Former Center Associate June Sekera Releases Book Proposing New Theory of Public Economics Relevant to the Realities of Modern, Democratic Nation States
In her new book The Public Economy in Crisisa Call for a New Public Economics, June Sekera proposes a new theory of public economics which deemphasizes reliance on the free market and affirms the importance of public goods and services within the context of the democratic process and constitutional governance. Public non-market production makes up from a quarter to more than half of all economic activity in advanced democratic nation-states. Yet by imposing market precepts on the public domain, as mainstream economics, political science, and public administration do, public governing capacity is weakened and the democratic system suffers. Agencies originally created to meet public needs are being warped into entities whose purpose is to generate revenue and, in some cases, deliver private profits at public expense. Drawing on classic public finance literature, this book illustrates the differences between public economy and the market model and why those differences matter. The book can be ordered here.
Bloomberg - August 23, 2016 The curse of the car drives tediously slow through the region that put the nation on wheels. Traffic creeps along on torn-up downtown Detroit streets and multiple lanes clog up on interstate highways leading into and out of this formerly bankrupt city. To some, Detroit's traffic woes are a road map to economic self-strangulation, which is why voters in southeast Michigan will be asked in November to approve what most U.S. metropolitan areas have long had - a network of far-reaching public transit. Approval of the $4.7 billion light rail and rapid bus plan presents not only an immediate challenge in this politically polarized region, but an abrupt behavioral shift as well.
In a sunlit Crystal City penthouse, a few dozen transit wonks and software developers pondered a fundamental question: How can technology be used to improve our experience on the roads? The answers, derived amid a feast of pizza and soda, took various forms. Mostly, they involved sharing. A digitally promoted slug line could whisk commuters from Woodbridge to Tysons by making use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes. D.C. commuters headed in similar directions could save time and money by piling into the same car. And car owners could rent out their vehicles to make a little extra money when they weren't using them.
Mercedes-Benz wants to completely change your bus-riding experience. In July, the auto company unveiled its vision for the aptly named Future Bus - a semiautonomous bus that successfully completed a 12-mile route that included traffic lights, tunnels, and navigating around pedestrians. To create the Future Bus, Mercedes built upon its platform for autonomous trucks to create a system optimized for buses dubbed City Pilot. It uses camera systems, radar sensors, and GPS to navigate safely.
Ontario - The federal treasury is doling out $1.49 billion worth of transit funding among cities in Ontario for track upgrades, new buses and improvements and accessibility upgrades to stations, the prime minister announced Tuesday.
Five Ontario cities are the first recipients of $688 million of the dedicated transit funding for projects that have been approved. "For larger cities like Toronto it means upgraded vehicles, more timely subway track repairs and vehicles and stations that are more accessible," Trudeau said in Barrie, Ont. "In communities across the province this investment will shorten commute times and make public transit more efficient and more inclusive."
Singapore - Becoming frustrated with his job after eight years as a freelance IT support consultant, Mr Lee Shao Xiang decided it was time for a change. In February, the 29-year-old joined Tower Transit as a bus driver. "I got sick and tired of IT, so I decided to look for a new challenge," said Mr Lee, who has a degree in computer science. He is among the 30 per cent of Tower Transit's new bus captains to come from non-driving backgrounds. The Anglo-Australian firm, which began operations in May, currently has 994 staff, among them about 800 bus drivers.
Austin residents are all too familiar with the increase in traffic the city has seen over recent years, but in that same amount of time, the ridership of Capital Metro has decreased. Monday, a draft proposal was presented to the CapMetro board for a redesigned transit network. Proposal in a nutshell: Make it easier and more convenient for Austinites to use their public transit system and to turn around that decrease in ridership.
The City of Sacramento has created a 20-year transportation master plan for the downtown area. "The big idea is to recognize that we're going to have a lot more short trips in the central city with a lot more people living, working and playing in the downtown, and we need to have a circulation system in the future that reflects that changing demographic," says Sparky Harris, with the Sacramento Public Works Department.
Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah Feinberg and Association of American Railroads (AAR) President and Chief Executive Officer Ed Hamberger have asked Niantic Labs Inc. to change its "Pokemon Go" game to discourage players from hunting virtual Pokemon characters near rail property. In an Aug. 17 joint letter to software developer Niantic's CEO John Hanke, Feinberg and Hamberger expressed concerns about the safety of certain individuals playing the game, which requires players to walk around environments to capture the virtual "Pokemon" creatures. The pair said they've been contacted by railroad companies about "Pokemon, Pokestops and other virtual objects" being located on or near railroad tracks, stations and rail-yard facilities.
The start of 24-hour weekend service on London's Tube is set to boost the capital city's thriving night-time economy. The annual economic benefit from "Night Tube" service is expected to peak at 77 million pounds ($101 million) within the next 15 years, and help create 2,200 new jobs, according to a new report by EY and business lobby, London First. Extended hours should also help the city's night-time economy grow by about 15% to nearly 30 billion pounds ($39.5 million) a year by 2030.
