From Antagonistic to Cooperative Federalism on Water Resources Development

A bstract . A major reason for the antagonism among federal, state, and local water resources planners may be their lack of understanding of the policymaking process. Water resources policies not only distribute social, economic, and physical benefits , they also have redistributive, regulatory, and social effects. The federal government is not capable of leadership in all four policy areas. Neither, however, are localities or the states. Planners, therefore, need to develop a viable mix of policy responsibilities so that each level has primary authority over the type of policy it is best suited to develop and implement. Analysis of the capacities of each level of government indicates that the federal government should provide regulatory objectives through such legislation as the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act , and provide support for state redistributive efforts through a restructuring of water resources grants-in-aid to reward states that improve their policy planning capabilities. The states' most appropriate role is development of a planning process. Social policy is the most appropriate sphere of local action.     

Competition and Conflict in the U.S. Atlantic Coast Menhaden Industry

Abstract . Fluctuations in the harvest of menhaden off the U.S. Atlantic coast, a common property resource, have caused competition and conflict among the small number of companies, two large and several small, which operate in the fishery. With no strong central management, the resource is not being exploited to the optimum and increased fishing pressure and effort bring, cyclically, a peak catch followed by contraction in catch and industry. The industry, state agencies and federal offices disagree on corrective measures. Restriction of the fall harvest off the North Carolina coast to replenish the stock would call for an extraordinary sacrifice by the North Carolina industry—costing it between $4.4 and $6.8 million to provide increases between $6.6 million and $8.4 million in gross revenues for the rest of the industry from Maine to Florida. This raises problems of equitable sharing of the burden. A bioeconomic computer model quantifies short and long run impacts that must be faced.     

Public Choice and Urban Water Quality*

Abstract . It is the purpose of this paper to examine critically the choice of “zero discharge” as me ultimate goal of our federal water pollution policy and to demonstrate that a goal of 90 percent removal of pollutants from effluents of urban areas will be more economically efficient. Our results indicate that in reaching “Zero discharge,” there is a minimal return in water quality for urban areas which are located on large bodies of water. The final conclusion is that the substantial resources, which would be required to surpass the level of 90 percent removal of pollutants, could be employed more effectively in other social programs.     

The Effects of local Fair Housing Ordinances on Housing Segregation: Their Impact Is Small, But It's an Important Positive Change Toward Integration

Abstract . State and local fair housing ordinances, patterned after federal legislation, are promoted by federal policy. This study investigates whether these local laws have had any effect on levels of residential segregation between Whites and Blacks, 1970-1980, by comparing changes in segregation for 111 cities characterized by different types of fair housing coverage. Results show average declines of 9 points in the index of dissimilarity, with cities covered by both state and local laws declining slightly more than cities with no fair housing coverage. Declines are not greater in cities with laws that are “substantially equivalent” to Title VIII vs. cities with non-equivalent laws. When changes in segregation were examined by a variety of population, economic and housing variables that may affect segregation change, it was found that local ordinances continue to have a small, but statistically significant effect. This effect varies according to the pattern of segregation change under study; deconcentration of ghetto areas and integration of White areas are not affected by type of local fair housing coverage.     

The State of Economic Analysis in Water Resources Planning

A bstract . The use of benefit-cost analysis in federal water resources planning is examined. In addition, its role in the decision-making process is assessed. An argument is made that its use might be more effective if government planners at the sub national level were better trained in economics. The costs of such investments in the quality of water resource planners are shown to be inconsequential with respect to the costs of inefficient projects. In addition, it is argued that investments in high quality analysts at the Washington, D.C.- level may be of less consequence because of the decentralized nature of the decision-making process.     

Affirmative Action: The Facts, the Myths, and the Future

This article focuses on recent federal court rulings affecting preferential treatment programs mandated by affirmative action policies and programs. The article addresses the greater burden that these decisions now place on organizations to justifying race-based remedial actions, and the standards by which these actions are judged. However, the programs affected by these rulings are only those imposed by federal, state or local governments. This article also discusses the narrow scope of these decisions—what programs they have not changed. As will be demonstrated, a broad range of voluntary private sector programs remain unaffected.     

