. The role of public policy has been one of those forces that can have either a positive or negative impact. Examples of additional influences are deficits, educational...
Is The Media Too Hostile Towards Politicians?
In the UK, such publications as The Sun take the cynical position as a default yet the more useful and human response is a neutral one. John Lloyd, in his book What The Media Are Doing To Our Politics, argues the out-of-control media is considerably damaging to the...
Is Tallahassee Guilty of Economic Segregation?
Disclaimer: The following piece only reflects my opinions and analysis as a resident who was born and raised in the City of Tallahassee. My hope is that my research sparks a positive discourse on how funding could be better allocated for easing our proposed economic...
Government Trivia and Facts
Most people, in the United States, have an opinion about our government – whether it be the Federal Government, their State Government or their local government. After serving 30 plus years in government I know opinions about government change: they change from year...
Information Governance: The Accepted Standards
No Matter Where You Go, There You Are If you’ve been keeping up with these articles you have an understanding what Information Governance is and the team you need to get the job done. Next you need to understand the current state of your organization’s information...
Public-Private Partnerships: Leverage for Local Economic Development
Some may regard P3s as the solution for economic growth and development issues facing governments, while others are skeptical regarding their efficacy and desirability. I always exercise caution when applying a one size fits all approach to public policy requirements....