Charles Buki

<p>In the last six months I have been fortunate to work in a variety of communities - from rural counties in Pennsylvania and Virginia, to small towns and cities in New Mexico and New York, to larger cities in Alaska, Connecticut, and Virginia.  Each place has suddenly been confronted with the advent of new dollars.  New money at any point in time is a valuable, and especially scarce resource.  But in this economy this is even more the case.  As communities are faced with reduced sales and property taxes, and consistent demand for services, any new funds are a welcomed addition to the work of balancing the books.</p>

<p> Locality: &quot;We have distressed neighborhoods&quot; </p> <p> Conventional Thinking: &quot;We have housing dollars&quot; </p> <p> Locality: &quot;But we have distressed neighborhoods&quot; </p> <p> Conventional Thinking: &quot;But we have housing dollars&quot; </p> <p> Locality: &quot;So?&quot; </p> <p> Conventional Thinking: &quot;You can run organizations with these dollars and keep at it forever&quot; </p> <p> Locality: &quot;So problems don&#39;t actually have to be solved?&quot; </p> <p> Conventional Thinking: &quot;Correct&quot; <br /> </p>