A compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing local and regional development.
Published online since November 11, 2003.
________________________________________________________________________
Contents
Top Regional Community stories … 1. – 9.
U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State – news articles … 10.01 - .33
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .20
Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .30
Announcements and Regional Links … 13.01 - .04
Subscription access news stories … 14.02
Custom search: region, regions, regional communities … 15.
Top Regional Community stories
1. 'Think regionally, ' planner tell execs - Oak Brook Business Ledger - Oak Brook, IL, USA
Planning and development experts urged business and community leaders to become involved in big-picture policy issues and develop public-private partnerships at a “Regional Consensus” luncheon hosted by the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce.
Bola Delano of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and Kristi DeLaurentiis of the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) addressed the pivotal role that business can play in development, transportation and housing, in keeping with the presentation’s theme of “Thinking Regionally, Acting Locally.”
…
Delano, CMAP’s executive director for economic and community development, emphasized how important it is that government officials and business owners and executives get involved in regional issues.
“We are in changing times in planning for the region, and the only way to get involved is to participate. We need to develop a regional vision and it is important to develop public-private partnerships, ” she said.
“We need you involved in the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning campaign “Go to 2040.”
Delano said the recently introduced campaign asks participants to envision the region through 2040 and beyond. It is intended to get everyone thinking forward and participating in the first comprehensive and sustainable plan for the region.
“It is a plan to develop a regional policy to help capture anticipated job growth and emerging trends in the region, ” she said. “The region is at a crossroads, with 2 million additional residents and 1.2 million more jobs projected by 2040.”
…
“We need information from you, our local leaders, to enable CMAP to address this wide range of planning issues that are critical to the regions prosperity and livability.”
Delano urged communities to start attending regional strategy analysis workshops conducted throughout the region by CMAP.
“If your community priorities are not on the map in 2010, they will not be considered, ”...
2. Trust is key ingredient in sharing benefits of regionalism - Detroit Free Press - United States
Regional cooperation and sustainable development are ideas usually linked with liberals. But using a central city's assets and sharing to do more with less are, if anything, conservative ideas. So it's no surprise that Grand Rapids and western Michigan lead the state in this regard.
It's time for the rest of Michigan to catch up. Our regions, especially the southeast Lower Peninsula, can no longer afford the divisions that hold them down and make progress on issues such as transportation nearly impossible.
Grand Rapids has the same problems as other central cities, including poverty, a struggling public school system, an eroding middle-class tax base, and ongoing budget deficits that have closed city pools and eliminated dozens of police and fire positions. Still, all in all, Michigan's second largest city and region are faring better than other urban areas.
Grand Rapids, with nearly 200, 000 people, is losing population at a far slower rate than Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo or Saginaw. Its poverty rates are one-third less. The city is a national leader in the use of green energy and is developing the state's first rapid transit system. Its thriving downtown is the region's economic and cultural hub. Clean? You could almost eat off the sidewalks.
There are many reasons for Grand Rapids' relative success, including an economy that's less reliant on the ailing auto industry -- but regional cooperation is a big one. …
"The leadership here is extraordinary, " Donald Stypula, executive director of the Grand Valley Metro Council, told me. Stypula is a Detroit native and former lobbyist for the Michigan Municipal League. "It has given this region an uncanny ability to overcome differences."
The Grand Valley Metro Council, with 35 local governments in Kent, Ottawa and Allegan Counties, helps plan regional transportation and land use. …
RC: West Michigan Regional Planning Commission
3. Federal officials urge rebuilding as a region - Gazette Online - Solon, IA, USA
Regionalism was the buzzword Saturday at a round-table between local and county officials and U.S. Department of Commerce representatives.
After Sandy Baruah, U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, and Benjamin Erulkar, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, toured Cedar Rapids on Saturday morning, they urged local leaders to work with their Corridor counterparts to plan and rebuild as a region.
"Whatever economic development plans you had on your shelves are literally washed away, and we want to help you rebuild that, " Baruah said at the meeting in the temporary City Hall, 3851 River Ridge Dr.
Baruah said he sees two options — quickly rebuild what was there or to take time to plan for something bigger and better.
"It's easy to use the money now, " he said, "but that is not the best way to do it."
Chuck Peters, Gazette Communications CEO, noted that a lot of the planning and strategizing should be done with a regional mindset, which would take a lot of communicating and organizing.
"This is the mother of all projects, " Peters said. "I view it as a tremendous opportunity. We can build a structure to last us for decades."
Baruah said the government will pay the salary of a full-time person to help with organizing and coordinating the plan. Various grants are also available through the federal government.
"If you come up with this big regional approach, we will help you, " Baruah said. "That is a tall order, I don't want to pretend like that is easy to do."
The group also discussed the relationship between workforce development and housing.
…
RC: East Central Iowa Council of Governments
4. Saturday forum fresh chance for regional planning - Charleston Post Courier - Charleston, SC, USA
All of us are impacted by weak-kneed regionalism in Greater Charleston, especially the absence of formal regional planning to guide the continuing growth and development of our community. The question is whether we are ready to do something about it.
We now have a bell-ringing opportunity. A formal regional planning project is under way, a two-year $1.5 million exercise directed by the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments. Its promise — a grass-roots formulation of a credible, effective strategic growth planning document. Our highest hopes — a regional planning discipline embraced by every one of the local jurisdictions that govern Greater Charleston. We are instantly reminded that Greater Charleston functions and markets itself as a defined region, but governs itself in a very different manner.
With this project, the Council of Governments' leadership has commendably made regional planning and cooperation a stand-alone agenda. Now it's up to the public to fuel the process with its input. The first and probably most important public forum will be held Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at the North Charleston Coliseum. Project managers are determined to hear from the public as they propose new disciplines of regional cooperation in directing growth and development. More than 150 persons already have registered online, and the hope is that attendance will at least double that number. Anyone can attend and online registration is available at ourregionourplan.org.