An approach to evaluate incentive policies for energy development

The federal energy agencies are continuously seeking new energy resources to make the U.S. self-sufficient in its energy requirements. Geopressured resources have been identified for quite some time as possible candidates. However, the fundamental barriers to commercializing this source of energy are the excessive capital investments necessary and high uncertainty. This study proposes a methodology for exploring the use of economic incentives as instruments to stimulate the growth of geopressured resource development in the United States. It also identifies how incentive policy options are related to the fundamental barriers against a U.S. geopressured gas capability. The study models the geopressured development project as a Monte Carlo simulation. The geopressured system model simulates the production from a known geopressured resource. The profitability of the geopressured resource development project under alternate incentive policy options is evaluated as to their impact on two base case scenarios of potential investors in such development projects. The evaluations concern the policy impacts on improving project economics and risks. Results indicate that economic incentive policies are effective tools for improving the profitability of geopressured resource development projects. Each incentive serves different purposes with regard to inherent economics, project risks, marketplace uncertainties, and developers' access to capital. The effectiveness of the incentive policies depends on the developer's attitudes and attributes.     

Land Pooling for Resubdivision and New Subdivision in Western Australia

Abstract . Land pooling is a technique for the unified subdivision of separate private landholdings in urban-fringe areas. Pooling projects are self-financing and the costs and profits of each project are shared between the participating landowners. It provides local governments with a powerful tool for implementing their municipal land use plans and for ensuring an adequate supply of urban land. Local governments in Western Australia began using land pooling in 1951, first to redesign and service old, undeveloped subdivision estates (development projects), then to install special infrastructure works in new suburban areas, and later for the progressive development of their municipalities. By 1982 a total of 56 pooling projects ranging from 1.5 to 250 hectares had been undertaken in metropolitan Perth. The technique and its use in the state of Western Australia are described and discussed and improvements 3re proposed. A case history of a typical pooling project is presented in the appendix. The West Australian experience shows that land pooling could be adopted to improve urban development and land supply for housing in the U.S.A. and Canada, and in other mixed-economy countries.     

The role of the psychological contract in shaping graduate experiences: a study of public sector talent management programmes in the UK and Australia

Abstract

Although talent management is acknowledged for its role in building competitive advantage, very little research has examined the factors that influence the success of talent management programmes at an individual level. In this paper we explore participant experiences (n = 68) from two public sector ‘fast track’ graduate development programmes, one in the UK and one in Australia. Drawing on psychological contract theory we examine how talent management programmes shape individual expectations and how these expectations influence participant experiences and evaluations of the programme. Our findings highlight the role of both talent management strategy and talent management implementation as well as factors external to the organisation, (such as employer brand and the influence of family and friends), in shaping expectations. Our analysis highlights the impact of multiple agents, particularly line managers, in the ongoing development and fulfilment of the ‘graduate psychological contract’. At a practical level, we argue that organisations need to manage expectations by more explicitly communicating what will, or will not, be offered in a graduate fast-track programme. We also suggest that organisations need to consider the importance of line managers in the implementation of talent management.     

浅论小水库灌区节水节能的改造及管理

新时期经济社会发展对灌区发展的要求,及灌区内外部水资源及市场条件的变化对大型灌区进行系统的续建配套与节水改造,是我国灌溉事业开始由外延型向内涵型转变的标志;是通过灌区现代化建设推动和促进传统灌溉方式的革命,促进农业结构调整、耕作方式和生产关系调整的革命性措施;是在21世纪实现灌区水资源可持续利用和经济社会可持续发展的重要战略举措。对发展我国农村经济、改善区域生态环境、推进灌区管理体制和运行机制改革具有极其重要作用。本文针对小水库不仅有为农作物提供的水源,而且还具有天然的水能。小水库灌区现状农业灌溉方式不仅存在着水量的浪费,而且还存在着水能的浪费。针对这一问题,探讨采用"比较水头损失法"——充分利用小水库的水能,通过管道输水来满足农作物需水要求的方法,达到节水节能的效果。     

What Was Driving the 1982–88 Boom In Temporary Employment?

