Cities at Risk from Political Budget Cuts

Mary Newsom comes away from a conference on cities concerned that the gains of the past decades in cities - improved transit, downtown revitalization - could be destroyed by budget cuts.

1 minute read

May 13, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Newsom documents a slew of cuts to police, emergency services, schools and transit around the country:

"Governments are slashing transit crucial to many workers' ability to get and hold jobs. [New York Times reporter Michael] Cooper reported on a suburban Atlanta county that eliminated its bus system, stranding 8,400 daily riders. Local governments are also closing libraries, recreation centers and schools."

Newsom looks in particular at her home state, North Carolina, where Republicans are refusing to renew a temporary 1-cent sales tax and instead cut into public universities.

Friday, May 13, 2011 in Citiwire.net

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