The Saturday program will feature interactive discussions, topical break-out sessions and keypad polling to confirm consensus. Parris N. Glendening, a Maryland political leader with a solid background in land-use planning, will be the keynote speaker. …
5. Group pushes regionalism - The Daily Advertiser - Lafayette, LA, USA
Acadiana is one of few areas in the state growing, and a new group aims to capitalize on that growth to promote economic development in the area.
The Acadiana Regional Alliance was formed earlier this year. The group seeks to unite Lafayette and surrounding parishes to advance common causes at the state level.
"There's a tremendous opportunity for regionalism in Acadiana, " said Pete Yuan, chairman of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce regionalism committee.
"With all these towns together, we would have a significant voice."
The eight parishes that make up the Alliance grew by 13 percent from 1980 to 2007, well above the state growth rate of 2 percent over that time.
With the 2010 U.S. Census and subsequent reapportionment expected to bring more house and senate seats to Acadiana, the area will have a greater political voice, Yuan said.
"When you think about regionalism, we are in a unique position to effect some powerful changes for our area, " said State Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette.
The Acadiana Regional Alliance is made up of business leaders from Lafayette, St. Landry, Iberia, Acadia, Vermilion, St. Mary, St. Martin and Jeff Davis parishes. The group is led by an executive committee made up of one member from each parish.
The group's goal is to push legislation and compete for funding for key projects in Acadiana.
The alliance supports infrastructure improvements, but also has an eye toward issues that have not been raised by other organizations, such as rural Internet access and solid waste management.
The group is working to bring state legislators on board with the regional effort. Early indications are the approach is catching on.
During this year's legislative session, Acadiana legislators formed a core delegation that met regularly during the legislative session.
Acadiana representatives took a regional approach on …
RC: Acadiana Regional Development District
6. Teamwork - Unify city, county - Charleston Gazette - WV, USA
Increasingly, America's urban zones are growing together in fused cities, longtime University of Charleston political science professor Evelyn Harris pointed out in a Monday commentary.
"SanSan" is the unbroken urban mass from San Diego to San Francisco. "ChiPitt" is the solid megalopolis from Chicago to Pittsburgh. And "BosWash" is the familiar term for nonstop Boston-to-Washington urbanization.
Yet 80, 000 separate local governments remain across America, ruling small parcels, Harris noted, and local residents are slow to cooperate in merged jurisdictions to streamline operations and save taxpayer money.
"We are now faced with expensive duplications of governmental services, " she wrote, "causing increasing costs and therefore more taxes and delays in decisions to meet local governmental needs."
Harris pointed out that Kanawha County has 16 municipalities, and efforts to simplify them have produced spotty results. The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department joined in 1947. The combined city-county jail and city-county animal shelter came later, as did the joint 911 emergency call system (located in the W.E. "Ned" Chilton III communications center, named for this newspaper's merger-minded late publisher). City-county housing departments were combined recently. Charleston's landfill has become, in effect, a city-county facility. But other teamwork plans mostly have stalled.
"At last, Charleston and Kanawha County are planning to provide solutions for our local governments by investigating possible consolidations, " the professor said.
The brightest opportunity in decades lies in the movement to expand Charleston to encompass all of Kanawha County. This unification wouldn't affect the 15 smaller municipalities, which would retain their local leaders and local identities. Only Charleston and Kanawha governments would change.
County Commission President Kent Carper is to take Kanawha mayors to Louisville in September to see how city-county unification lifted the Kentucky municipality from 250, 000 to 713, 000 population, ranking it among America's major cities …
7. Patrick seen shying from local revenue proposals, toward regional efforts - Belmont Citizen-Herald - Lexington, MA, USA
Cities and towns would be asked to engage in cooperative efforts aimed at saving operating costs under legislation Gov. Deval Patrick plans to launch next year, a sequel to his first Municipal Partnership Act, which met with mixed success because lawmakers rejected Patrick's revenue-raisers.
While the bill is months from being filed, Patrick appears likely to back off his municipal tax proposals, including hotel and meals levies, that failed last year, and focus instead on regionalization efforts that could trim costs and lead to conservation.
Patrick's budget chief, Leslie Kirwan, said the package, still in the preliminary stages, would prod municipalities to collaborate.
"I think the emphasis will be more on opportunities for them to work together effectively and probably overcome some hurdles to effective partnerships, rather than the last one, which emphasized some of the more big-ticket revenue options, " said Kirwan. "I think this is going to be more nuts and bolts."
…
Advocates have also pushed for clustering water resources. By 2030, according to a 2006 Metropolitan Area Planning Council analysis, 50 of the 101 communities in the Greater Boston area could exceed their allowances under the Water Management Act.
Massachusetts relies less on regional approaches to public policy questions than many other states, where large counties, compared to the Bay State's 351 cities and towns, help shape decision-making.
…
"The administration, in piecemeal ways that add up to a new strategy, is kind of breaking new ground in creating regional solutions and holding people accountable for that, " said Joel Barrera, project director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and a Patrick appointee to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority board.
…
8. Province redraws economic areas - Prince Albert Daily Herald - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Lyle Stewart announced on Tuesday that regional economic development authorities (REDAs) will be supplanted by a system of larger enterprise regions.
"REDA has made a significant contribution to the provincial economy over the last 15 years, and we want to build on that success in these new, high-performance regions, " said Stewart. "With a focus on increasing business and being more competitive, we are confident stakeholders in the regions will be able to realize more of their economic potential under this new program."
He emphasized a greater capacity to operate and entice industry into the area "on the world scale" as a result of enterprise regions.
The change will take place at the end of March 2009 when the current 27 REDAs will be replaced by 13 enterprise regions.
Along with this reorganization, an extra $2.5 million in funding was announced for the enterprise regions - doubling the total budget of regional economic development.
Because each region is fundamentally different in its composition, said Stewart, regions will be funded according to their demands.
Prince Albert will be part of the north central enterprise region, which has a population of 70, 930 and an area of 22, 500 square kilometres.
"The boundaries are still open for negotiations, " said Stewart.
He expected they would be finalized sometime this fall.
"We hope the regions will see them as thick grey lines, not thin black ones, " he said of the regional boundaries.
