More radio waves

I love radio. Talk radio, AOR radio, live sports radio, whatever. I used to be a news director at a tiny radio station in Oneonta, New York. Unfortunately, the radio business is in trouble. The company which owns and operates 224 radio stations across the U.S. has filed for bankruptcy. Mike Spector and Sarah McBride report in The Wall Street Journal that Citadel Broadcasting Corp., the nation's third largest radio broadcaster, filed for bankruptcy last weekend reporting $1.4 billion in assets against $2.4 billion in debt. The former radio home of Paul Harvey (GOOD DAY!) and Sean Hannity (YOU'RE A GREAT AMERICAN!) apparently took on too much debt in 2006 when it purchased Disney's ABC Radio stations. It's a real shame. Local radio, especially, is going away. AM is dominated by national talk show programs and most have drastically reduced news operations. FM just keeps switching music formats trying to attract back listeners. I don't think the hey days of teens wearing t-shirts of the local rock station (like I did with 97 Rock in Buffalo) are coming back. Teens and young adults today just load up their iPod with music and off they go. Definitely not a GOOD DAY for radio.

NCSL study says state finances not to recover anytime soon

Counties hoping for light at the end of the revenue tunnel will need to wait longer. According to a new report from NACo's "Big 7" partner - the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), "Many state legislators were hoping to wake up from this current fiscal nightmare to see revenues recovering in fiscal year (FY) 2010. But according to a new report by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released today, lawmakers may have a few more sleepless nights before this fiscal crisis is over."

The report indicates that, "Leading economists believe that the U.S. economy began rebounding sometime in the third quarter of 2009. But state finances are not expected to recover for at least two years. History shows that state budgets continue to struggle long after a national recession ends. This new report by NCSL is further proof of that fact.

“Even if the recession is over, state budgets are still in appalling condition and are going to be that way for quite a while," said Corina Eckl, fiscal director at the National Conference of State Legislatures. “For many states, revenue recovery is not even in the forecast."

And this is bad news for counties of course. While local revenues continue to drop, state aid reductions are sure to follow in many states for the next fiscal year.

Washington Times cuts in staff, coverage cue new era

A day before President Obama's White House jobs summit, The Washington Times - the conservative alternative to The Washington Post, announced elimination of up to 40% of its staff. I hate to be critical in a difficult time, but I must offer my honest assessment: I believe that The Washington Times badly missed its opportunity to succeed in this Metro D.C. market. Years ago, they should have converted to a tabloid format (like the New York Post or New York Daily News) and distributed the newspaper free to metro train riders each day. In the 11 years I've been in D.C., I can count on one hand the number of people I've seen reading the Washington Times on the train or Metro buses. They did not do this and what happened? Another publisher came in and purchased a struggling chain of Northern Virginia weeklies and converted them into a daily, converted to an easy-to-read-on-the-train tabloid, handed it out free to Metro riders and hired every conservative columnist and editorial writer thay could find. Big national names, too like Michael Barone, Mark Tapscott and Byron York. The Washington Examiner fills that conservative void in this market. Oh, and they do a terrific job covering local county governments too. Examiner reporters actually go to county board meetings. Imagine that.

Some Good County News: Ambulance service now available to all Elmore County residents

Cortez Strickland of the Montgomery Advertiser (Alabama) reports that, "Citizens living in the rural communities of Elmore County will not have to worry any longer when it comes to response times on arising emergency situations. Earlier this week inside the Elmore County Courthouse, officials from the county's emergency medical services board and the county commission announced the implementation of a two-year contract with Haynes Ambulance. The contract marks the first time in history that a professional countywide ambulance service will be available for all county residents."

Said County EMS Chairman Greg Jones, "If we don't meet that demand, then people are going to go somewhere else in search of those types of services. We need good police, good firemen, good ambulance and good schools -- those are the keys to building, and I think Elmore County is on the cutting edge." Indeed.

Loudoun Keeps Holiday Displays

The post-Thanksgiving period means renewed debate in communities across the country about holiday and religious displays in the public square. Here's one: The Loudoun County, Va. Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to allow public displays - including religious and holiday-related items - at the county courthouse in Leesburg. This is according to reporter David Sherfinski writing for the Washington Examiner. It had been a big debate in the community which climaxed with petitions and a large community turnout for the board vote last night. I recall a wonderful visit to Ellis County, Texas a couple years ago and noted with delight to our county courthouse tour guide that they had a large "Merry Christmas" sign out in front. She turned to me and said in a stern voice: "We say Merry Christmas in Ellis County." Yes, ma'am.

