Rafael B.

Last week, I had the privilege to attend HOPE's Economic Mobility Forum in Selma, Alabama. The topic of discussion was Seizing the Moment: Maximizing Federal Investment in Under Resourced Communities. Communities like those in the small towns in the Black Belt of Alabama, have often faced barriers in accessing the kinds of federal funds that large cities and wealthier communities have had access to for decades. These small towns have very limited staff to write grants and manage complex grant programs and yet have great need for water, road and sewer improvement, disaster recovery, housing and community development, among others. Without intentional support and accessible program design, the new historic federal programs in infrastructure and greenhouse gas reduction would likely perpetuate the current disparities. What are federal agencies doing to ensure access to underserved areas? Read more about the discussion in my new piece on the Hope Policy Institute blog.

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Here is my new Planetizen column: "Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths: Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, 'Killed by a Traffic Engineer,' has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths." (https://lnkd.in/gGTkfvUy) Marshall highlights the role that exposure -- the distance and speed that people drive -- as a risk factor, and makes the concept accessible to a general audience. I rely on his research in reports such as, "A New Traffic Safety Paradigm" (www.vtpi.org/ntsp.pdf ), and he cites my research in his book. What do you think? Can we recognize the additional crashes caused by increased vehicle travel and the safety benefits of vehicle travel reduction strategies?

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On Local Government Autonomy I hope the Federal Government will move from their court case on Local Government autonomy to other topical issues like fiscal federalism and revenue allocation, land tenure, Local Government creation, state police, etc. Some of us understand these things than to fall for this scapegoating of Governors. The question is; is FG better with the management of their portion of federation account than the state governments? So, why are they sanctimoniou? Meanwhile, as we speak of autonomy for Local Government, can we also start conversations around autonomy for states, so they can control their resources and generate revenue to cater to the needs of their people. It is even superficial to think that funneling money directly to local government councils will cure absence of governance at that level. The question to ask is; why are most governors not performing at the optimum with all the resources that accrue to their states from the Federation account if the problem was about resources availability? We need to get serious and look elsewhere for the solution to lack of governance at the local councils and stop deceiving ourselves. We need to do a sincere appraisal of the quality of minds in public governance in Nigeria; their motives and driving force. Or is it not the members of the same political class that will administer the local councils? Meanwhile, SIEC is not also the main problem but citizens' apathy to politics and governance. What has SIEC done that INEC hasn't been accused of? It's sad that we are always looking for a messiah. Unfortunately, no one is coming to save us until we become active citizens and get involve in the politics and governance of our communities.

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Post #2 on the federal budget 2024 from Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) research staff: Highlights of new spending: o  Using federal lands to accelerate new housing: requiring departments and agencies to offer parcels of lands; plan to introduce legislation to facilitate acquisition of public lands for homes; $500M/5yrs for a new Public Lands Acquisition Fund; establishing a Public Lands Acquisition Council to identify parcels of land for housing; starting with Canada Post properties, National Defence lands, and repurposing of PSPC offices. If implemented effectively, this has significant potential to generate affordable housing (that will hopefully align with Affordability Action Council recommendations to build future-ready housing that is energy efficient, resilient to a changing climate, and near public transit). o  Canada Disability Benefit: Act to be passed in June 2024 and payments to begin July 2025, with $2400 per year maximum benefit for about 600,000 eligible people. Overall cost is estimated at around $5 billion/ 5yrs. Fingers crossed that this can role out as planned as it is badly needed. o  Consultations forthcoming: new tax on residentially zoned vacant land; National Caregiving Strategy; survey on interprovincial trade to identify top barriers; return of funds from fuel charge to Indigenous communities. Things to watch in 2024. o  Student loan forgiveness for care and health workers in rural and remote communities: Increased scope of student loan forgiveness to include early childhood educators, and a broader range of health workers. Hopefully effective in helping to address worker shortages. o  Research funding: Significant funding for enhancing research and researchers (I suspect academic friends of the IRPP will be very excited about these): - new capstone research funding organization overlaying NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR (federal granting councils) that will support internationally collaborative, multi-disciplinary and mission-driven research. - a new advisory council on science and innovation that will include academic, industry and not-for-profit sectors and develop a national science and innovation strategy to guide priority setting. - higher pay for post-secondary scholarships, with doctoral support rising from $20,000 under SSHRC to $40,000 per year. Post-docs rise from $45,000 for SSHRC to $70,000. Very meaningful increases at a time when cost of living is a major concern. o  Passenger rail: $462 million over 5 years for Via Rail network operations and commitment to replace aging fleet and renew Remote Passenger Rail funding. This is in line with recommendations from the Affordability Action Council, and will hopefully help address gaps in access to transportation in many areas of Canada. More to come in subsequent post..

