 |
What's New on the Site - By Date
 December 4, 2008
Added the following audio and video segments to the Podcast Section:
December 1, 2008
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
November 25, 2008
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
November 20, 2008
 Meeting Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard Using The Existing Transmission System
This November 2008 report examines the implications that two recent distributed generation studies in Minnesota may have on the need for building new high-voltage transmission lines in the state. The authors conclude that project over a certain size be compared to alternative ways sufficient power transfer capability for dispersed renewable electricity generation may be available on the existing grid or with relatively modest, strategic enhancements to the existing grid system to meet the Minnesota's 2025 renewable energy goal without building major new 345 kV transmission facilities. Full Report
November 10, 2008
 Energy Self-Reliant States: Homegrown Renewable Power
How much energy could be generated by states tapping into internal renewable resources? This November 2008 report by David Morris and John Farrell presents preliminary data that suggests that at least half of the fifty states could meet all their internal energy needs from renewable energy generated inside their borders, and the vast majority could meet a significant percentage.
Full Report - Executive Summary
November 7, 2008
Added the following columns:
October 29, 2008
 Self-Reliant Cities
Energy and the Transformation of Urban America - by David Morris
Full book with October 2008 forward
Originally published in 1982, we're making this book available as a free download since many of its discussions are as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. The first half discusses the century-long struggle by cities to gain autonomy and authority from state governments and create their own planning and service delivery capacities. The second part describes the first urban-based localization movements and the successes and challenges. As a standalone document, we've also included the new foreword and the book's last chapter, The Ecological City given the current revived debate about the subject.
October 22, 2008
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
October 20, 2008
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
October 15, 2008
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
October 9, 2008
Added the following press release:
Added the following column:
October 8, 2008
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
October 1, 2008
Added the following resource to Economic Impact Studies section of the Retail sector:
September 23, 2008
Added the following columns:
September 22, 2008
Added the following rule to the Size Cap section of the Retail Sector:
- Store Size Cap - Whatcom County, WA
In September 2008, Whatcom County in Washington state adopted a store size cap measure limiting retail stores to no more than 65,000 square feet in urban growth areas and no more than 35,000 square feet in the rest of the county.
September 12, 2008
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
September 8, 2008
 Rural Power: Community-Scaled Renewable Energy and Rural Economic Development
The next 20 years could generate as much as $1 trillion in new renewable energy investment in rural America. This new Ford Foundation-sponsored study by John Farrell and David Morris provides a policy roadmap for states and the federal government that would encourage modest-sized renewable energy facilities and local ownership.
Full Report - Executive Summary - Press Release
August 8, 2008
 Electric Cars Are the Key to Energy Independence - By David Morris, published on AlterNet, August 2, 2008
A response to Al Gore's recent speech proposing a 10 year effort to move the United States to a 100% renewable energy electric system to address three major crises: the weak economy, catastrophic climate change and the dire national security problems inherent in our dependence on imported oil. Morris says that Gore got got two out of three right. A crash renewable electricity initiative would provide an immediate boost to our economy and could slow climate change, but it would do little to enhance our national security. Gore misses the key element of moving our transportation system to electricity.
July 31, 2008
Added the following column:
July 23, 2008
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
Added the following video segment to the Podcast Section:
- Stacy Mitchell and others on the Shop Local Movement - this roundtable discussion featured authors Bill McKibben, Stacy Mitchell, and Michael Shuman, who talked about the unique role booksellers play in their communities, the Shop Local movement, and the growing consumer awareness of the importance of locally owned independent businesses. From the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute, January 27, 2008.
Added the following press release:
July 18, 2008
Added the following columns:
July 10, 2008
Added the following resource to the Community and Economic Impact Review section of the Retail Sector:
July 9, 2008
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
July 2, 2008
Added the following columns:
June 19, 2008
Added the following video segment to the Podcast Section:
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
- Sharp Rise in Shopping Center Vacancies
The number of shuttered box stores and empty strip malls has expanded dramatically over the last six months, according to data compiled by commercial real estate brokers and investment advisors. And the situation is likely to get much worse.
