New State & Local Policies

Models and Best Practices

New State & Local Policies

Apollo Alliance

http://www.apolloalliance.org

Founded in 2004, this effort, which has brought together environmentalists, politicians, and labor activities across the country, is promoting a national effort on renewable energy commensurate with the single-minded pursuit of space travel under President Kennedy's Apollo Project. The Alliance's goal is to have renewable sources of energy providing 15 percent of the nation's energy by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020. Read more about Apollo Alliance...

BerkShares, Inc.

http://www.berkshares.org

Launched in the fall of 2006 by the E.F. Schumacher Society and the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce to encourage local shopping, BerkShares is a local currency that provides discounts for local residents who shop at local stores. The BerkShares group hopes the local currency will help build the local economy by keeping more dollars at home. In this manner, the group hopes to preserve local jobs and promote sustainable development by helping increase the level of community support of local owned enterprises and local manufacturing. Read more about BerkShares, Inc....

Center on Policy Initiatives

http://www.onlinecpi.org

This San Diego-based group aims to promote an economy that offers good jobs, democratic workplaces, and access to health care for all residents. The group has worked on a variety of initiatives including living wage campaigns and corporate subsidy disclosure. In 2002, the group succeeded in getting the city of San Diego to adopt an economic development strategy Blueprint that calls for the use of “job quality reports” to evaluate the effectiveness of economic development projects. Read more about Center on Policy Initiatives...

Co-op Care

http://www.cooperativenetwork.coop

The Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives succeeded in convincing the state legislature to pass a bill that facilitated the creation of five health care purchasing cooperatives in different regions of Wisconsin. The co-op provides a way for workers at small businesses and family farmers to have health insurance. And member ownership helps ensure that health care decisions are truly made on the members' behalf. Read more about Co-op Care...

Community Forklift

http://www.communityforklift.com

Founded in 2005, Community Forklift serves as a surplus and salvaged building materials outlet. The group manually disassembles buildings that are targeted for demolition so it can recover and recycle the materials for other uses. Nationally, between 1998 and 2002, 200 stores opened in this industry. According to the Washington-based Institute for Self-Reliance, sales in this sector as of 2002 had reached an estimated $70 million per year. Read more about Community Forklift...

Connecticut Center for a New Economy

http://www.ctneweconomy.org

CCNE is a non-profit organization that works to improve the economic and social well-being of families in Connecticut's urban centers, with a focus on raising wages of the working poor, improving public education and training, preserving affordable housing, and reforming immigration laws. Read more about Connecticut Center for a New Economy...

East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)

http://www.workingeastbay.org

The East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) unites labor, community, and faith-based organizations with low-income workers and families to end low-wage poverty and create economic equity. Read more about East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)...

Front Range Economic Strategy Center

http://www.fresc.org

Front Range Economic Strategy Center (FRESC) seeks to educate, organize, and empower the working families of Denver and the Front Range to hold governments and corporations accountable for responsible community-centered development. A community benefits agreement is the core strategy of FRESC’s Campaign for Responsible Development. The efforts of the CRD coalition have been focused on the CBA goals of quality jobs, affordable housing, union construction, workers rights, and neighborhood improvements. Read more about Front Range Economic Strategy Center...

Good Jobs New York

http://www.goodjobsny.org

Good Jobs New York, a joint project of Good Jobs First and the Fiscal Policy Institute, serves as a clearinghouse of information about the costs and other key aspects of the largest New York City retention deals of the last decade. Besides investigating these deals, it provides information about accountability measures in use elsewhere, and other ways public resources can be used to strengthen the economy. In May 2005, advocacy efforts linked to its research led New York City to approve a corporate subsidy disclosure law. Read more about Good Jobs New York...

High Road Vermont

http://www.highroadvermont.org

High Road Vermont focuses its efforts on organizing projects and policy campaigns that empower low-wage workers, their families and communities. Areas that High Road Vermont has worked on include living wage campaigns, universal health insurance, campaigns to strengthen standards of corporate accountability, and efforts to promote high wage economic development. Read more about High Road Vermont...

Keystone Research Center

http://www.keystoneresearch.org

The Keystone Research Center conducts original research, produces reports, and promotes public dialogue that addresses important economic and civic problems. Among its accomplishments is the creation of an interactive GIS map which shows the distribution of state economic development projects down to the municipal — and often street address — level.
Read more about Keystone Research Center...

Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

http://www.laane.org/

LAANE addresses issues affecting the working poor. It was one of the first groups to develop the concept of community benefit agreements starting with the Staples Center sports arena negotiations in 2001, wherein developers receiving public subsidies make corresponding commitments to provide quality jobs and other community benefits. In 2004, LAANE helped pass the groundbreaking Los Angeles Superstore Ordinance, giving communities more control over the construction of big-box stores. Read more about Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy...

Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope

http://www.micahempowers.org

MICAH is a multiracial, interfaith organization committed to addressing justice issues that impact the Milwaukee community. In February 2005, MICAH succeeded in getting the County Board of Supervisors to approve the Park East Redevelopment Compact, a community benefits agreement with the project developer that will incorporate jobs for local residents and other benefits into the Park East neighborhood redevelopment plan. Read more about Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope...

Proposition 63—“Millionaires Tax”

http://www.smartvoter.org/2004/11/02/ca/state/prop/63

In November 2004, over six million voters (53.7% of the 11.5 million votes cast) in the state of California voted to assess a 1% tax on taxable personal income above $1 million. This is projected to raise an estimated $800 million a year to fund expanded health services for mentally ill children, adults, and seniors. This website features information about the initiative, including the text of the legislation and a review of the arguments offered by initiative proponents and opponents. Read more about Proposition 63—“Millionaires Tax”...

The Benefit Bank

http://www.thebenefitbank.com

The Benefit Bank® online service (TBB™) is a benefits eligibility screener, benefits application filer and IRS-certified tax assistance and filing service.  This unique combination of services and functions is tailored to meet the needs of each state’s residents. Since 2006, The Benefit Bank online service has assisted more than 575,000 households to claim close to $2 billion in work and income supports at local TBB sites or through self-service options. Read more about The Benefit Bank...

Individual Wealth Preservation

Prosperity Campaign

http://www.prosperitycampaign.org

Started in Miami in 2003, the Prosperity Campaign has rapidly expanded statewide, providing tax and benefit counseling to low-income Florida families to help them claim benefits and begin to build household savings and wealth. The money at stake is substantial. The federal Earned Income Tax Credit, for example, is a refundable tax credit of up to $4,300 for low-income working families and individuals; the average family receives nearly $2,000 — but many fail to claim the money they are owed. Read more about Prosperity Campaign...

New State & Local Policies

Apollo Alliance

http://www.apolloalliance.org

Founded in 2004, this effort, which has brought together environmentalists, politicians, and labor activities across the country, is promoting a national effort on renewable energy commensurate with the single-minded pursuit of space travel under President Kennedy's Apollo Project. The Alliance's goal is to have renewable sources of energy providing 15 percent of the nation's energy by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020. Read more about Apollo Alliance...

BerkShares, Inc.

http://www.berkshares.org

Launched in the fall of 2006 by the E.F. Schumacher Society and the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce to encourage local shopping, BerkShares is a local currency that provides discounts for local residents who shop at local stores. The BerkShares group hopes the local currency will help build the local economy by keeping more dollars at home. In this manner, the group hopes to preserve local jobs and promote sustainable development by helping increase the level of community support of local owned enterprises and local manufacturing. Read more about BerkShares, Inc....

Center on Policy Initiatives

http://www.onlinecpi.org

This San Diego-based group aims to promote an economy that offers good jobs, democratic workplaces, and access to health care for all residents. The group has worked on a variety of initiatives including living wage campaigns and corporate subsidy disclosure. In 2002, the group succeeded in getting the city of San Diego to adopt an economic development strategy Blueprint that calls for the use of “job quality reports” to evaluate the effectiveness of economic development projects. Read more about Center on Policy Initiatives...

Co-op Care

http://www.cooperativenetwork.coop

The Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives succeeded in convincing the state legislature to pass a bill that facilitated the creation of five health care purchasing cooperatives in different regions of Wisconsin. The co-op provides a way for workers at small businesses and family farmers to have health insurance. And member ownership helps ensure that health care decisions are truly made on the members' behalf. Read more about Co-op Care...

Community Forklift

http://www.communityforklift.com

Founded in 2005, Community Forklift serves as a surplus and salvaged building materials outlet. The group manually disassembles buildings that are targeted for demolition so it can recover and recycle the materials for other uses. Nationally, between 1998 and 2002, 200 stores opened in this industry. According to the Washington-based Institute for Self-Reliance, sales in this sector as of 2002 had reached an estimated $70 million per year. Read more about Community Forklift...