He expected co-operation and collaboration between the different regions.
At present the program will address only the southern half of the province, but Stewart said regions can be expected for the north within the next few years.
…
9. Editorial: Southern strategy for a new reality - Roanoke Times, VA
Virginia has an energy plan and a commission on climate change. Ideally, they would plug in to a national strategy to address both, if only the U.S. had a strategy.
The leadership vacuum in Washington has left it to the states to take what initiative they can. Now Gov. Tim Kaine wants Southern states to develop a regional plan to ensure adequate, affordable energy and at the same time reduce the carbon footprint left by burning fossil fuels.
Southern states should make haste slowly -- since slowly appears to be the maximum speed possible. Rational energy and climate-change policies are long overdue.
Kaine, the incoming chairman of the Southern Governors' Association, suggested the regional approach Monday, the closing day of an association conference. He noted that each of the 16 member states has or is working on plans to deal with the dual issues of energy and climate change.
Together, the states could present a united front in Washington, he said, "as the federal framework is being hammered out." After all, the other three regional governors' associations in the nation all have regional climate initiatives. Whatever special concerns the South might have -- say, in researching clean-coal technology -- should be on the table, too. Kaine said 57 percent of the nation's fossil fuels come from Southern states.
But if the South wants to be an actor, rather than a spectator, in developing solutions to the nation's energy and climate-change woes, its governors need to step up their interest.
Kaine merely proposed opening regional talks about how to achieve energy independence and mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuels. Specific goals, and timetables and strategies for meeting them, will have to be set by consensus. Kaine is hoping the governors can meet quarterly over the next year …
10. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news articles.
Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth noting. In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other regional organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google search will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always get the organization name correct. Contents
.01 Voters show their love of Detroit Zoo
Detroit Free Press - United States
A tax to fund the Detroit Zoo has passed overwhelmingly in all three counties, providing a stable funding source for the next 10 years to one of Metro Detroit’s top attractions. The approval comes despite tough economic times and it strikes a blow for regionalism, which critics argue has long been lacking in metro Detroit. ...
.02 Local Remedies
The Wyckoff Journal – Bergen County, NJ, USA
An enormous amount of chatter has been emanating from Trenton on the need for municipalities to review the fiscal savings available through the regionalization of services. It is not a new subject of debate. March of 1962 saw GOP mayors from the Bergen County area meeting to discuss the issue of regionalization.... Like New England, there is a strong averseness towards the concept of regionalization. Organizations such as volunteer fire departments are heavily reliant on a communal identity, and openly disrupting that tradition might end up costing taxpayers more. Other points of communal pride such as schools might also fail to benefit from a regional approach as it may only add another expensive layer of bureaucracy. Also, schools often involve heavy civic involvement which might be hindered should a community sense its identity being diluted. Many towns are seeking to share services that do not necessarily impact the characteristics or social fabric of a community, and researching collective purchasing of fuel, insurance pools, and shared services such as waste removal and recycling.
.03 Clear tracks for commuter rail all the way to Aberdeen
The News Journal - Wilmington, DE, USA
The Wilmington Area Planning Committee has looked at this situation since the early 1990s. A joint study with Cecil County in 2005 showed that ridership could be justified with a MARC station upgrade and a stop in Elkton. An overall upgrade would build in lines for a turnaround in Newark, and ultimately open up service in Newark to points south. … The military base realignment actually enabled establishment of an Elkton station by 2015 in the Maryland Transit Authority's capital planning, because it became clear this was the most cost-effective decision to manage a dramatically larger population. ...
.04 Grant helps region plan economic development strategy
Newton Daily News - Newton, IA, USA
The strategic plan focuses on four areas including regionalization and acting from a regional perspective, developing a worker pipeline to provide companies with skilled laborers, developing infrastructure to support new and expanding business and foster a culture of entrepreneurism. Local officials didn’t develop the strategic plan on their own, they collaborated with 80 regional leaders as part of a seven-county region working to improve the quality of lives for everyone in Jasper, Poweshiek, Tama, Marshall, Story, Marion and Mahaska counties. …
.05 New sales tax for levee repairs irks some
Granite City Press Record - Collinsville, IL, USA
… Madison County Board Chairman Alan J. Dunstan, who pushed heavily for the tax legislation, said the issue boils down to regionalism: If the levees give way, the whole area - regardless of above or below the bluffs - gets hit. Jobs will be lost. Freeways will be washed away. And, most importantly, everyone's insurance rates will skyrocket, he said. "It affects the whole county, " he said. The tax is all the region has, Dunstan said. "I don't see any other way."...
.06 Group seeks money to plan I-29 development
Sioux Falls Argus Leader - Sioux Falls, SD, USA
"It makes more sense to work as a group than individually, " Christopherson said. "If we're successful in one place, we'll be successful in the rest. We hope it enhances the quality of life. … There are about 30 or 40 different corridors and regional developments around the country with this kind of plan and the group is studying some of the ...
.07 Auburn’s choice to keep its sewer plant local sparks water board
Auburn - Auburn, CA, USA
“I’m here to ask you to reconsider going regional, ” she said. “I don’t believe you have thought out your decision carefully.” As part of her agency’s “permitting strategy, ” she said communities had to demonstrate that they “exhausted all possible avenues of regionalization for permits to be issued.” The decision to regionalize, or stay local with wastewater treatment, has been a hot topic for many communities in the foothills and has even resulted in the resignation of two Colfax City Council members. ...
.08 Transit and regionalism: Wisdom from the East (side)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - MO, United States
What I appreciated was their uncomplicated, walk-the-talk outlook on regionalism. They’re for regionalism because they know it is good for their constituents. And to put their money where there mouth is — whether the project is a new Mississippi Bridge or MetroLink expansion....
.09 King County says it can't afford to build new jail for cities' inmates
Seattle Times - United States
"We support and encourage the cities' jail planning processes and are open to partnering with cities" to create "a regionally integrated jail system, " Sims ... Ceis and Bellevue Intergovernmental Affairs Director Diane Carlson said they were pleased the new county report acknowledged a severe shortage of jail space. As for Sims' endorsement of cities' jail planning, Ceis said, "I think the real operative issue here is that the county financially is not in a position to be a full, regional jail provider. I think that's what the message is to us. There may be some other relationship we can work out between the cities and county."
