The hottest Public Services Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

The Woes of Oakland: Homelessness

The Discourse Lounge • 1595 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Homelessness Housing policy Public Services
  1. Oakland's homelessness crisis is a result of underproduction of housing compared to job growth in the region.
  2. Crime in Oakland is influenced by factors like homicide, organized criminal groups, reckless drivers, and homelessness.
  3. Oakland struggles to address homelessness due to financial constraints, dependency on neighboring cities, and lack of resources.
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The Other Housing Crisis

Comment is Freed • 114 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Housing Crisis Labour Party Conservative Party Public Services Homelessness
  1. Housing crisis is a key issue for both Conservative and Labour parties in the upcoming election.
  2. Concern over housing crisis is growing, especially in cities like London, impacting younger professionals.
  3. Focus on housing crisis should also address those who have no hope of owning a home, not just on homeownership and policy interventions.

What I wrote in the New York Times about Trump's authoritarian plans

Can We Still Govern? • 172 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Authoritarianism Government Public Services Democracy
  1. The stakes are high as Trump aims to transform the American government in an authoritarian direction.
  2. Trump's plan involves appointing loyalists, undermining career civil servants, and leveraging government resources for his personal and political gain.
  3. There is a serious threat to democracy if Trump's authoritarian blueprint succeeds, leading to a weaker government and dismantling of limits on presidential power.

Britain's austerity has millions of losers

System Change • 432 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Economic Impact Government debt Public Services Climate change
  1. Austerity in Britain has negatively impacted public services and public sector employees.
  2. The economic policy of austerity has failed and led to a significant decrease in real wages for British workers.
  3. High public debt in Britain is a consequence of economic policy failure and does not directly impact the funding of public services.

You Can't Eat Democracy

An Africanist Perspective • 356 implied HN points • 16 Jan 23
🌍 World Politics Democracy Public Services
  1. Voters prioritize material outcomes in democracies. If democracies cannot address citizens' needs and improve their material conditions, they risk collapse.
  2. African democracies are facing challenges in delivering on their promises, leading to a decline in voter satisfaction with democracy, reflecting in part an erosion of legitimacy.
  3. To make democracy work in African states, it is essential to focus on building effective states beyond just electoral processes, align democracy with material motivations, and embrace the idea of decentralized and developmentalist democracy.

The Disconnect

Comment is Freed • 100 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Justice System Prison System Public Services
  1. Different narratives about crime can both be true and indicate complex issues in the criminal justice system.
  2. The increase in average prison sentence length contributes to prison overcrowding despite fewer people being charged with crimes.
  3. Austerity measures have disproportionately affected vulnerable services, creating a ripple effect of challenges across public services.

Let the sunshine in

City Hall Watcher • 117 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
📰 News Local news City Council Public Services Political Analysis
  1. The Ontario Sunshine List data can provide interesting insights on city salaries and job title trends.
  2. Firefighters saw significant salary increases over the past four years, reflecting a notable trend within the data analyzed.
  3. During the Toronto Council meeting preview, it was highlighted that the city faces a major financial crisis and discussed various agenda items, including the upcoming mayoral election.

The National Parks Service is a Successful Program that Proves Government Works Well

JoeWrote • 29 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government programs Public Services Government funding
  1. The National Parks Service is a successful government program that shows government can work well.
  2. National Parks Service has a clear mission and funding that leads to exceeding expectations and building a better society.
  3. The NPS is effective, with high visitation rates, economic benefits, and professional services that showcase the value of government programs.