Apr 25 Could 2011 Be the Spring of the Tea Parties’ Discontent? Following historic Republican victories in the House and in state legislatures throughout the country in 2010, Tea Party supporters saw a new chance to rein in government at the national and state levels. Much of the attention about… Continue reading
Apr 19 As the GOP Chases Public Sector Unions, Small Towns Feel a Pinch From Wisconsin to Ohio to Indiana, the new Republican powers in statehouses have made clear that one of their chief targets is public sector unions. In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker fought for and eventually won passage of a… Continue reading
Apr 14 Patchwork Nation: ‘Good News’ on Foreclosures Not All Good When is good news not as good as it seems? Well, the foreclosure numbers from the first quarter of 2011 offer a good example. The news seems positive at first blush, as headlines declare declining foreclosure activity: Foreclosure filings hit… Continue reading
Apr 13 Some Jobs Relief Seen in Suburbs, But Long-Term Struggles Likely Ahead By Dante Chinni Was it a temporary dip or a fundamental restructuring of the American economy? As the last recession dragged on and on, that was the larger question hanging over the country. And yet it remains unanswered. The debate will likely go… Continue reading
Apr 05 The Government Shutdown Showdown, the Tea Party and Emptying Nesters To shut down or not to shut down? As the budget battles go on in Congress, that is the question in Washington. And in recent days it seems the momentum toward a shutdown has grown. On Monday morning… Continue reading
Mar 30 How Healthy Is Your County? A Few Miles Can Make a Big Difference By Dante Chinni What difference can a few miles make? It may be the difference between living a healthy life and struggling against a sea of health problems, according to a new study that ranks the relative health of counties. The study… Continue reading
Mar 28 Broadband Access: Exploring Internet Connectivity by U.S. Community Type The federal government wants you to have access to a broadband connection. Badly. The Federal Communications Commission has held dozens of workshops and filed away more than 23,000 comments on its National Broadband Plan. "High-speed wireless service is… Continue reading
Mar 24 Patchwork Nation: Census Raises Questions About Detroit’s Future For as long as anyone cares to remember, Detroit has been Michigan's center of gravity. There have been challengers from time to time. Lansing is the capital. Grand Rapids is a power base in the west. But ultimately, the state… Continue reading
Mar 15 Watch In Ohio, How 2 Counties’ Economic Paths Diverged Over 30 Years In Ohio, How 2 Counties' Paths Diverged Greatly Over 30 Years… Continue watching
Mar 15 Paul Solman, Patchwork Nation’s Chinni Talk Income Inequality in Ohio By Elizabeth Shell Business correspondent Paul Solman and Dante Chinni of Patchwork Nation recently traveled to two counties in Ohio: Crawford and Delaware. Thirty years ago the counties had similar average incomes but they've grown apart. The town of Galion… Continue reading