.10 City advised to get new filtration plant
Keyser Mineral Daily News Tribune - Keyser, WV, USA
With Piedmont officials cool to a joint project, and a growing backlog of projects awaiting state funding, a regional planning official recommended Wednesday that the city of Keyser pursue private funding for a badly needed new water filtration plant, and begin design as soon as possible. “My recommendation is, conversations with Crews (Crews and Associates of Morgantown) and move forward with design, ” said Kenneth Dyche, executive director of the Region 8 Planning and Development Council. …
Buffalo News - NY, United States
The regionalism advocate, who has recently been pushing an effort to downsize Erie County’s bloated local governments, came upon a law that local elected officials and even some legal experts didn’t know existed: a petition process that forces a public referendum on changing the size of a Town Board....
.120 Irving criticized as it plots its own course to get water from Oklahoma
Fort Worth Star Telegram - Fort Worth, TX, USA
… he said they have continually worked the issue politically and had hoped for a breakthrough in their dialogue with Oklahoma that would "benefit the entire region instead of one suburb." "It complicates ongoing efforts to quickly resolve and establish an agreement for the interstate transfer of water, " Owen said. "We hoped it wouldn’t become that complicated."
.121 Control your own destiny? You are reckless!
Beyond right Field
You are a Mayor of a City, and you are looking out for your citizens, so you are a rougue operator? These regional water districts and COG’s at times go a little too far.
.13 Local mayors talk about joining efforts
Kansas City Star, MO, USA
A baker’s dozen of Missouri-side mayors joined Mark Funkhouser this morning to discuss the need for more cooperation, particularly in getting results in Jefferson City and Washington D.C. The mayors met at Funkhouser’s invitation to discuss creating a “caucus” of mayors similar to those in other metropolitan areas, including Denver and Chicago.
.14 Planners talk combining water systems
Kilgore News Herald - TX, USA
Members of the North East Texas Regional Water Planning Group (Region D) Wednesday focused on the need for regionalization of small water supply systems, ...
.15 Assessment team presents economic action plan for Corbin-area development
Whitley-Williamsburg News Journal - Corbin, KY, USA
The KAED team broke down recommendations in their report into three major areas: economic development, tourism and regionalism.... The top priority in economic development was the need to simplify the numerous agencies over development through restructuring or reorganization.
.16 MARY KRAMER: The mayor isn’t our only problem
Crain's Detroit Business - Detroit, MI, USA
First is the major roadblock to acting regionally: suspicion of corruption in city-related contracts. … Transparency of contracts — criteria, who gets them and where the companies are based — is an issue in everything from regional talks on expanding Cobo to working regionally on water and sewage operations. …
.17 Editorial: When it comes to economic strategy, talking is good
Shreveport Times - Shreveport, LA, USA
General Motors' 798-employee layoff announcement last week underscores … Clearly an overarching theme is the need to think regionally. Most people give lip service to the notion: Market regionally and, once the prospect shows up, every town and parish then can compete for itself. But are we truly committed? ...
.18 Summit County to run Akron buildings department
The Plain Dealer - Cleveland, OH, USA
Akron's latest attempt at regionalism allows Plusquellic to unload a department that has been a thorn in his administration. Last year, the head of the city ...
.19 Three towns look to answer the calls together
KeepMEcurrent.com - Scarborough, ME, USA
Suggestions from selectmen were not contained to regionalization of public safety services. Caron and others suggested also looking at regionalizing other town services such as tax collection and public works. ...
.20 Regionalism master to step down at Dow Chemical
The Saginaw News - MLive.com - Saginaw, MI, USA
Hayes has taken the lead in stressing cooperation in the Tri-Counties. Last year, during a meeting before the Leadership Alumni Association of Saginaw County he urged business people to ignore borders and market the region as one. …
.21 Our Town Philadelphia: Good Neighbors
WTOK - Meridian, MS, USA
Meridian and Philadelphia are separated by about a 45-minute drive, but many people make that trip frequently, sometimes even daily. Because the two cities have such an impact on the other's economy, officials say it is important to think regionally and not just focus on one individual city. ...
.22 Will West Seneca Let Voters Decide on Downsizing?
WGRZ-TV - Buffalo, NY, USA
Supervisor Wallace Piotrowski was impressed by a regionalism advocate's presentation to reduce the number of members on the Town Board. ...
.23 Geauga fire chiefs take right first step
News-Herald.com - Willoughby, OH, USA
Mention the word "regionalism, " and people bristle. Officials resist losing power, while taxpayers often think of another layer of government entity with no accountability. They're forgetting there could be an upside....
.24 Pennsylvania American Water Acquires Water and Wastewater Systems in Southwest Pennsylvania
MarketWatch – USA
"We hope this transaction opens the door to further regionalization of water and wastewater services, which can help communities meet the financial burden of maintaining and upgrading their systems." ...
.25 State's Electricity Picture Brightening
Hartford Courant - United States
Credit for this turnaround goes to state lawmakers, officials, regulators and utilities, who worked with ISO New England, which operates the regional electric distribution system....
.26 State Grant to Link Region with Job-Creating Businesses
Inside INdiana Business (press release) - Indianapolis, IN, USA
… state's Regional Economic Development Partnership Program first announced in 2007. The program, operated by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, provides matching grant dollars to multi-county efforts aimed at creating and implementing initiatives that increase regional competitiveness in job creation, workforce development, entrepreneurship and the development and targeting of industry clusters. …
.27 Airline ready for service at local airport
Columbia Daily Tribune - Columbia, MO, USA
"It’s important to all the activities that the chamber has been involved with and all the new emphasis on regionalism. This is all part of that, and I think air service into this area will strengthen those efforts because it gives us some autonomy in terms of our ability to get people directly into the Mid-Missouri region."
