The State of Working Wisconsin, Update 2005 provides a brief overview of the latest data on wages and income for Labor Day. The report shows that Wisconsin's jobs picture appears to be slowly improving, but income and wages are down, health benefits are on the decline, and racial inequality continues to challenge the state. Press release | Full report
High Performance Cities: A Guide to Energy Saving Policies for Urban Areas by Kate Gordon (COWS Senior Associate and coordinator of the Apollo Alliance Strategy Center) and Susan Ode (Outreach Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability) is now available online. The report describes specific policy actions cities can take to reduce energy use and save money. Read it here. Full report
In
Cities: The Vital Core (Published in June in The
Nation), COWS director Joel Rogers highlights the importance
of cities as centers of economic and cultural growth, and discusses
their potential role in rebuilding economic prosperity in America.
Article
The fact sheet Social
Security in Wisconsin at a Glance (April 2005)
shows that Social Security benefits are vitally important to
many elderly residents of the state. News
release | Full
report
Refocusing Wisconsin’s
TIF System on Urban Redevelopment: Three Reforms (March
2005) shows how state guidelines governing the use of tax incremental
financing (TIF) in Wisconsin — a form of business subsidy
— can be changed to encourage economic growth in urban
areas. Executive
summary | Full
report
Skilled Workers, Strong
Economy: Preparing for Jobs With a Future in South Central Wisconsin
(January 2005) shows how collaboration among employers and public-sector
institutions can lead to better job opportunities for workers
in South Central Wisconsin. Full
report
A new fact sheet, The
Big Myths about Taxes and Spending in Wisconsin
(COWS and Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, November
2004) tells the truth about taxes: for example, state and local
taxes as a share of income have been declining in Wisconsin,
and business taxes are strikingly low. Full
report
Currently at COWS