High-definition color television with streaming video anytime we feel like watching? Cordless phones that follow commands? Robots that perform surgery? Global networks linking billions of electronic devices throughout the world? What’s next? Driverless cars – of course! Just last week, the United Kingdom approved the testing on public roads of driverless, or autonomous, cars. And […]
Motorists like the price of gasoline, but cheaper oil is taking a toll on the country’s economy. State and local governments are feeling significant pain. Large amounts of revenue flow into government coffers through severance taxes, production fees and sales tax revenues generated by people with jobs tied to the oil and gas industry. The […]
Here’s a frightening statistic! More than $600 billion will be required over the next 20 years to maintain and improve water infrastructure for people living in the United States. That’s $30 billion a year! The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says we’ll need every bit that much – and probably more. Federal, state and local […]
The “sharing economy” is upon us – ride sharing, home sharing, car sharing and more. Services like Uber and Lyft are available, and legal, in many major cities. Thousands of properties – homes, condos and apartments – are listed on Airbnb and HomeAway. Car rentals and pet kenneling are offered through individual exchanges. In some […]
One of the largest school districts in Texas may make an interesting move. The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) is exploring a unique funding option that, if successful, would allow the district to address issues related to a rapidly growing student population, aging facilities and expansion of the district’s academic programs. Dealing with declining revenues, […]
High-speed Internet and broadband connections are changing the way the world turns. That’s an exaggeration…but, not much of one! It’s almost impossible to identify an industry that has not been significantly altered because of technology – particularly high-speed Internet and broadband. But, taxpayers are reaping the rewards of huge cost reductions in government services. Videoconferencing […]