Abstract . The level of temporary help employment rose two-and-a-half fold between 1982 and 1988, was quite variable and had a disproportionately larger effect on employment flows. One conventional explanation suggests that changing demographic composition of the labor force in favor of groups preferring nontraditional employment arrangements fueled the temporary help boom. Demand-side views emphasize the volatility in labor demand, intensified price competition and the absence of employee benefit contributions. Empirical estimation confirms that demand-side forces predominate. Yet no labor supply variable is found to be positively associated with the extent of temporary employment. Cyclical fluctuation in output, intensified foreign competition and the magnitude of nonwage labor costs are all positively associated with temporary employment levels. The diminishing bargaining power of labor unions allows employers to exploit the labor cost savings of temporary hires, and the extent of paid time-off and the lack of flexibility in weekly hours of work play a weak role. The findings suggest why temporary job growth accelerated in the 1980s, as more firms employed a “core-periphery” human resource strategy. Public policy should adopt measures that attempt to limit the creation of temporary jobs to a level that accommodates the worker need for flexible annual work schedules.     

Vertical externalities in cigarette taxation: Do tax revenues go up in smoke?

In federal systems, where tax bases are joint property, the tax policy of one level of government affects the tax base of the other. This paper examines the interdependence of US federal and state cigarette tax rates. Our results suggest that states may reduce their cigarette tax rate by as much as 48 cents per dollar increase in the federal tax rate. Thus, a federal tax hike may reduce the amount of generated state tax revenues both directly (the overall tax rate rises and the state tax base declines), and indirectly (the state tax rate declines).     

Capacity Building for Environmental Management in Indonesia

Abstract

There is considerable value in learning from experience in capacity building projects, and this paper provides a self-evaluation regarding the interactive learning approach applied in the Bali Sustainable Development Project (BSDP). The BSDP was part of a larger institutional capacity building and human resource development project supported by the Canadian International Development Agency. Experiences related to contextual and substantive aspects are reviewed. Particular attention is given to the need for incorporating culture into sustainable development strategies, developing an iterative and adaptive approach, and capitalizing on synergistic opportunities.     

Employment equity,human resource development and institution building in South Africa

The process of economic and social reconstruction in South Africa (SA) has harnessed capital, organized labour and state agencies in emergent tripartite macro-policy forums; in particular, the National Economic Development and Labour Commission. Public policy on human resource development, affirmative action and diversity issues is increasingly an outcome of negotiations in these structures. However, although significant legislative developments on these issues are envisaged in the near future, institutional adaptation has not been adequately researched. The apartheid state was constructed on the ideological basis of ethnic fragmentation rationalized by ethnic and cultural diversity. At the same time, diversity is a social reality in building common national and organizational goals, symbols and identity.

This paper discusses structural and labour market factors associated with the process of employment equity and diversity management in South African organizations. A research project, the Breakwater Monitor, at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, has established a national database covering some one million employees, which enables benchmarking of company and sectoral practices in regard to affirmative action, diversity policy, training and development and skills formation. The project has also begun to track diversity representation at all levels across major sectors longitudinally, using a common job evaluation standard for comparability. The project considers both quantitative and qualitative factors in human resource development. Findings from this project are presented and discussed in the context of human resource development.     

