Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
In the fall of 1994, the Harry Singer Foundation invited a limited number, of mostly small-town schools, to take part in a pilot program. Students were required to find ways to stretch the resources of local government and make services more responsive to the desires of citizens. The Foundation hopes to gradually add larger communities, and offer categories for innovative state and national projects.
Volunteers at the Foundation narrowed the entries to 22. They were then edited and sent to the National Center for Financial Education in San Francisco, California, where they were reduced to five. These five were then forwarded to a consultant and former-public official in Minnesota who has been in the forefront of the reinventing government movement; the innovative mayors of Indianapolis and Houston, 12 governors, two former-governors and two members of the United States Congress. Many had the help of staff, but all read the proposals and expressed an interest in what these young people had to say.
The final entries are reproduced on the following pages, just as they were seen by the reviewers at the National Center for Financial Education in San Francisco. Across from each paper we reveal the school and participants, information that was kept from judges.
This project was a logical extension of our continuing Responsibility and White Hat programs. Over the years, through student submissions and other sources, we have collected stories of good-things going on around the country, in both the public and private sectors. These inspirational examples have been accessible to anyone with a computer and a modem since the fall of 1993.
Teacher
Mike Hubka
Students
Tim Marshall
Amy Wampler
Eric Van Allen
Stephanie McKennon
Jenny Dafforn
Sheryl Ott
Matthew Boyter
Lindsay Taylor
Tara Walker
Chris Masters
Christy Summers
Brett Donovan
(Rebecca) Becky Ohler
Matt Ricke
Jason Borden
Stephanie Chapin
Dustin Price
Kevin Fowler
Denise Shinliver
Craig Ohl
Jeremy Penka
Shane Broce
Keri Cline
Josh Axline
Heather Poland
Angela Ricke
A
Recycling Center
In our world today, taxes are a big issue. Politicians promise that they will not raise taxes, yet they are on a steady incline. This makes taxpayers very unhappy. They work hard for their money and do not like to see the government throwing it away on things that aren't needed. This essay will show what we ca do to improve our community without raising taxes.
The Activity
Students polled the city council, school board, recreation commission, hospital board and the general public on two ideas. The first poll asked about the services already supplied by the city and questioned how tax money is spent on them. The majority felt our tax dollars were spent wisely, however, they also believed taxes will be raised in the future. The polls showed that respondents would tolerate paying more money to support new businesses, but the community could not afford new services without increasing taxes.
The second poll looked at examples of services, including treatment of snow on city streets, the condition of sidewalks, the availability of entertainment for kids, the condition of the city pool and park and school buildings. Those polled saw no need to improve snow removal practices and the park got an okay rating also. The other categories all need improvement according to citizens involved in the poll. Additionally, 79 percent of those polled expressed a need for a city administrator. This is a service not yet available but it is one that they think would help organize current services and bring more beneficial programs to our town.
The Project
After evaluation, the class decided that bringing a new business to the city would be a solution to one problem. The point was to find a solution that would avoid raising taxes or cutting desired services so we started out looking for something new. We brainstormed trying to determine the kind of business that would be best for our community. A factory would be appropriate for bolstering the economy; more specifically, a recycling center we decided, would be successful for both the environment and the city.
We believe the community will show support for such a business. In fact there are some groups in Medicine Lodge that already exist to improve business. One of these is the non-profit Peace Treaty Association. Every three years they put on a pageant which draws in a large crowd from all over the United States. It is a large money making project that involves the entire community and everyone benefits from the enormous number of attendees. In addition to the Peace Treaty Association, we have the Beautification Society. They try to improve the appearance of our town by putting flower boxes on Main Street and repainting the street signs. They do this right before the Peace Treaty so the town looks its best. They also hold clean-up days during the year so the town looks nice year round, not just once every three years. These projects are proof that if citizens want something and see it as a profitable investment of their time and money, they will bond together to get it done.
In addition to the organizations, community support can also be found in the businesses already in the city. To run a new business, the obvious elements are transportation, property for buildings and money. All of these elements can be met in our town. There are three trucking companies already in the town. By hiring them to transport the products from any new business, the local economy will be advanced and the new business would get a low rate by working locally. There is an adequate amount of space in Medicine Lodge to build the factory or whatever business we decide to bring in. The space could also be used to accommodate the housing needs of new workers. This in turn would be a boon for construction workers in the area and a draw for others. And finally, financial support can be arranged. For example, the city might set a low tax base for a new industry in order to help it get started.
Incentives and Disincentive
As the world becomes more concerned with the environment, recycling will become even more popular. Also, this industry would not be harmful to the local environment and scenic beauty. In fact, a recycling center would solve our landfill problem. Furthermore, the demand for a recycling center will remain long after other businesses have lost their usefulness and popularity. Such a center would also improve the image of our town by portraying the citizens as caring and considerate people. On the other hand, one must not overlook the disincentives when analyzing our alternative. As the population grows, in all probability the crime rate will increase. With this in mind, the city should consider that a larger police force may be needed. The same is true for schools and the need for entertainment choices, both already a problem for the current population. However, the incentives definitely outnumber the disincentives when one looks at the jobs that will be available for the currently unemployed in our community, not to mention the improvement in the local economy from increased grocery, gas, goods and housing sales. If people from other communities need to use our recycling center, they will probably use our stores and restaurants also. This will bring more money into our community instead of the same money always circulating around our town. This is more evidence that a new business---a recycling center---would be the right prescription for Medicine Lodge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, students at Medicine Lodge High School have found an alternative to cutting services and increasing taxes to help the community. A new business, a recycling center, is an idea that would improve the community and that also meets the guidelines for a changing environment. The incentives and disincentives were viewed and there were not enough reasons to dismiss the idea. Polling was held concerning taxing and services and students discovered that raising taxes or cutting services were not the correct nor the only solutions needed.
Medicine Lodge is the typical American small town. To survive in the modern world, we must be willing to sacrifice some of our small town beliefs in order to attract new businesses to town. Helping our economy grow is the only way we are going to be able to keep the services we have in our town. With hard work and some thought given to economic matters, we can accomplish this task without raising taxes. Back