Ninth District Features by Topic

Economic Development

Date	State(s)	Title of Article
2008 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Earmarks Both sides of the pork trough Earmarks are easy to want, easier to criticize. Though inefficient at a number of levels, the political economy of pork barrel spending suggests some benefits are also ignored. This little piggy came home Earmarks are plentiful in the Ninth District and vary widely. Dual-edged earmarks Earmarks can meet local needs; they can also leave locals hanging.
2007 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Come and get it Federal spending in district states has increased significantly since the early 1990s.
2007 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Focus: Franchising Franchising like rabbits We see them, we patronize them, we don't know much about them: Franchises in the Ninth District Franchisors R Us Every state is home base to some franchisors, but Minnesota leads the district pack Ninth District Franchise Growth by State
2007 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota	Taking the bite out of workers' comp Insuring against workplace injuries isn't as costly as it once was
2007 July	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Focus: Small Business The state of small business: Small is tough, but still beautiful Though competitive pressures are seemingly everywhere, small businesses continue to anchor local and state economies.
2007 July	Minnesota Montana Wisconsin	Green at any price? Renewable-energy mandates raise lots of questions for electric utilities and consumers
2007 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	A minimum wager Will a rising wage floor lift all workers, or put too many in the unemployment line?
2007 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	One more thing in life that's certain: Fees Government fees are on the rise at both the state and local levels.
2007 January	U.P. Michigan	When Chicken Little is wrong Despite fears, the sky didn't fall on Michigan's Upper Peninsula when Sawyer Air Force Base closed.
2007 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	News flash: Small-market papers prosper In small cities and towns in the district, the demise of newspapers has been greatly exaggerated.
2006 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Poverty The myriad, changing faces of poverty Is poverty getting better or worse? Yes. Poor by what standard? The poverty line is not as clear-cut as it appears. Excuse me, which way is up? Is America still the land of economic opportunity and mobility, especially for the poor? More
2006 September	Minnesota North Dakota	Focus: Grand Forks Flood Recovery High and dry Almost a decade after the Flood of 1997, the Grand Forks metro area has made quite a comeback. To save a city How far should government power extend into private markets in the wake of a disaster?
2006 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Roll the credits … and the tax incentives Cities, states and even countries spar for film production business, but at what cost?
2006 May	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Public Pensions Pension deficit disorder Local and state public pensions are trying to get traction on a slippery funding slope. An actuarial balancing act, Debates over public pensions can quickly plunge into the pool of minutiae and tediousness. In case of pension emergency Legislatures nationwide will no doubt be debating what to do about public pensions with large unfunded liabilities. Covet thy neighbor’s … pension? Public vs. private [Web only] Gasping over GASB Post-retirement health benefits could bring a shock to governments, retirees.
2006 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Tribal Economic Development The wealth (and poverty) of Indian nations Tribal trends Indianpreneurs A model law [Web only] Capital idea [Web only] Growth by degrees
2006 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Condemned prosperity The use of eminent domain for private development may benefit district communities, but it blights the overall economy.
2005 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Job Shocks Job shocks: Resuscitation or suffocation? How local economies react after suffering a major decline in employment. County employment: Shocks and rebounds Lots of counties experience major job loss, but why they do and how well they recover is more of a mystery. A missing bogeyman County employment shocks and recoveries show a wide diversity of sources.
2005 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Garbage Getting wasted There are millions of tons of garbage in the Ninth District. This is their story. Not in my back 40 Landfills—the trash sites formerly known as dumps—are growing. You got a problem with that? Recycling—righteous or rubbish? Critics say recycling is garbage. Supporters say it will save the world. The truth lies somewhere in between. A burning issue [Web only] Garbage burners play a significant role in a few Ninth District states. For years, local governments have stoked the fire, but the flame appears to be dying. What goes around Burning rubber raises a stink in district communities. Profiles in garbage
2005 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Missing the bus Many worry over the loss of intercity bus and train service. But local, on-demand transit service is more critical for rural mobility.
2005 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Unconventional wisdom District convention centers reported surprisingly steady activity during the recession, but a building boom and stiff competition could eventually take a toll
2004 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	The housing price is right District housing prices are rising overall, but metros depict different pictures.
2004 November	Minnesota	Broadband.gov A growing number of small cities offer high-speed Internet access, but does local government belong in the telecom business?
2003 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	The taxing issue of e-commerce District states are in the middle of the debate on Internet sales taxes.
2003 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Biotech Big bang biotech? Many say a “bio” revolution is under way, but complex logistics and other factors make it hard to predict the who-where-when of its economic impact in the district. The next biotech frontier:weights and measures How to measure the biotech industry remains a mystery. Come hither, biotech States, regions and universities are scrambling to be part of the bio-revolution. What do they get for their efforts? Biotech by any other measure Without a standard way to measure biotech, some other indicators are worth a look.
2003 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Courting clusters Promoting groups of similar and interrelated businesses is the rage in states and regions across the nation. What's a government to do?