June 18, 2008
Updated the Buy Local Slideshow section of the Retail Sector:
- Dark Store Ordinance - Wauwatosa, WI
In 2005 the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, adopted a big-box ordinance that requires new retail stores over 50,000 square feet contribute 20 cents per square foot of building's total size to the city's Land Conservation Fund before the city will grant them a building permit. The fund can be used to redevelop the site if the building is vacated and proper removal or reuse of the building is not planned.
Added the following audio segments to the Podcast Section:
- Christopher Mitchell discussing municipal broadband - featured on "Truth to Tell," an hour long program on KFAI, a radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities. A short version (22 min) and the full version (60 min) are available, originally broadcast on June 11, 2008.
June 17, 2008
Added the following to the Information Sector:
- Who decides what you can watch on your television?
Fiber-optic networks have sufficient capacity to offer many tens of thousands of channels. Communities across the United States are building these networks to make sure they remain relevant in the digital economy. So, when a community builds a fiber-optic network, who decides what content is offered?
June 11, 2008
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
May 29, 2008
Updated the Buy Local Slideshow section of the Retail Sector:
- We've expanded our growing collection of examples (87 and counting!) of how communities are giving visibility to their homegrown and locally-owned businesses.
May 28, 2008
 Concentrating Solar and Decentralized Power: Government Incentives Hinder Local Ownership
Can residential rooftop solar compete with new utility-scale concentrating solar electric plants? Only if federal and state incentives are amended to level the playing field. This May 2008 report explores the economics of solar PV and concentrating solar and shows how local ownership is hindered unless government solar incentives change. View the Press Release and Download the full report
May 27, 2008
Added the following rule to the Size Cap section of the Retail Sector:
- Store Size Cap - Zionsville, Indiana
In response to Wal-Mart's bid to place a supercenter in their town, Zionsville, Indiana (pop=12,000), enacted an ordinance prohibiting stores over 60,000 square feet.
May 23, 2008
Added the following audio segments to the Podcast Section:
Added the following press release to the Information Sector:
May 21, 2008
Added the following resource to Formula Business Restriction section of the Retail sector:
- Fredericksburg, TX - Formula Business Restriction
In April 2008, the city council of Fredericksburg, Texas (pop: 10,800) voted 3-1 to amend their zoning code to include rules that require standardized (formula) businesses to apply for a conditional use permit to enter the city's historic downtown district.
Added the following resource to Economic Impact Studies section of the Retail sector:
May 14, 2008
New rule added to the Information Sector:
- Loma Linda, CA, Fiber Network Building Code - Loma Linda has built a publicly owned citywide fiber optic network. Originally, the city added this rule to the developer agreement but later also codified it in the Municipal Code. Any new building (or substantial re-model) must be built ready to interface with the network and meet a wiring requirement to allow the occupants to take full advantage of the network.
May 12, 2008
Added a rule and updated the Clean Elections section of the Governance sector:
- Clean Election Program - Connecticut
State legislature candidates who acquire enough small contributions can choose to have his or her campaign publicly financed. The Clean Elections program also provides finances for primary elections and additional grants for candidates being outspent by non-participating candidates. The program will be expanded to include all statewide elections in 2010. More...
May 7, 2008
Added the following resource to the Retail sector:
May 5, 2008
Added the following column to the Retail sector:
April 29, 2008
Added a rule and updated the Internet Sales Tax Fairness section of the Retail sector:
- Internet Sales Tax Fairness - New York
In 2008, New York included with it’s budget a bill that requires many online retailers to begin collecting sales taxes on purchases shipped to the state, even if they have no operations or employees working there.
April 11, 2008
Added the following stories to the Hometown Advantage:
April 7, 2008
 Broadening Wind Energy Ownership by Changing Federal Incentives
This April 2008 policy brief highlights how the removal of two barriers at the federal level could dramatically enhance local ownership and investment in renewable energy projects. View Press Release and Download the full report
Added a rule to the newly created Set Asides for Local Retail section of the Retail sector:
- Minneapolis, MN (Longfellow community)
In March 2008, the Longfellow Community Council signed a CBA with a developer redeveloping a four-block area near a light rail station. The CBA sets aside 30 percent of the retail space in the project for local independent retailers, prohibits big-box stores, requires a certain amount of the housing to be affordable, requires that each residential unit receive a free transit pass, and stipulates that the project must meet green buildings standards. More...