.28 Eco-Friendly Founding Farmers Restaurant Grows in DC
MarketWatch – USA
According to the new 2009 Washington D.C./Baltimore Zagat Restaurants Survey guide, regional residents that dine out are clearly moving in a "greener" direction. Seventy percent of surveyors consider eating locally grown food important, while 62% will "pay more" for sustainably raised food. …
.29 Local News: NEPA Alliance Accepting Nominations for Regionalism Award
Tri State Observer - Milford, PA, USA
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA) is currently accepting nominations for the 6th Annual John J. Luciani Regionalism Award. ... Award represents the pure dedication which Mr. Luciani displayed for the people of our region, …
.30 It’s not easy being green when EPA gets involved
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Milwaukee, WI, USA
… DNR ran the proposal by the regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and the attempt at a collaborative approach to regulation hit the wall. … The experience left me with several take-homes: … The private sector can move environmental improvement much faster than the government, especially if the customers at the top of a supply chain demand the higher environmental performance. …
.31 Economic group seeks to mend rift with regional panel
Daily Comet, LA, USA
At a special meeting Monday evening, the board of the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority, which promotes business recruitment and expansion in the parish, voted to meet with members of the South Louisiana Economic Council, a Thibodaux-based group that promotes economic development and disburses business-recruiting dollars in Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary and Assumption parishes. "I hate to see all this animosity, " ...
.32 A Base for Success: Fort Devens: Regional cooperation is key
Brunswick Times Record, ME, USA
The case of Fort Devens in Massachusetts provides a cautionary lesson: A lack of regional unity during base redevelopment can be a distraction from the redevelopment process itself. …"We've had strong cooperation from the towns, " agreed Jeffrey Jordan, deputy director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA), which is ...
.33 Repair HUD, Don’t Demolish It
New York Times - United States
Regionalism was one of the core mandates of HUD at its inception in 1965. Regionalism was controversial then — and it is now — because it threatens local ... Note: Link to article. Op-Ed Contributor: To Fight Poverty, Tear Down HUD
11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 Georgia's Crisis, Olympic Tricks, and Major Power Double-Standards
Council on Foreign Relations, NY
A selection of op-eds and editorials from the U.S. and around the world.
.02 IM study backs six degrees of separation
The Arizona Daily Sun – Flagstaff, AZ, USA
The so-called small world theory, embodied in the old saw that there are just "six degrees of separation" between any two strangers on Earth, has been largely corroborated by a massive study of electronic communication. … Microsoft Messenger use is most intense in North America, Europe and Japan, and in the coastal regions of the rest of the world. While the study sample is huge, there is little way of knowing whether Microsoft Messenger users are as socially connected as the rest of humanity. Why does it matter that people from around the world are closely tied together? Researchers said that the knowledge might have applications for political organizations, charity efforts, natural disaster relief and missing-person searches. "They could create large meshes of people who could be mobilized with the touch of a return key, " Horvitz said.
RGE Monitor - New York, NY, USA
Policymakers all over the world are voting with their feet, choosing regionalism as the preferred mode of liberalization. The WTO reports that over 250 RTAs are already in force, with several others currently under negotiation. Many trade economists, led by Jagdish Bhagwati (2008), are concerned with this rise of regionalism, viewing preferential trading arrangements as inimical to the world trade system. In their view, regionalism reduces the incentives of governments to liberalize trade vis-à-vis non-member countries. …
.04 Policy Paper: Will America ever wake up to the Burmese Clarion Call?
Asian Tribune - Bangkok, Thailand
We are but halfway through 2008 yet it has already been witness to a sizeable shift in global power. … Instead of universal Western power, we are witnessing the rise of regionalization and regional solutions. This reflects broader changes in the global economy. BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China)...
.05 England’s RDAs welcome £87bn Government commitment to new round of Regional Funding Allocations
Northwest Regional Development Agency (press release) - Warrington, England, UK
The English Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have welcomed the Government’s second round of Regional Funding Allocations (RFAs), announced by Yvette Cooper, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The new round of RFAs, worth over £87 billion up to 2019, will allow regions to advise government on their investment priorities for transport, housing, regeneration, and economic development against indicative regional funding allocations. ...
.06 Libre: Next step for Asean
Sun.Star – Philippines
The economic integration outlined in Asean Vision 2020 aims to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive Asean economic region in which there is free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities in year 2020.
With the European Union as its model, the development of ASEAN as a single market and production base will allow the region to a player of global significance....
.07 Shipping Costs Start to Crimp Globalization
New York Times - United States
In a more regionalized trading world, economists say, China would probably end up buying more of the iron ore it needs from Australia and less from Brazil, and farming out an even greater proportion of its manufacturing work to places like Vietnam and Thailand. Similarly, Mexico’s maquiladora sector, the assembly plants concentrated near its border with the United States, would become more attractive to manufacturers with an eye on the American market. But a trend toward regionalization would not necessarily benefit the United States, economists caution. Not only has it …
.08 We Say: ISLANDS POWER OVER NATURAL RESOURCES
Island Business - Suva, Fiji
The signing of the Third Implementing Arrangement of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement is a welcome instance of regional cooperation in the Pacific Islands…. Tuna, probably one of the most commercially exploited fish type the world over, is the Pacific’s most sought-after resource. … For long the lion’s share of the commercial benefit from its trade has gone to distant waters fishing nations often far removed from the region. …
.09 No Man's Land
Times of India – India
A new board should be constituted with members drawn from the local civil society. It could facilitate the pilgrimage without disrupting the ecology of the region and be sensitive to local concerns. The present turmoil can’t be resolved if the issue is seen exclusively through the prisms of regionalism and communalism. …
Globe and Mail – Canada
What's interesting here is that Hasbro and Mattel had carved up the world based on geography, much like the music industry had carved up the world based on regionalized distribution centres. These industries ran into the same problem: What to do when it came time for their products to go global on the Internet, which does not recognize national borders in the way intellectual law does? …
.11 Promoting our talents, abilities and innovation
Cumberland News - Carlisle, England, UK
It is the first time, our Trust has hosted such a prestigious event to promote north Cumbria’s talents, abilities and innovation locally, regionally and nationally....
