Public Services, Budgets, and Economic Development

Too often, states and cities pursue economic development strategies that amount to little more than tax giveaways to big corporations. Pushing back on this flawed approach, EARN groups design and promote smart economic development policies that invest in infrastructure, in people, and in the communities where opportunity is lacking.

Smart economic development means strong workforce development programs, such as apprenticeships and sector strategies; infrastructure investments in transportation, schools, broadband, and healthcare; and community development projects that deliver good, high-paying jobs to local residents, especially in communities of color, and other underserved communities.

Federal funds for state and local governments

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Public Services and Employment

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Education

High-quality and equitable education opportunities, ranging across early childhood, K-12, technical education, higher education and apprenticeships, are pivotal for the economic prospects of working people and their children. Read More.

Healthcare

Across the country, 29.8 million people would lose their health insurance if the Affordable Care Act were repealed—more than doubling the number of people without health insurance. And 1.2 million jobs would be lost—not just in health care but across the board. Read More.

Infrastructure

State and local governments account for the bulk of public spending on infrastructure. Infrastructure investments can ensure that we do not leave future generations a deficit of underinvestment and deferred maintenance of public assets. Read more.

Budgets and Taxes

Closing budget deficits is not always the optimal fiscal policy in the short term  or the medium term. Instead, budgets should simply be seen as a tool with which to boost living standards. Read More.

Publications

The American Health Care Act Would Reverse Recent Coverage Gains and Strain Louisiana’s Budget

The American Health Care Act — which passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is the basis for a bill being negotiated in the U.S. Senate — would be devastating for the state budget, health care providers and residents of all parts of the state. The AHCA would reverse the historic gains under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has greatly reduced the number of Louisianans without health insurance, created thousands of jobs in the healthcare sector, protected consumers and increased the amount of federal healthcare dollars flowing to every city and parish in the state.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act Puts Maine’s Health Care and Economy at Risk

Congressional efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would put health coverage at risk for tens of thousands of Mainers, increase costs for hundreds of thousands more, and reduce access to services in many communities. The House bill, the “American Health Care Act,” (AHCA) and the Senate bill, the “Better Care Reconciliation Act,” ultimately have  the same effect―less care for Mainers, in exchange for tax cuts for the wealthiest.

The House narrowly passed its ACA repeal proposal earlier this year. While the Senate said it would reject that plan and start from scratch, the reality is that the Senate plan closely mirrors the House plan. Both would reduce coverage for seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children by cutting and capping Medicaid. Both would sharply increase insurance costs by raising premiums and deductibles and slashing existing tax credits. Both plans give states broad authority to eliminate consumer protections that help people with pre-existing conditions or who are in need of maternity care, mental health, or substance abuse services. Finally, both plans use the reductions in health coverage to pay for deep tax cuts for the wealthy, drug companies, and insurers.

Clearing the Jobs Pathway: Removing Non-Academic Barriers to Adult Student Completion

In order to reach the state’s workforce and economic goals, Indiana needs leadership to better align resources for adult students and to remove barriers that stand between them and post-secondary education and training programs. The state has made progress in tailoring academic and training programs to workforce demands and made steps toward incentivizing those programs with financial aid. And yet, too many of the would-be students who need these programs most never take the first step because their path is blocked by non-academic barriers. Many more start but stop or drop out permanently before completing degrees and credentials that would benefit their families and Indiana’s economy.

Publication

When Work is Not Enough: Toward Better Policy to Support Wisconsin’s Working Families

  • May 11, 2017
  • COWS
  • Laura Dresser, Javier Rodriguez, and Mel Meder.

In Wisconsin, policy makers seem to increasingly assume that work, and work alone, can provide a decent standard of living. However, working families continue to face a slew of challenges – low wages, inadequate benefits, insufficient hours – generated by the very jobs that are supposed to be the answer. This report highlights the disconnect between state policies and the realities of Wisconsin families working in jobs at or near the poverty line.