California's political system is broken. Local governments in California are handcuffed by Sacramento, and unable to develop their own tax structures and spending priorities.
"[W]e need to strike at the heart of the problem: the loss of local control to Sacramento. We need to give our local city halls, county seats and school boards the power and resources to shape their own futures... The framers of the state Constitution did not intend that the Legislature and governor supervise the minutiae of city councils, county supervisors and school boards. Even with the best of intentions, state officials cannot adequately meet the needs of a homeowner in Sherman Oaks or a machine shop in East L.A... The spending priorities of communities like Palo Alto and Beverly Hills are not those of Pico Rivera or Delano. One community might want to spend on building a new community center while another might focus on jobs or after-school activities for young people."
Thanks to David Abel
FULL STORY: Turn the Tide: Send Money Back to Cities
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
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