.12 Regional Research and Innovation Service for Hamburg now online
Cordis News, Belgium
Up-to-date information on the German region of Hamburg and its strengths in the research and innovation sector is now available on CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service. … The CORDIS Regional Gateway website for Hamburg is available at:
http://cordis.europa.eu/hamburg/home_en.html
.13 Reducing reliance on water grid
Gold Coast Mail, Australia
Left to its own devices, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council had regional water security through to 2020 and the ability to shape a water policy which could have addressed, through its own innovation, the needs of the community beyond that date. Instead its water assets have been seized by a government that intends to drain our supply and with it, that security, in the interests of continued unfettered growth in the south-east corner....
.14 Pedestrian and cycling plan recognized
King Township Sentinel, Canada
"The Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan enforces York Region's goal to create healthy, vibrant and commuter-friendly communities, " said York Chairman Bill Fisch. "This award emphasizes York Region's achievements in our stride for sustainability and is another way to make York Region more accessible and environmentally friendly."
.15 Regional food security plan will not take shape overnight
By Stabroek News
… importance of attracting major investor participation in large scale agricultural ventures and of the need to create and sustain linkages between the regional tourism and agricultural sectors that would have the effect of reducing the Caribbean’s dependence on extra-regional food imports for consumption by tourists. ...
.16 Supermarket goes local on milk
Bolton News - Bolton, England, UK
Supermarket Morrisons has started using regionally sourced and produced milk in its stores across the North-west. The company’s standard own-label milk sold at stores in the region all now comes from local farms. ...
.17 Ministry backs pasty fight
Western Morning News - Plymouth, England, UK
… protection of regional food products like the Cornish pasty was important both for consumers and rural economies.... increased interest from supermarkets who have changed their buying practices to allow for more regionalism. ...
.18 Peru: Cusco meeting on measures to reduce trade costs within APEC
Living in Peru - Lima, Peru
The agenda also involves the development of open regionalism and market-driven economic interdependence through a number of activities including encouraging greater alignment of APEC Member Economies' standards with international standards ...
.19 Saskatchewan govt joins Pacific Northwest Economic Region
The Canadian Press, REGINA
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Bill Boyd says the province is now a member of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region. Other members of the group include British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. ...
.20 Gates Strategy Stresses Unconventional Warfare
IPS News Net
"For these reasons, arguably the most important component of the struggle against violent extremists is not the fighting we do ourselves, but how well we help prepare our partners to defend and govern themselves." …
12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents
.01 A New Beginning
Hub and Spokes
Now, more than ever, it seems that the planning community and citizens need to demand that our elected officials put in place regional planning (that is beyond transportation). If cities and suburbs in regions are going to function and work together and continue to create liveable communities, this can't be done in a vacuum. Rather, we need a larger plan that will help dictate local initiatives. This regional plan should not replace local and community planning but needs to be a guide and supplement to it. Why should a region have thousand of different zoning codes and ordinances based by county, city, and township. In this example, we need to have zoning that is comprehensive and that will work in creating a unified region. Regionalism should be the new buzz word. …
.02 A Resolution (Revolution?) for the Midwest
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
“The Midwest is failing the challenge of globalization, largely because it’s so balkanized, with each state trying to compete in the global economy. Midwestern states are simply too small, too incompetent, too obsessed with the wreckage of the industrial economy, to deal with the problems of the future, like education. It’s time for other players -- cities, businesses, especially universities -- to come together in a concerted regional approach that would leverage the Midwest’s strengths, not undermine them, ” said Richard C. Longworth, senior fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs and author of the new book, Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism. Can regionalism boost the prospects of the Midwest? …
.03 Thinking in Rust Belt Terms
Cleveburg Diaspora
Putting aside for a paragraph the reasonable mega-regional skepticism, there is no benefit to each Rust Belt city trying to improve its own urban economy in the same sectors as its neighbor. …
.04 Densities, Development, and Regionalism
By O(O)
Mike's teasing out the inevitable tension between the two: "A "City of Pittsburgh first" approach to regional policy threatens to perpetuate the zero-sum thinking that often dominates regional economic developments efforts. If the City grows, the suburbs lose." …
.05 What he said
Youngstown Renaissance
If the area is to move forward, it will be because Youngstown and its surrounding areas decided to surrender their egos to the greater good of regionalism and to decrease costs of government through regionalization and shared resources. ...
.06 Mary Lazich's Idea Of Regionalism: A Free Ride
The Political Environment
Here is what the State Senator (R) from New Berlin had to say on her blog about the notion that New Berlin would make anything in the way of a regional benefits payment to Milwaukee for extending water service to New Berlin: …
.07 CoolTown Studios 101 - a placemaking primer.
NA Confidential
Each person at the table had things they wanted to accomplish. Each knew some of the others but not all. An hour later, everyone was closer to both. Email addresses were exchanged. Resources are being shared. Further resources will be sought jointly. No tribalism. No turf. The regionalism long touted by moribund institutions was birthed in an evening by people whose chief transportation concern was expressed as a desire to be able to ride their bicycles across the river.
Null Space
So this one project entailed some of the core issues of regional competitiveness, site selection, regionalism and technology commercialization. Maybe the story isn’t over.
.09 New Economy Calls For New Thinking
Smart City Consulting
Meanwhile, it’s no surprise that the new platform for economic competitiveness is the region. What is surprising is how little progress Memphis has made in this regard. After all, Memphis has spent more than a decade talking the talk of regionalism, but little has been done to walk the walk. Today, state economies are all but irrelevant, because they are political entities. Regions are now the economic units of competition, and megapolitans will be the unit in the future.
.10 Call To Artists: The Gulf Coast As An Art Region
Southern Fields Art Resource
We see a nascent trend toward bio-regionalism in art emerging here, and would welcome the inclusion of gulf-coastal Mexico in future exhibitions, in the same way that British Columbia is often included in events with northern California ... It becomes increasingly obvious that arbitrary political boundaries make little difference to birds, fish or artists.
