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Across the country, 29.8 million people would lose their health insurance if the Affordable Care Act were repealed—more than doubling the number of people without health insurance.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

Making the Most of Maine’s Next Budget

The state budget lays the foundation of a strong economy and thriving communities. For Maine to prosper, the budget must address shared problems and work to meet common goals. Good budgets raise enough revenue to make investments that build a stronger workforce, help young families make a good start, support modern infrastructure, and address other goals that benefit all of us now and in the future. However, recent state budgets undermined our ability to meet these goals and instead prioritized tax breaks for the wealthiest Mainers.

Tax breaks that have predominantly benefited wealthy Mainers and corporations jeopardized state capacity to make key investments in a healthier economy and the wellbeing of Maine people. For 2015, general fund spending as a percent of state GDP was at its lowest in 25 years apart from 2010 and 2011 when tax revenue was hard hit by recession. That means state revenue hasn’t kept pace with the costs of maintaining state services or making additional needed investments and costs have shifted to local communities as a result. The voter approved education funding initiative will help buck this trend by increasing taxes on high income households, but more changes are needed to grow and diversify revenue sources to invest in all the elements of a stronger economy.

Vital Signs

Research consistently shows a direct correlation between income, race, where you live and your health. In general, health outcomes for low-income Latinos, Blacks and other people of color are not as favorable as the outcomes for affluent White people. Colorado is no exception to this scientifically validated but preventable trend – despite making significant gains in providing health coverage to its residents and boasting the lowest obesity rate in the country. “Vital Signs,” a new online report by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, highlights the dramatic influence of income, race and place on health and reveals stark disparities in this state and the effect on those who live here.

New Mexico’s Working Families Tax Credit

Our economy is strongest when people have money to spend and, while the rest of the nation is recovering from the recession, New Mexico is still struggling to attract good-paying jobs. When people work full time and still don’t earn enough money to cover the basics, our economy is not at its healthiest. Tax credits for low- and moderate-income working families are one common-sense way to spur economic activity and put money in the hands of consumers who will spend it, particularly when wages are low.

In New Mexico, the Working Families Tax Credit is one of the most sensible parts of our tax code: it encourages work, helps to raise hard-working families out of poverty, and benefits almost 300,000 children, while also pumping millions of dollars back into local communities. Increasing the credit is a smart investment in New Mexico’s businesses, working families, and future.

Reclaim Our Schools LA: A Vision to Support Every Student

Parents, educators, and communities all depend on a robust public education system to make sure every student can thrive. However, too often the conversation around the future of public education in Los Angeles revolves around pointing out differences between traditional schools run by the district and charter schools managed by private entities. This simplistic narrative forces all stakeholders in the public education system to take sides in an increasingly acrimonious debate, rather than working together to craft a visionary consensus for a sustainable, innovative, and accessible public education system that will create new educational opportunities for all students.