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• States should reconsider credits, exemptions, deductions  • Volatile revenue, pressure to cut taxes are factors  • Some states are more transparent than others  (Bloomberg Law) -- States must reconsider every part of their own tax codes as they figure out the impact the new federal tax act will have on their finances, an official with a government excellence and efficiency group said. As states evaluate changes in taxpayer behavior and state revenue, they…

Imagine that you’ve been given a map of the entire rail system in India with the assignment to determine where to place grain silos in order to maximize utility and minimize transportation costs. Or perhaps you’ve been tasked with determining how many coast guard helicopters are needed to monitor the Hawaiian coastline and where they should be located. How would you go about solving such problems? These are the kinds of policy challenges tackled in Professor…

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley and the Volcker Alliance will host a half-day discussion in Sacramento on Wednesday, February 21, featuring three panels on California's budgeting and transparency practices, the state's unique fiscal landscape, and the fiscal challenges it will face this year and in years to come. The event will be open to the…

After more than two years of debate, the California State Legislature passed and Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 1 (Beall & Frazier), a bipartisan transportation funding measure designed to address California’s growing backlog of deferred maintenance on local streets and roads, state highways and public transit systems. The measure, which will generate $52.4 billion over the next ten years from increases in various taxes and fees, was a top priority for Governor Brown in a year that…

Every morning, when we open our front door, whether we drive or bike to work, take our kids to school, take the bus or train, or go to the farmer’s market, we begin our trip on a city street or county road.  But these are challenging times due to increased demand and unreliable funding. In California, there is a significant focus on climate change and building sustainable communities, yet sustainable communities cannot function without a well-maintained local…