.11 Small World
Creative Endeavors
So as you can see, it is no longer a regional thing, it is a world-wide issue, a global problem. Perhaps we need to as American’s start acting regionally and thinking globally and together, we might be able to figure some of this out. ...
.12 Let Bloomberg, Rendell and Schwarzenegger Rebuild America
By Bernie Quigley
But in his last work, the great ambassador George Kennan proposed a model of regionalization, citing 12 regions which have evolved into natural states. It would be useful to look at his regional model as a managerial principle because if the U.S. were a corporation, it would be the only large corporation without district managers....
.13 Now globalization incentivizes energy conservation instead of living off cheap energy
By Thomas P.M. Barnett
In the near term, the "heaviest" local industries will benefit the most, meaning the transportation costs will overwhelm the labor/capital-savings from going elsewhere, but it's hard to see much change happening in the service sector, although tourism is likely to be made less global and more regional….
Enterprise Resilience Management Blog
… globalization integrates trade by disintegrating production chains and dispersing them across economies. But as the costs of transportation increase, the length of supply lines is beginning to decrease. As a result, globalization is beginning to look more like regionalization. …
.15 Politics in the 21st Century
Independence Cymru
This is devolution but not regionalism. It recognises the unique identity of nations such as Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Euskadia(Basque) and others, and provides the means whereby the people of these nations can express themselves and make their voices heard in the European community.... Here's a thought: why not give the bloggers the job of running the country?
.16 COMMON PURPOSE-FABIANS-BBC-TRAITORS ALL!!
By centurean2
Common Purpose is an organisation that trains “leaders”. These “leaders” have to be nominated to take part in their training courses and applications are vetted. The training course trains the “leaders” on how to “lead beyond their authority, beyond their direct circle of control“. So, what does “lead beyond their authority” mean? Reading their website and translating it into plain English, the objective seems to be to train business leaders to take over local government - a process that’s already started.Regional Development Agencies, City Regions, Regional Assemblies, Regional Observatories, they are all dominated by business. ...
.17 Whither Wessex?
Wessex Regionalists
Next year, political Wessex hits 40. It was towards the end of 1969 that the then Lord Weymouth first mooted the idea of a Wessex identity for the purposes of tourism promotion. Of course, even then, his ambitions were more extensive than that. So how far has reality today caught up with them? … Wessex Regionalism is a philosophy that necessarily reflects the political complexion of the region itself. But it’s also one that …
.18 Nationalism or Regionalism?
By Berrocscir(Berrocscir)
These phony Euro zones have given regionalism a bad name, not least within English nationalist circles. Berrocscir's Banner is for the continuing unity of England on political, ethnic and cultural levels. However, regional autonomy can happily co-exist with national unity. Authentic regionalism is not artificial...
.19 MIT's Panel Discussion on Sustaining Cities: Environment, Economic Development, and Empowerment – Video
What It Means 2 B Green
Judith Layzer advocates “strong sustainability” in lieu of the conventional approach, which imagines human-made capital and technology can always substitute for the wealth of resources drawn from the natural world. … Wealthy societies must adopt laws to contain population growth and curb consumption, and develop regional cooperation and fair trade policies. …
.20 Cross-referencing my blogs
Technopolis Times
… Resources for technology-based regional economic development. Technopolis Times encourages networking and alliances that help grow new and established technopoleis. This blog is the new home of the Review of Technology and Economic Development newsletter.
.21 What is NASCO ? North America's SUPER Corridor Coalition !!!
creating by hand every day
Economic equalization. Global management of trade. Reducing American production. Reducing American middle class standards of living. American economic submission. American political regionalization. A borderless world. ...
.22 Illinois agriculture & biotech going global presentation
By intlalliances
Ironically, the midwest is not well-positioned with a limited number of clusters in biotech, with Illinois ranking only 21st by the Milken Inst. … The challenges are we have no leaders here, no successful startups, & no focus. We need a few Boeings in this area to succeed. More regionalization & public-private partnerships would help....
.23 New Hampshire Enacts Law on Municipal Regulation of Small Wind Energy Systems and Solar
Law of the Land
The law establishes a maximum property line setback of 150% of turbine height; a maximum noise level of 55 decibels at the property line; requires the building inspector to notify by certified mail the abutters and regionally affected municipalities and regional planning councils...
.24 NAIS & Y2Y-Regionalization of the West
By admin
An Inventory and Assessment The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is one tool that government that applies a fuzzy math algorithm to incrementally sway the public to adopt regionalization and then to accept global domination of the food supply. ...
.25 PN Bio: Frisco Mayor Maher Maso
The Collin County Observer
“Frisco alone can’t create a successful community, ” he said. “It takes many different groups working together. I firmly believe in regionalism.”
.26 May Town Center
By jice
I think the big issue here that is not being discussed in all of this is... regionalization. All this talk of counties competing against other counties for new office relocations… we need campus style offices in Davidson... etc etc... ...
.27 Back Down South…and Thinkin ’bout the North
By Benjamin Ross
China, in its most rudimentary geographic regionalization is broken down between the “North” and the “South” with the Yangtze being the generally accepted dividing line. While this delineation is certainly an overgeneralization, ...
By Maila Baje(Maila Baje)
Vice-President Jha saw regionalism as an essential component of a new Nepal. … Hindi not only bridged the region’s indigenous diversity but also reached out to the new arrivals from across the southern border. That undoubtedly emboldened Jha to claim that his choice of Hindi was a prelude to establishing it as one of the official languages.
.29 BOOKS: Citizens or subjects that is the question
Tribune – UK
The question is, Andreas Fahrmeir asks, whether the combined effect of regionalism, European unification, “post-democracy” and economic globalization are eroding state citizenship or whether increased immigration controls and stringent criteria for nationality render it as relevant today as ever....