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File under - do our actions match our inclusion guidance? As the Federal Public Service pushes onward with return to office and more prescriptive hybrid work models - what does their inclusion guidance say? https://lnkd.in/e-WVD6cN Have you considered different ways the work can be successfully completed, including alternative work arrangements (for example, remote or part-time work, or flexible hours)? These work arrangements could attract people who might not otherwise apply, for example, persons with disabilities, single parents and persons in remote regions. There is irony that people with disabilities are having workplace accommodations refused or wait up to a year on processes to approve that require more and more private information - when inclusive guidance that is in place suggests those models will reduce barriers for the same group. I also have to ask - since people with disabilities are among the group most impacted, are these decisions aligned with the Accessible Canada Act?

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As NC Governor's Highway Safety Program Director, I can try to change individual driving behavior until I'm blue in the face. It won't accomplish much. Or- we can collectively try to change how communities proactively address and prevent traffic crashes. THAT is what will save lives. This article by @NC Health News talks about the importance of bringing public health principles to work in traffic safety. The article focuses on bike & pedestrian safety, but at GHSP we've tried to bring public health approaches to other areas of traffic safety as well, while continuing to work with traditional partners like law enforcement, educators and others. Mark my words: in this work, there are STRONG institutional bias that are perfectly OK doing what we've always done, and getting what we've always gotten- namely, over 1600 deaths on NC roads each year. That's not acceptable to me. I'm fighting those institutional bias every day, and it's tough. Thanks to brave advocates like Steven Hardy-Braz and community partners like UNC Highway Safety Research Center for your lifechanging work.

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In another sign that North Carolina's CON law is not containing costs but rather reinforcing incumbent's market power. A "boomlet" of freestanding EDs are opening in higher income urban and suburban areas already well-served by big hospital systems Mission/HCA, Atrium, and Novant. The NC CON law restricts freestanding EDs (FSEDs) to those operated by acute care hospitals, who have already invested in dozens of health system-branded urgent care clinics in these same metropolitan areas of NC. Urgent care and freestanding EDs may help relieve hospital EDs of some low-acuity visits and demands on EMS, but evidence indicates they don't lower overall spending. It's hard to imagine new FSEDs will be easy to staff. A freestanding ED is another hospital department that levies facility fees and has higher lab, imaging, and professional costs compared to urgent care. Even worse, UCs and FSEDs undermine the viability of community-based primary care practices dedicated to preventing and managing chronic disease and establishing relationships built on trust and accountability. Michelle Crouch The Charlotte Ledger North Carolina Health News https://lnkd.in/eHndrKpp

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🔊 More job opportunities in our office! These will support a lot of our DEIJ efforts and priorities. The DE announcement for OHC/RC's three ZA-0301-03 Program and Policy Analysts positions is available to preview on USA JOBS. These are TERMS positions with initial appointments (13 months with possible extensions up to a total of 4 years). Thirteen possible duty stations include Anchorage, AK; Long Beach, CA; Sacramento, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Saint Petersburg, FL; Honolulu, HI; Baton Rouge, LA; Silver Spring, MD; Portland, PR; Aguadilla, PR; Charleston, SC; Lacey, WA; and Seattle, WA. The announcement opens for applications on Monday 4/22/2024 and will close on 5/06/2024. You can use the link below to preview the job announcement, but you can not apply until it opens on Monday, April 22! Job Announcement#(DE):NMFS OHC-24-12388145-DE (all citizens) https://lnkd.in/eVryhzA8   Duties include: Serve as a policy consultant and advisor to ensure the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is effectively implementing Federal law and Administration policies related to tribal and underserved communities, including but not limited to E.O. 13985, "Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government." This includes engaging with and understanding barriers that Tribes, Indigenous, and underserved communities face when applying for and accessing funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and associated programs. Analyze policies and identify, document, and communicate related policy issues and requirements, as well as potential program deficiencies or areas for growth. Make recommendations that can address impacts to communities and program or policy issues and challenges. Facilitate a strong working relationship between NOAA and federally-recognized and other Tribes and Indigenous, or underserved communities, to advance implementation of the BIL. Develop and maintain relationships with Tribal Liaisons/Coordinators within NOAA and in other federal agencies to share approaches and broaden the network of expertise to address current and future Tribal needs. Work with NOAA staff to clarify expectations and enhance efforts to advance meaningful engagement, partnership, and relationships with rural and underserved communities in the design and development of BIL project outcomes and investments.