March 31, 2008
Added a rule to Antitrust - Price Discrimination section of the Retail Sector:
- Fixed Price Book Laws
Laws in some European countries, most notably Germany, require all bookstores, including online sellers, to sell books at fixed prices. Supporters say outlawing discounts protects independent bookstores and small publishers, which in turn ensures that a broader variety of books are available and that there is less focus on best-sellers. That seems to be the case in Germany, where there are 14,000 book publishers, over 4,000 bookstores, and twice as many titles per capita published each year as in the United States. Moreover, with greater competition and a more stable market, book prices in Germany have actually fallen. France has a similar regulation, known as the Lang Law, which was adopted in 1981 and prohibits discounts of more than 5 percent on books. Amazon.com has tried, so far unsuccessfully, to have the law overturned. For more, see this New York Times article and this piece in Publishing Trends.
March 17, 2008
Added a rule to the Climate Change section of the Energy Sector:
- Carbon Caps With Universal Dividends
Many proposals addressing climate change advocate for a cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or carbon content of fuels. Returning money from future carbon allowance auctions as a per capita dividend creates a carbon cap policy that is ethical, equitable, and conducive to being politically successful. More...
Updated the LADWP Solar Incentive Program rule
March 11, 2008
 Driving Our Way to Energy Independence
Updating our pathbreaking 2003 report, this March 2008 report describes how commercially available technologies today could transform our petroleum powered transportation system into one powered by electricity and biofuels. Provisions in the recently passed Energy Act could accelerate that transformation. With the adoption of complementary policies, the revolution in our transportation sector can generate an equally profound revolution in our electricity sector. Hundreds of thousands of locally owned wind turbines and solar electric arrays supplying flexible fueled, plug-in hybrid vehicles can allow tens of millions of Americans to become energy producers not just energy consumers.
Executive Summary and Download the full report
Added the following audio segments to the Podcast Section:
- Stacy Mitchell on Big Box Retail issues - broadcast on the Mark Johnson Show, RadioVermont WDEV - Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
March 6, 2008
Added the following resources to the Corporate Income Tax Reform section of the Retail Sector:
- State Corporate Income Taxes 2001-2003
This February 2005 study by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy an d Citizens for Tax Justice documents 252 national corporation's state and local tax payments. The study reveals that 75 of the 252 paid no state income tax in at least one year from 2001-2003 and from 2001-2003 the 252 companies collectively avoided $41.7 billion, nearly two thirds of state corporate income taxes they potentially owed.
- Corporate Income Taxes in the Bush Years
A September 2004 study by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy and Citizens for Tax Justice, reports on the federal corporate income tax avoidance by 275 Fortune 500 companies. The report exposes the effective tax rates of these companies, showing that a large number have payed less tax, zero tax, and even received rebates over the 2001-2003 period.
March 5, 2008
This resource added to the Information Sector:
March 2, 2008
This resource added to the Information Sector:
February 20, 2008
Added the following video segments to the Podcast Section:
February 15, 2008
 Ethanol and Land Use Changes
This February 2008 policy brief criticizes the authors of two recent studies published in Science for advancing a conclusion not supported by their own studies. The paper notes that the vast majority of today’s ethanol production comes from corn cultivated on land that has been in corn production for generations. Since little new land has come into production, either directly or indirectly, the current use of ethanol clearly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
View Press Release and Download the full report
February 12, 2008
Added the following resources to the Curbing Corporate Welfare section of the Retail Sector:
- In "TIF, Greenfields, and Sprawl," published in the February issue of Planning & Environmental Law, Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First tells the sordid tale of how an incentive created to alleviate slums has come to subsidize upscale malls and New Urbanist developments.
- Corporate retailers not only seek subsidies to build their stores. They also pressure cities to lower their property tax bills once they're operating. In "Rolling Back Property Tax Payments," Good Jobs First found that Wal-Mart appeals its property tax assessments on one-third of its stores. It succeeds in getting a reduced valuation nearly half the time. Another Good Jobs First study, "Growing at Whose Expense," found that General Growth Properties, the nation's second-largest owner of shopping centers, is up to much the same.