.30 "Regionalism and the Reading Class"
By Marshal Zeringue(Marshal Zeringue)
Globalization and the Internet are smothering cultural regionalism, that sense of place that flourished in simpler times. These two villains are also prime suspects in the death of reading. Or so alarming reports about our homogenous and dumbed-down culture would have it, but as Regionalism and the Reading Class shows, neither of these claims stands up under scrutiny ...
13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
.01 2008 Report on Internet Speeds in All 50 States
The second annual speedmatters.org survey (PDF) of actual Internet speeds of users nationwide shows that the United States has not made significant improvements in deploying high-speed broadband networks in the past year. Our nation continues to lag behind other industrial nations and currently is ranked 15th in the percentage of residents who have broadband access.
.02 2007 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (PDF) – The Agurban, Issue 188
Each year, the Foundation releases the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, which is a leading indicator of new business creation in the United States. Capturing new business owners in their first month of significant business activity, this measure provides the earliest documentation of new business development across the country.
The Index provides the only national measure of business creation by specific demographic groups. While the entrepreneurial activity rate has remained roughly consistent over the past decade, the Kauffman Index reveals important shifts in the demographic and geographic composition of new entrepreneurs across the country.
…
Jack Schultz is the CEO of Boomtown Institute and Agracel Inc., an industrial development firm majoring in rural America, author of Boomtown USA, and speaker. Boomtown Institute serves as an economic development mentor to communities across the United States, leading communities to realize their full potential.
Visit the Boomtown Institute website at www.boomtowninstitute.com
Keep up with Jack as he tours the country on his blog!
Read past Agurbans at Agurban Archives.
.03 English regionalism: rhetoric or substance? evaluating decision making procedures for regional funding allocations - School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol
In the absence of political devolution in England, the Government is committed to extending the responsibilities of the regional tier in delivering public policies. The Government's guidance on Regional Funding Allocations (RFAs) aims to promote greater sub-national discretion and coordination and reflects the expectation that regional institutions will play an increasingly significant role in determining their region's priorities.
The aim of this project is to evaluate the quality and rigour of regional decision making procedures for RFAs in all English regions. It will tell us precisely how the different resource capacities and objectives of regional stakeholders are being managed in efforts to achieve integration between (i) economic development, (ii) housing and (iii) transport policies and the extent to which regional policy making is underpinned by robust, inclusive and evidence based procedures.
.04 The 2008 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation
October 3-5, 2008 - Austin, Texas, U.S.
Are you dedicated to solving tough problems through honest talk, quality thinking and collaborative action? Come join hundreds of others who believe that better communication is the key to solving many of the biggest problems facing our organizations, communities, and societies.
NCDD’s (National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation) dynamic conferences bring together leaders and future leaders in public engagement, conflict resolution and related fields to share resources and strategies, build lasting relationships, increase the visibility and effectiveness of their work, tackle challenges we face, and initiate collaborative projects. …
14. Subscription access news stories. Contents
.01 Big Look goes local - Capital Press (subscription) - Salem, OR, USA
The Big Look Task Force is calling for more local control of land-use decisions.
In a preliminary report, the task force recommends the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission perform more long-range planning and fewer regulatory functions and assist local governments with planning efforts.
The report, released last month, calls for local governments to make allowed uses "consistent with the long-term carrying capacity of the land" and to consider "impacts to neighboring uses."
The report also calls for the state to identify farm and forest land of statewide importance and apply market-based tools, such as conservation easements, to help landowners maintain the farm and forest uses.
Local governments would not have land-use-planning jurisdiction over land determined to be of statewide importance, according to the report.
The report also calls for the state to align transportation and infrastructure investment with long-range planning goals.
Dave Hunnicutt, president of Oregonians In Action, said he likes several of the task force's proposals, including the call for more local control.
"The main problem is planning just doesn't work when it's done at a state or federal level, " Hunnicutt said. "It's got to be done locally."
The Oregon Farm Bureau, in prepared comments it made to the task force earlier this month, said it, too, believes more local planning is needed - but for a different reason.
"Smaller isolated areas of good farmland are not being protected by the existing statewide planning system, " the Bureau wrote. "Regionalized planning is one way to correct this oversight and protect these lands."
…
.02 'Lion' fear was overblown, says Bill Chee - Inman.com (subscription) - Emeryville, CA, USA
"I happen to believe in a totally different model than the national model for MLSs.
I believe they should be regionalized under a model for the country." He said there should be "somebody on the ground in each of those local marketplaces.”
15. Custom search: region, regions, regional communities Contents
To search on topics like those in Regional Community Development News use this custom search engine which utilizes regional related sites. Entering the term Olympics returned 182 items; sports returned 51 items. Please recommend links for inclusion.
My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work. Regional Community Development News is published bi-monthly, as of May 7, 2008, based on news reports as of Wednesday of the publication week. It was published weekly through April 23, 2008. At the start, it was twice-weekly.
Making visible analysis and actions at multi-jurisdictional regional scales is its purpose. "Think globally, act locally" was innovative in its time. Today the local scale is often too small to address today's needs and opportunities. "Think local planet, act regionally, ” is my candidate paradigm. No one said we're only allowed one paradigm.
We can see that “regional communities” are organized locally and now act both to avoid tragedy in the commons and gain benefits. An effective multi-jurisdictional regional community has DNA. It is geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will be able to see the regional communities that already exist.
News references are found using the Google News search service. Media article links are “fair use” to transform globally scattered reports to make regional approaches visible. Links go to the publisher and do not compete with it. Such publishers are likely to have related stories and thus be seen by new customers. “Regional” is an emerging news category. There is no charge for this service and no profit is made from its use, though any user can become more aware of the topic itself.
To search previous issues since 2003 go to: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/regions_work/
The term “Development” was added to the name in January, 2006 and the Group was renamed Regional Community Networkers & RCDNews as of March 10, 2008.
For a free subscription use this email link – no additional information required:
regions_work-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
For the Google Groups version go to:
http://groups.google.com/group/regional-community-development-news
Editions since April 11, 2007 and other tools are at: http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/
Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development News?
Please email the editor: Tom.Christoffel@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP - www.regionalintelligence.com
No comments:
Post a Comment