Information systems project management in PMJ: A brief history

The Project Management Institute (PMI) plays an important role in the training, career development, and recognition of information systems (IS) project managers. Indeed, not only do IS professionals account for a large proportion of the PMI constituency, but PMI is also influential in the training of IS project managers. This study explores further the contribution of PMI to IS project management by means of its main publication outlet, the Project Management Journal (PMJ). To do so, the contents of the 39 IS project management articles published in PMJ during 1988–2005 were analyzed. The article focuses on the following dimensions: the relative importance of IS project management articles published by PMJ; the profile of the authors of IS project management articles in PMJ; the main issues, in terms of IS project management, covered by PMJ; and the major gaps, in terms of IS project management, in the coverage of this domain by PMJ.     

水利旅游资源的形成条件和影响因素

近年来水利旅游发展迅速,但相关的理论研究较为缺乏。深入分析水利旅游资源的形成条件和影响因素,有利于水利旅游资源的开发、管理和保护。水资源是水利旅游资源形成的物质基础;水利工程是技术基础;旅游者的旅游需求是社会基础,它们三足鼎立构成了水利旅游资源的形成条件。对水利旅游资源的形成产生影响的因素主要有自然环境条件、生产生活需要和经济技术水平,它们共同决定了水利旅游资源的最终形态和开发利用形式。     

Groundwater and the Land Value Tax

Abstract . Application of the land value tax has been described for many natural resources. However, the problems encountered with flowing underground resources have not been fully discussed. Groundwater is one such flowing resource that affects the value of surface land. The underground water is also subject to its own market forces. If a Georgist tax is to be applied to groundwater or to land affected by it, the administrator of the tax must consider the interplay that occurs between the two resource markets. A system of separable property rights to the two resources offers the prospect for efficient use. But the monitoring of ground water use must accompany such a separation.     

Federal Income Tax Reform in the United States: How Did It Happen? What Did It Do? Where Do We Go from Here?

Abstract . The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1913 provided the legal basis for progressive federal income taxes. They now yield revenues of about $450 billion annually. Tax base erosion eventually produced a levy in serious violation of norms of allocation efficiency, distributional equity, and macroeconomic performance. Vested private interests influenced legislators by propaganda and campaign contributions to minimize their tax burdens at the expense of less wealthy taxpayers. The result was an irrational and badly flawed tax structure. In 1981 the maximum marginal tax rate on income from property and wealth was significantly reduced along with other bracket reductions. The income tax reform movement culminated in 1984 to 1986. It expanded the base of the tax while reducing marginal rates as well as brackets, with little change in the distribution of the burden among different income groups but achieving some greater equity in tax liabilities for those with similar incomes.     

Who offers tax-based business development incentives?

Many American communities seek to attract or retain businesses with tax abatements, tax credits, or tax increment financing of infrastructure projects (TIFs). The evidence for 1999 indicates that communities are most likely to offer one or more of these business development incentives if their residents have low incomes, if they are located close to state borders, and if their states have troubled political cultures. Ten percent greater median household income is associated with a 3.2% lower probability of offering incentives; 10% greater distance from a state border is associated with a 1.0% lower probability of offering incentives; and a 10% higher rate at which government officials are convicted of federal corruption crimes is associated with a 1.2% greater probability of offering business incentives. TIFs are the preferred incentive of communities whose residents have household incomes between $25,000 and $75,000; whereas TIFs are much less commonly offered by communities whose residents have household incomes below $25,000. The need to finance TIFs out of incremental tax revenues may make it infeasible for many of the poorest of communities to use TIFs for local business development.     

Employment Discrimination and the International Workplace: A Review of Recent US Court Rulings

The extraterritoriality clause in the Civil Rights Act of 1991 amended Title VII and the ADA to include employment discrimination protection for US citizens working abroad for US employers. A review of recent court rulings demonstrates an absence of lawsuits involving alleged violations of the extraterritorial provision. Instead, recent cases show that Americans working outside of the US are filing charges against foreign employers rather than US employers and applying state level employment statutes rather than federal legislation. In addition, non US citizens are exhibiting a trend toward invoking US federal and state statutes against US employers. These cases are reviewed and implications discussed for managing employment relations in an increasingly international workplace.