February 6, 2008
Added the following audio segments to the Podcast Section:
February 5, 2008
Added the following stories to the Hometown Advantage:
January 28, 2008
 Carbon Caps With Universal Dividends: Equitable, Ethical & Politically Effective Climate Policy
This January 2008 policy brief concludes that universal dividends are a critically important tool to create the political will and public acceptance for a carbon cap. Universal dividends have the potential to hold harmless a large segment of consumers while we move to a low-carbon economy. Moreover, the universal dividend honors the principle that the sky belongs to all of us equally. Private investment in clean and efficient technologies will be driven by a carbon cap that leads to steady reductions over time of GHG emissions and carbon-based fuels. View Executive Summary and Download the full report
January 24, 2008
 Municipal Broadband: Demystifying Wireless and Fiber-Optic Options
This January 2008 policy brief examines how the United States, creator of the Internet, increasingly lags in high-speed access to it. In the absence of a national broadband strategy, hundreds of communities have invested in broadband infrastructure to solve their problem locally. This report highlights how communities are continuing to invest in broadband networks - both wired and wireless - and digs deeper into these technologies and the tradeoffs of each. The solution: wireless solves the mobility problem; fiber solves the speed and capacity problems; and public ownership offers a network built to benefit the community. View Executive Summary and Download the full report
Added the following story to the Hometown Advantage:
Added the following resource to the Books & Films section of the Retail Sector:
- Going Big Box vs. Going Local
The 7-minute online film, produced by Movement Vision Lab, explores the implications of shopping at the big box vs. supporting local enterprise.
Added the following resource to the Town Serving Zone - Palm Beach, FL section of the Retail Sector:
- A 1991 court case, which concluded that the restrictions served legitimate public interests and reflected the town's desire to limit the displacement of its local businesses by larger, regional establishments.
January 17, 2008
 Minnesota Feed-In Tariff Could Lower Cost, Boost Renewables and Expand Local Ownership
This January 2008 policy brief highlights how several European countries, and more recently the Canadian province of Ontario, have adopted a simple yet powerful strategy to expand renewable energy and benefit local economies. It is called a feed-in tariff: a mandated, long-term premium price for renewable energy paid by the local electric utility to energy producers. Evidence shows that a feed-in tariff achieves greater results at a lower cost than do other strategies like tax incentives or renewable electricity standards.
View Executive Summary and Download Full Report
January 15, 2008
Added this resource to the Factsheets section of the Retail Sector:
- How to Launch a Community-Owned Store
Citizens in a number of towns have formed community corporations, raised capital through local stock issues, and opened their own department stores.
January 14, 2008
 New Rules Project - 2007 Annual Report
Learn about our accomplishments in three sectors of targeted focus:
January 9, 2008
Added the following resource to the Comprehensive Plans section of the Retail Sector:
- Comprehensive Planning: A Manual for Maine Communities
This guide, published by the Maine State Planning Office, provides a clear, step-by-step process for developing a comprehensive plan in your community. (it's geared toward Maine towns, but is useful for communities nationwide.)
Added the following audio segments to the Podcast Section:
December 18, 2007
Added the following stories to the Hometown Advantage:
December 12, 2007
Added the following column to the Retail Sector:
Added the following resource to the Economic Impact Studies section of the Retail Sector:
- A Downward Push: The Impact of Wal-Mart Stores on Retail Wages and Benefits - By Arindrajit Dube, T. William Lester, and Barry Eidlin, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, December 2007
This study analyzes the impact of the opening of Wal-Mart stores on the earnings of retail workers. (It uses a similar technique to account for possible biases in Wal-Mart's store location decisions as the study described in the RETAIL EMPLOYMENT section above, "The Effects of Wal-Mart on Local Labor Markets.") This study focuses on stores that opened between 1992 and 2000 and concludes, "Opening a single Wal-Mart store lowers the average retail wage in the surrounding county between 0.5 and 0.9 percent." Not only did Wal-Mart lower average wage rates, but "every new Wal-Mart in a county reduced the combined or aggregate earnings of retail workers by around 1.5 percent." Because this number is higher than the reduction in average wages, it indicates that Wal-Mart not only lowered pay rates, but also reduced the total number of retail jobs. The study goes on to look at the cumulative impact of Wal-Mart store openings on retail earnings at the state level and nationwide. "At the national level, our study concludes that in 2000, total earnings of retail workers nationwide were reduced by $4.5 billion due to Wal-Mart’s presence," the researchers find. Most of these losses were concentrated in metropolitan areas. Although Wal-Mart is often associated with rural areas, three-quarters of the stores it built in the 1990s were in metropolitan counties.