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Postal Regulatory Commission Cautions USPS Against Pushing Price Hikes to Maximum Levels The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers submitted comments to the commission on May 6, encouraging the overturning of the price increase. The USPS has made twice-a-year increases the new normal. Despite 1.6% inflation, the July rate hikes account for 7.8% for first-class mail and marketing mail, and close to 10% for periodicals, according to the alliance, which cited the compounded price increases between January 2021 and July 2024 ranges from 29% to 83% depending on the product. “With this sixth notice of market-dominant price changes in three years, the Postal Service continues, Titanic-esque, to sail inexorably toward the iceberg — clinging to its belief that the Delivering for America plan is the panacea to its ills notwithstanding all evidence to the contrary,” The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers said in its commentary. The alliance also pushed the commission to not rubber stamp each price increase, but instead utilize its oversight and enforcement function by ensuring the rates meet the requirements of federal law. “The commission can stop this madness,” the alliance said in its comments. “It was empowered by Congress to promulgate rules, regulations, and procedures, and to ‘take any other action they deem necessary and proper to carry out their functions and obligations to the Government of the United States and the people.’” https://lnkd.in/e4n395Eq

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I was excited to see this recently released report from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) illuminating the crucial role of comprehensive and rigorous race and ethnicity data in the pursuit of health equity. "Combatting entrenched health disparities demands a concerted, cross-sectoral approach involving healthcare providers, insurers, researchers, community organizations, advocacy groups, and policymakers. This collective endeavor hinges on the availability of robust, transparent data on race and ethnicity to establish a common foundation for understanding and assessing interventions aimed at promoting health equity. Encouraging stakeholders to embed principles of data equity into their practices, CLASP and the Data Equity Coalition advocate for enhanced data standards across governmental and healthcare spheres." At its core, data serves as the linchpin for comprehending the scope and nuances of health inequalities. I've seen a lot of movement by health systems and public agencies toward collecting more meaningful race and ethnicity data, but we still have a long way to go. #healthequity #dataequity https://lnkd.in/g82f-BGf]

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Citizens want to contribute to their communities, but engagement must be productive. Explore how municipalities utilize a range of different engagement approaches as a means of gathering community insights and ideas to improve local government. #CommunityEngagement #PublicParticipation #LocalGov

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We have run federal agencies. Here is what the civil service needs For more on what I did on my summer vacation, here's Chapter 2...an Op Ed published by the Washington Post on the national security implications of things like Schedule F (it’s in the Post’s electronic version now and in its print edition next week). While I’ll confess to having some fingerprints on it, all of the credit goes to the ‘Fab Five’ former national security officials—in alphabetical order, CIA Director Mike Hayden, DHS DEPSEC Jim Loy, DNI Mike McConnell, State DEPSEC AMB John Negroponte, and SECNAV Sean O’Keefe—for taking a stand on what needs to be fixed in our federal civil service system NOW. Here’s also a link that with a little bit of mouse-clicking, will get you directly to the letter as well (https://wapo.st/4cd66WU). With apologies for this way-too-long post, let me belabor the point that the Op Ed tries to make: That while things like Schedule F can be abused in the wrong hands, the focus on providing greater accountability amongst civil servants is spot on. The current system is just too complicated, takes too long, and is too legalistic to be effective in holding civil servants accountable for performing and/or behaving up to reasonable standards. And what our Fab Five propose—on behalf of lots of others in the national/homeland security, intelligence, and law enforcement worlds, including me—is a ‘third way’ that simplifies today's mind-numbing accountability system without compromising on the essential protections afforded federal civil servants (especially senior ones) that exist today. Who can disagree with that? Privately, it seems no one. But few are willing to say so publicly...except the Fab Five and the other national security ‘formers’ they speak for. That’s what the Op Ed is really all about. The challenge now is in finding someone else—like a Member of Congress—who’s not only courageous enough to take a similar stand, but who’s also willing to help pass an amendment to the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that actually legislates the ‘third way’ that we propose. Do you know anyone? PS: Readers should also know that we’ll keep tilting at this windmill until we find someone who will step up to the plate...or until the November election makes all this a moot point, no matter who wins.    

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🌟 Are traditional public meetings truly serving our communities? Often criticized for letting the loudest voices dominate and stifling new ones, these meetings usually occur after crucial decisions are made, limiting impactful citizen feedback. But change is on the horizon! The National Civic League, in collaboration with the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation and others, is piloting a groundbreaking initiative. This new approach is currently being tested in cities like Boulder, CO, Fayetteville, NC, and Mesa, AZ, aiming to revitalize how we engage with residents and foster more meaningful dialogue. 👀 Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how these cities are breaking away from the old mold and pioneering a new era of public participation. Dive deeper into the pilot project shaking up the status quo of public meetings: https://lnkd.in/gT9nUYCW Let's discuss! How can we make public meetings more inclusive and effective in our own community? 💬👥 #CivicInnovation #CommunityDialogue #PublicEngagement #ChangeMakers

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TAKE ACTION: The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has approved a bill, H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act. The bill would add an untested citizenship question on the decennial census and exclude noncitizens from the number of persons used to determine congressional apportionment.   The House is expected to debate the bill the week of May 6, 2024. Please take action now and urge House members to vote no on H.R. 7109. There's a simple form that will do all the work for you... https://p2a.co/ofBjT36 #Census #2030Census #Data #Democracy

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🚨 New 50-State Comparison alert!!! 🚨 An old favorite haha. Here's the newest version of our 50-SC on Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems that Claus and I put together! This one has some additional insights on research agendas guiding data systems, staffing, governance, and more. Check it out!

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