Connecticut Center for a New Economy

http://www.ctneweconomy.org

CCNE is a non-profit organization that works to improve the economic and social well-being of families in Connecticut's urban centers, with a focus on raising wages of the working poor, improving public education and training, preserving affordable housing, and reforming immigration laws. Read more about Connecticut Center for a New Economy...

East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)

http://www.workingeastbay.org

The East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) unites labor, community, and faith-based organizations with low-income workers and families to end low-wage poverty and create economic equity. Read more about East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)...

Front Range Economic Strategy Center

http://www.fresc.org

Front Range Economic Strategy Center (FRESC) seeks to educate, organize, and empower the working families of Denver and the Front Range to hold governments and corporations accountable for responsible community-centered development. A community benefits agreement is the core strategy of FRESC’s Campaign for Responsible Development. The efforts of the CRD coalition have been focused on the CBA goals of quality jobs, affordable housing, union construction, workers rights, and neighborhood improvements. Read more about Front Range Economic Strategy Center...

Good Jobs New York

http://www.goodjobsny.org

Good Jobs New York, a joint project of Good Jobs First and the Fiscal Policy Institute, serves as a clearinghouse of information about the costs and other key aspects of the largest New York City retention deals of the last decade. Besides investigating these deals, it provides information about accountability measures in use elsewhere, and other ways public resources can be used to strengthen the economy. In May 2005, advocacy efforts linked to its research led New York City to approve a corporate subsidy disclosure law. Read more about Good Jobs New York...

High Road Vermont

http://www.highroadvermont.org

High Road Vermont focuses its efforts on organizing projects and policy campaigns that empower low-wage workers, their families and communities. Areas that High Road Vermont has worked on include living wage campaigns, universal health insurance, campaigns to strengthen standards of corporate accountability, and efforts to promote high wage economic development. Read more about High Road Vermont...

Keystone Research Center

http://www.keystoneresearch.org

The Keystone Research Center conducts original research, produces reports, and promotes public dialogue that addresses important economic and civic problems. Among its accomplishments is the creation of an interactive GIS map which shows the distribution of state economic development projects down to the municipal — and often street address — level.
Read more about Keystone Research Center...

Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

http://www.laane.org/

LAANE addresses issues affecting the working poor. It was one of the first groups to develop the concept of community benefit agreements starting with the Staples Center sports arena negotiations in 2001, wherein developers receiving public subsidies make corresponding commitments to provide quality jobs and other community benefits. In 2004, LAANE helped pass the groundbreaking Los Angeles Superstore Ordinance, giving communities more control over the construction of big-box stores. Read more about Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy...

Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope

http://www.micahempowers.org

MICAH is a multiracial, interfaith organization committed to addressing justice issues that impact the Milwaukee community. In February 2005, MICAH succeeded in getting the County Board of Supervisors to approve the Park East Redevelopment Compact, a community benefits agreement with the project developer that will incorporate jobs for local residents and other benefits into the Park East neighborhood redevelopment plan. Read more about Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope...

Proposition 63—“Millionaires Tax”

http://www.smartvoter.org/2004/11/02/ca/state/prop/63

In November 2004, over six million voters (53.7% of the 11.5 million votes cast) in the state of California voted to assess a 1% tax on taxable personal income above $1 million. This is projected to raise an estimated $800 million a year to fund expanded health services for mentally ill children, adults, and seniors. This website features information about the initiative, including the text of the legislation and a review of the arguments offered by initiative proponents and opponents. Read more about Proposition 63—“Millionaires Tax”...

The Benefit Bank

http://www.thebenefitbank.com

The Benefit Bank® online service (TBB™) is a benefits eligibility screener, benefits application filer and IRS-certified tax assistance and filing service.  This unique combination of services and functions is tailored to meet the needs of each state’s residents. Since 2006, The Benefit Bank online service has assisted more than 575,000 households to claim close to $2 billion in work and income supports at local TBB sites or through self-service options. Read more about The Benefit Bank...

Individual Wealth Preservation

Prosperity Campaign

http://www.prosperitycampaign.org

Started in Miami in 2003, the Prosperity Campaign has rapidly expanded statewide, providing tax and benefit counseling to low-income Florida families to help them claim benefits and begin to build household savings and wealth. The money at stake is substantial. The federal Earned Income Tax Credit, for example, is a refundable tax credit of up to $4,300 for low-income working families and individuals; the average family receives nearly $2,000 — but many fail to claim the money they are owed. Read more about Prosperity Campaign...

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