Detour: Home

The Washington Post's Daniel De Vise wrote an interesting story about how an increasing number of high school graduates are passing over "top-drawer public and private universities" to become honor students at county-funded community colleges. He sums it up this way: "Over the past two decades, community college honors programs have found a niche among students who were turned down by increasingly selective state universities and didn't want to pay private-college tuition. Enrollment grew steadily until the recession. Then, it exploded." This is good news for parents who rather keep their young adult children closer to home. It's also good news for counties who have created an attractive alternative for our best and brightest to stay in the home county.

To Apostrophe or Not to Apostrophe - That is the Question

Interesting little item in The Washington Post's Sunday "Answer Man" column about the proper spelling of Prince George's County, Md. It seems that back in the day the name of the county - a close suburb of the Washington, D.C. Metro area - was spelled without the apostrophe. A 1931 Post article reported that the original name was spelled without an apostrophe. We cannot be certain because because the original "engrossed acts" of the Maryland General Assembly were destroyed in a State House fire in 1704 which would easily resolve the matter. In 1952, the Answer Man (John Kelly) reports, a Maryland state archivist insisted that the apostrophe was correct. "It just wasn't used often in the 17th century," the archivist reportedly said. But there's more: For the most of the 20th century, The Post did not use the apostrophe as a matter of style nor did the local Post Office. However, in 1947 the Prince George's Press Association urged its member publications to use the apostrophe. In 1965 The Post began to use the apostrophe and in 1965 the Post Office followed suit. I wonder how many other counties have similar disputed name stories?

Washington Post Shutters Last U.S. Bureaus

Another sad chapter in the story of the shrinking print media in America. The Washington Post - one of the most important and powerful American newspapers ever - announced that it is closing the last of its U.S. news bureaus to save money. The Post has shed several hundred reporters and editors in the past three years. Just last week many were let go from washingtonpost.com after the Web site team and print team were consolidated. Now, the Post is left with covering the nation all from the Washington, D.C. metro area after shuttering the Los Angeles, Chicago and New York bureaus. I was asked by a county official a couple of years ago during a NACIO workshop on media relations what I thought the future holds for newspapers in America. I said then that I thought your regular city-based daily newspapers would shrink and focus more on local issues instead of trying to cover the world. This is what is happening as newspapers continue to close bureaus in suburbs and eliminate delivery areas.

Governing Sold to eRepublic

For many years, NACo leadership and staff has worked with the excellent writers and editors employed at Governing magazine. During each Legislative Conference, NACo leadership meets with the editorial team at Governing's Washington, D.C. office on Connecticut Avenue to discuss NACo initiatives, trends in county government, etc. We've also participated in their forums on governance and trends in state and local government. We sincerely hope and expect that relationship remains strong. Governing's parent company, Times Publishing Co., sold the magazine to eRepublic, the parent of Government Technology. Unfortunately, as much as half of the editorial department was let go on Nov. 20. The job losses are a sad reality in today's ever-changing media environment. These are excellent, dedicated journalists who are suddenly out of work and we wish them the best as well as the continued success of Governing.

States Hit by Drop In tax Collections

Tax collections tumbled 11% across the 44 states in the third quarter, according to a report that suggests government revenues will remain depressed long after the economy has recovered from recession -- so reports Conor Dougherty in The Wall Street Journal. He was writing about a new report from the Nelson Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York. The reports says every major source of state revenue -- sales, corporate and personal income taxes fell in the third quarter. A recent NACo survey -- How Are Counties Doing? An Economic Status Survey -- finds much of the same. The leading revenues causing county budget shortfalls are: property taxes (52% reporting counties said), reductions in state or federal funding (50%) and sales taxes (46%). Four out of five counties said they expect budget shortfalls to continue into next budget year.

New report: State tax collections down 16.6%

More bad news for state tax revenues. As reported by Michael Cooper in the New York Times: "Total state tax collections from April through June dropped by a record 16.6 percent compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a report to be released Thursday by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. The report found that total state tax collections were down by $63 billion for the year ended in June, which is roughly twice the amount of money that the states had received in fiscal relief through the stimulus program up to that point."

Obama Sets Sights on Urban Renewal

Fine article today in the Washington Post by Michael A. Fletcher on President Obama's urban agenda. Missing from the story is how counties are just as vital to urban renewal as cities. NACo's Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC), who met recently in Allegheny County, Pa. prior to the G-20 meetings in Pittsburgh, are focusing on three initiatives this year: health care reform, building urban communities, and improving government operations. More information is available on the LUCC page of the NACo Web site.

Falling Tax Revenues Slam States

Alarming second quarter tax revenue numbers reported today in the Wall Street Journal. Of course when state revenues fall, counties are next in line.

Looks like rain

NACo's Director of Research Jackie Byers is quoted in this Sunday Washington Post article on county rainy day funds.