December 5, 2007
Added the following column to the Information Sector:
November 26, 2007
Added the following stories to the Hometown Advantage:
November 14, 2007
- Video of a conversation between ILSR's David Morris and Paul Krugman from the New York Times, held before 100+ people in Minneapolis, MN, November 6, 2007
November 5, 2007
Added a new section on Supercenter Ordinances to the Retail Sector:
- Unlike broader store size cap ordinances, which limit the size of all types of retail stores, the following measures prohibit only those large stores that devote a significant percentage of their floor space or inventory to groceries, such as the supercenters operated by Wal-Mart and Target. These laws do not affect stores that do not carry groceries, such as Home Depot. They also often exclude warehouse stores that sell items in bulk, such as Costco. More...
Added the following resource to Books and Film section of the Retail Sector:
 Twilight Becomes Night - by Virginie-Alvine Perrette
Set in New York City, this moving 36-minute film explores the vital role that locally owned businesses play in the social fabric of our communities. It includes profiles of many long-standing businesses, including several that have had to close due to rising rents and an alarming influx of chains in the city. A rare look at this issue in an urban context, Twilight Becomes Night offers hope in the form of neighborhood activism and interviews with academics and community activists who see a better way forward.
November 1, 2007
 The Policy Gap: Minnesota Energy Policy vs. Minnesota Climate Policy
This November 2007 policy brief examines the impact that Minnesota's energy policies will have on Minnesota's greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. Even if fully achieved, the state's energy policies would simply slow the rate at which GHG emissions continue to grow. View Executive Summary and Download Full Report
October 23, 2007
Added the following stories to Democratic Energy:
- Electric Avenue
A new kind of hybrid uses less gas and more electricity. All-electric cars are already here. What will this mean for the road trip of the future? David Morris plugs in.
October 15, 2007
D riving Our Way to Energy Independence
NOTE: This report is in the end stages of preparation. More information here.
October 12, 2007
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
September 28, 2007
Added the following stories to the Hometown Advantage:
Added the following rule to the Formula Business Restrictions section of the Retail Sector:
- Chesapeake City, Maryland
In September 2007, the town council unanimously enacted an ordinance that prohibits formula businesses in the village center, the waterfront district, and all other areas of town except the "general commercial" zone. In this area, formula businesses are allowed provided they meet the design standards established in the ordinance.
September 22, 2007
Added the following video segment to the Podcast Section:
September 21, 2007
Added a rule to the Solar Energy Programs section of the Energy Sector:
- California - Solar Hot Water Incentive Program
The Calilfornia Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 creates a 10-year program aimed at installing 200,000 solar water heaters in homes and businesses using a $250 million fund. The law authorizes the California Energy Commission to "impose the surcharge at a level that is necessary to meet the goal of installing 200,000 solar water heating systems..." More...
September 20, 2007
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
September 17, 2007
Added the following rule to the Size Cap section of the Retail Sector:
- Middletown, Rhode Island
In 2006, Middletown adopted a store size cap ordinance that prohibits retail buildings with a footprint of 35,000 square feet or more (individual retail outlets may be larger if they span more than one floor). A weakness of the law is that it allows developers to apply for a special use permit to exceed the size cap.
September 14, 2007
Updated and added a rule to the Small Wind Energy section of the Energy Sector:
Added the following resource to the Information Sector:
 Burlington Telecom Case Study - by Christopher Mitchell, August 2007
This case study examines how one community solved its broadband problems and created a new revenue source by building a city wide fiber optic network.
September 12, 2007
Added the following stories to Democratic Energy:
Added the following stories to the Hometown Advantage:
September 11, 2007
Added the following column:
August 29, 2007
Added this resource to the Factsheets section of the Retail Sector:
August 21, 2007
Added the following audio segment to the Podcast Section:
August 16, 2007
Added the following column:
Added rules to the Solar Power Requirement on Buildings section of the Energy Sector:
|
|
|
|
|
Search the site
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Buy Something!!
|
|
|
e-Mail this page to a Friend!
