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Phoenix's first light-rail line schedule to begin from December, stretching from north to Glendale and east to Mesa and Tempe is reported. The stations are aesthetically designed to persuade car drivers to use the light-rail, by providing chilled water fountains, sail-shaped sunshades, and sand-colored concrete to deflect heat.

Some of the environmental, fiscal, demographic issues faced by the state to maintain the identity of the city that gets best place ranking are discussed.

The policy changes adopted by several state and local governments to ensure the development of affordable green housing are discussed.

The article discusses the proven ways in which to recruit and retain the emerging young generation.

The efforts made by Sun Belt cities to build light-train systems for easy transit and also to steer their economic growth are presented.

The success of Democrats in state elections was chiefly due to public dissatisfaction with federal government inaction on key issues affecting them. Measures already in practice in several states regarding various issues are discussed, with the possibility of more laws, due to Democratic control making 2007 a crucial year in state policy making.

The Paducah Artist Relocation Program is a variety of financial incentives aimed at luring artists to own homes and work in the Lower Town section of the Western Kentucky city. The program seeks to transform the run-down part of the town back into a vibrant, viable and productive neighborhood full of studios and restored older homes, along with newly constructed buildings.

The growing number of surrogates in United States is discussed in relation to medical costs of the procedure and legal fees associated with these contracts with no law on surrogacy in majority of US states. Some states that allow surrogacy have restricted gays from access to the service but allowed in California where as in Utah legislators passed a version of the Uniform Parentage Act, rewritten so that it would apply only to infertile, married, straight couples.

California radically changed its workers' compensation system since 2003, however, it is likely to become the budget-buster that it was in the 1990s because the state savings do not seem to be benefiting the injured workers. Three different ballot proposals aimed at the 2006 fall's state ballot are seeking to reverse the changes and boost benefits.

Judicial elections in the Kentucky Supreme Court have become politicized, with candidates offering their opinions on issues certain to raise more queries. The outgoing Kentucky justice Martin Johnstone stated that the politicization of judicial elections would seriously erode the confidence and the esteem in which people hold the judiciary.

Experts reveal that though state and local officials all over the US are reviewing their emergency-response plans in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, there is a lot more they could do. A set of nine questions that leaders of every city, county, and state should address is presented, based on interviews with experts and on the experience of places that have faced life-threatening crises.

A growing number of state lawmakers who campaign as anti-tax crusaders break their promise of not raising taxes once they enter office. However, despite the anti-tax movement discrediting these former allies, there continues to be a growing number of state lawmakers breaking anti-tax pledges.

States are struggling to find the right level of private-prison scrutiny as they are continuing to outsource corrections services. Private prisons began to fall as states took over the management of inmates in 20th century.

The complexity of the generic group issue of biologic drugs appears to be the reason for the delay in the regulatory framework. The article further states that prescription and usage of biologic drugs could save patients and health providers valuable finances.

Several cities and states are accommodating data-storage server farms of companies like Google and Microsoft by offering them tax incentives, aiming for economic development and to become important Internet centers. But the massive amounts of electricity needed to power these server farms and the possible environmental impact due to excessive heat generated are feared to be detrimental to the cities and states in the long run.

The fears associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are fading as antiretroviral drugs transform the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from a terminal illness to a chronic one. However, U.S. health officials are working hard to counter public apathy and complacency through more widespread testing.

An increasing number of American cities are gearing up to make it easier and safer for commuters to bicycle to work, some because they see bike-friendliness as part of an economic development strategy, while others mainly want to fight traffic congestion. Cities across the nation are adding bike lanes, building shower and storage facilities and introducing pro-bicycling policies in resolutions and ordinances.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) released a performance measurement system in 2005 expressly aimed at revolutionizing the way US courts manage themselves. CourTools is a set of 10 core measures that give court managers a framework for assessing and improving performance across the entire judicial process, from a litigant's ability to find the courthouse to a convicted criminal's opinion of how he was treated at sentencing.

Massive trucks are the major reason for poor condition and for higher wear and tear of most of the state highways in the US. The Federal Highway Administration has estimated that around 34% of the nation's roadways are in poor or mediocre condition, nearly one-third of the country's bridges are structurally deficient and it would take more than $200 million to just maintain the current state of the nation's roads.

The '527s' group offers wealthy individuals or well-funded organizations the chance to spend far more than the limits imposed on political committees, with no restrictions on donations or spending. The influx of '527' money in 2004 contributed to one of the most brutal and expensive elections in West Virginia in which the actual candidates were merely bit players. Although time is running out for states to enact regulations for 2006 elections but there are predictions that many measures will be in place by 2008.

Strategic sourcing is a concept in which significant amounts of money can be saved simply by monitoring state expenditures and selectively targeting vendors to get the best possible price. If one wants to do it at its fullest level, he need a very good understanding of himself as a consumer and needs to know the marketplace very well.

Hackers are on the rise in US and personal records of consumers from data brokers are stolen, increasing the exposure to identity theft. Millions of Americans are exposed to information fraud from at least 15 major data breaches in a period of one year.

Issues concerning the restoration of an old railway terminal building in Kansas City, United States, are discussed. Particular attention is given to the financial investment required by the conversion of the old building into a science center.

The article discuses the possibilities of harnessing tidal energy with the project that is under experiment in the East River in New York City. Tidal energy also known as hydrokinetic energy generates electricity from waves, current or tides.

The use of technology to transform data into a powerful tool for improving service, enhancing value and creating community is discussed. Technology has revolutionized government recruitment and hiring, areas of security and safety and can be used to gather and spread information about emergencies to citizens using sites like the YouTube and Flickr

The article discusses the secrecy surrounding North Carolina's small town Lenoir's dealings in the setting up of Google's $600 million data center. These high-stake negotiations are usually done by site-location consultants as the companies do not want to tip-off their competitors about their expansion or relocation plans and government officials too are not aware of the identity of the company they are dealing with.

State and local governments such as Woodbury County, Iowa, are promoting local produce grown by family farms as a means of revitalizing their rural economies. However, their efforts are often thwarted by state and federal agriculture policies that favor corporate farming.

Accountability, transparency and honesty were the key factors outlined by government speakers for a culture of better governance at Governing's Managing Performance 2007 event.

Efficient management of government not only requires the right technology but also the right policy to go with the technology. The responsibility to develop the policies and governance systems, which enable government to realize the potential of technology to improve the life of the community, finally rests with the government leadership, though other agencies can easily put in place the required software and hardware.

The number of contracts going to minority firms is increasing, making it harder to ensure that money is going to qualified applicants, resulting in redoubling efforts to combat fraud. The only way to maintain a respected minority-procurement reputation is by setting up strict regulations and keeping them in place, as a city's inability to distinguish between a real and a fake minority firm can undo minority-contracting programs.