Pittsburgh Steels Itself for G-20 Protests

Whoa, take a look at this photo in today's Wall Street Journal of the new riot gear that Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) sheriff deputies will be sporting during the G-20 summit Sept. 24-25. That's along way from what Mayberry Sheriff Andy Taylor used to wear. But seriously, the sheriff's dept. has had little time to prepare for the meetings which can draw tens of thousands of protesters. According to the article, the Allegheny Sheriff's Department will have help from the National Guard among others. Side note: NACo's Annual Conference is in Pittsburgh in 2012. I don't think the deputies will need to break out their riot gear for that gathering.

WSJ: States shut down to save cash

Front page above-the-fold story in this morning's Wall Street Journal on states shutting down to save money to save cash. "Maine, Maryland, Michigan Slash Service; 'Nightmare' at California Vehicle Registry" is the subheadine. In a striking graphic, it shows that Washington state has eliminated 7,000 jobs; California has shed 27,000 teachers and drivers cannot register their cars in person; and Arizona has laid off 1,000 workers and furloughed others 1-2 days a month. Back east, in Maryland, the state highway administration is operating half the usual number of traffic patrols and in Georgia 25,000 are facing furloughs and lawyers can't file papers with the state Court of Appeals. Some 38,000 are facing furloughs in Michigan.

First VP Whitley gets ink in Dallas

NACo First Vice President Glen Whitley, county judge, Tarrant County, Texas, was mentioned in a Sept. 1 Dallas Morning News article written by Ian McCann. The article was about a Congressional forum held Aug. 31 in North Texas about federal health reform. Whitley made a brief presentation promoting NACo's highly successful Prescription Discount Card Program as a way for Texans to save money on their medicine costs. What the article did not mention was that Texans have saved more than $6.8 million since 2006. Nationwide, more than $204 million has been saved. One-third of the nation's 3,068 counties are making these free cards available to their residents thanks to NACo and partner CVS Caremark.

Radio blues

NACo surveys over the past year or so have documented the severe decline of county revenues which have strained county services and budgets. Counties are not alone struggling in this down economy. Sarah McBride of The Wall Street Journal reports today about the staggering decline of revenues in the radio industry. Already water-logged with high debt, radio companies who are desperately trying to meet their loan obligations are essentially, "begging for mercy." A chart accompanying the article is striking: It shows that radio advertising revenues are expected to decline 27% by 2011. It's even worse for newspaper advertising: down 42%. Television is in a tough spot too: down 11%. As we fold up the beach chairs and face the U.S. economy post Labor Day, you have to wonder: What will become of our local newspapers and radio and TV stations?

Newspaper slump deepens as 2Q ad sales fall 29 pct

Things continue to go from bad to worse for the newspaper industry and it's a real shame. As this article shows, advertisers are shifting their ad dollars and marketing strategies to other avenues. The local newspaper is no longer the only game in town. For counties, it's not enough anymore just to communicate through the local newspaper. Counties have to think about other ways to reach the public such as Facebook, My Space, Twitter, and good old fashion public outreach efforts (county government days, open houses, etc.).

Discount card program comes to Western New York

It was good to see the NACo Prescription Discount Card Program mentioned in The Buffao News (my hometown newspaper!). The Cattaraugus County Department of Aging said it had received its "allotment of free prescription discount cards" for county residents. "The cards are in, displays are ready, PR is going out, and posters are here," according to the county department of aging director. "We're expecting to have this in place so everyone is eligible who has no insurance coverage."

Olmsted County, Minn. Commissioner Paul Wilson

Very positive story today in the Rochester (Minn.) Post-Bulletin by Jeffrey Pieters about Olmsted County Commissioner Paul Wilson getting appointed to NACo's Board of Directors and chair of NACo's Human Services and Education Steering Committee. Commissioner Wilson's quotes were right on point about how active participation in NACo is beneficial for the home county.

NACo survey mentioned in Reuters story

A Reuters story out of the Chicago Bureau mentioned the most recent NACo survey about the state of the nation's larger counties and how they are coping with declining revenues and budget shortfalls. The article, by reporter Karen Pierog, did a very nice job of describing the budget situation in the city of Chicago, which was closed/furloughed Monday because of the city's budget crisis. The article mentioned that counties are facing similar budget challenges:

"Depleted revenue also has counties turning to unpaid worker days. A recent survey by the National Association of Counties found 14 percent of larger counties eyeing furloughs."

NACo News Watch is here

Welcome to the launch of NACo News Watch. This official NACo blog is authored through NACo's Public Affairs Department in Washington, D.C. The primary objective of NACo News Watch is to bring greater attention to media coverage of counties and issues important to counties in a centralized location. If you are a county official concerned about national issues affecting local government, this blog is for you. If you are a journalist or broadcaster or blogger interested in the local government perspective to consider for your reports, this blog is for you too.