2003 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Brain Drain Plugging the brain drain States fret over losing their young, educated workers, And many are scrambling for ways to stop the outward flow. Patterns of the young and restless Seemingly obvious migration patterns belie the many reasons why and where people move. Designing a brain drain plug States create incentives to keep their best and brightest. But do they work?
2002 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Rural Census Follow-up More than just a pretty place? Natural amenities offer some rural counties a leg up in attracting people, but economic prosperity does not necessarily follow.
2002 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Rural Census Rural Census: Half full or hall empty? At first glance, the latest census paints a gloomy picture for much of the rural Ninth District. A closer look shows not all rural counties are doing poorly and suggests some reasons why.
2002 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Military build-up: district defense contractors watching, waiting A look at Ninth District defense contractors in light of recent military activity.
2001 November	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Incubating economic development Fast becoming a popular tool for local economic development, incubators' long-term impact less obvious.
2001 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Public venture, public gain? A follow-on to the July fedgazette cover story that looks at governments' role in promoting entrepreneurship and venture capital.
2001 September	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	The granddaddy of VC A review of the federal government's Small Business Investment Co.
2001 July	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin	Focus: Venture Capital and Entrepreneurs Nurturing the light bulb economy The new-found profile of entrepreneurs and venture capital has states eager to get more of both. Fairy tales and venture capital The rise of venture capital has given district states “green” envy, fretting that its absence will affect regional and state economies. The entrepreneurial stool Capital is important to entrepreneurs, but other legs are important and often ignored.
2001 March	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Stadiums & Convention Centers Edifice Complex Ninth District cities are investing millions in stadiums, multiuse arenas and convention centers in hopes of better economic development and entertainment options. Pitching for the minor leagues With a bevy of quasi-professional and college teams and a perceived dearth of entertainment options, smaller cities are experiencing “the stadium issue” firsthand. Shall we gather? Many smaller cities are eager to invest in convention centers on behalf of local economic development. Whether they should “depends on how you do the accounting.” Stadiums and convention centers as community loss leaders
2001 March	Wisconsin	“Beer Town” holds on to brewing legacy
2000 July	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Local Economic Development, Part II Fully loaded Despite how they might prefer to operate, development professionals offer cache of incentives to remain competitive A toolbox of favors A kitty of different business incentives gives local communities the wherewithal to close deals Backed by popular demand With subsidized interest rates, public loan programs abound but don't always deliver Owners Manual: A Glossary of Incentive Tools A little help from uncle sammy
2000 April	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Local Economic Development Local economic development: At your service With a little help, communities large and small are getting aggressive over local economic development. The crowded field of local economic development Semantics, lack of data create large gray area Local economic development: A recipe for stone soup Shoestring budgets and Third World competition
1999 October	U.P. Michigan	A hot new marketing idea for cold weather
1999 October	Minnesota Wisconsin	Red with envy
1999 October	Montana North Dakota	Two Cities' fortunes changed by population
1999 January	Minnesota	Cranberries and new factories create jobs for Red Lake tribe
1999 January	U.P. Michigan	Survey will help determine needs of U.P. manufacturers
1998 July	North Dakota Minnesota	The Forks continue flood recovery plans
1998 July	U.P. Michigan	New businesses and residents continue to fill Sawyer's vast spaces
1998 July	South Dakota Minnesota	Communities feel impact of shrinking meat-packing industry
1998 April	Minnesota	Duluth is getting soft—on computers, that is
1998 April	Minnesota South Dakota	These are the houses that inmates built
1998 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Metro Outlook Metro Outlook '98 Ninth District metro areas share concerns over tight workforce, downtown viability and other issues District business leaders are upbeat about '98 Good news continues for Ninth District economy Labor availability makes the business headlines, but metro areas also deal with other issues
1997 October	Wisconsin	A new kind of theme park comes to Ladysmith
1997 October	Wisconsin	Former Eau Claire tire plant brings back jobs
1997 July	North Dakota	With nowhere to go, Devils Lake spills over; solutions not simple
1997 July	Wisconsin	Watery logs expand wood products industry
1997 July	Montana	Bronze foundries, artists flourish in Flathead Valley
1997 April	North Dakota	Great Plains Commission completes work, looks to region's future
1997 April	U.P. Michigan	Sawyer control shifts to Marquette County; conversion continues
1997 April	U.P. Michigan	Three U.P. counties share renaissance zone designation
1997 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Outlook 1997 Growth will continue, but at slower pace in 1997 Arctic winter blasts district agriculture District business leaders optimistic about 1997 District economy expected to slow through 1997
1997 January	North Dakota	Project Back Home seeks former North Dakotans
1997 January	South Dakota	Legislature ponders cooperative efforts with North Dakota
1996 October	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota U.P. Michigan Wisconsin	Focus: Urban Crawl on the Prairie Growth brings concerns Sioux Falls is growing like a tree, but does it need pruning? Fargo's one-directional growth In St. Cloud, if you want city services, you join the city—and many want in For Billings, west-end growth is beginning to raise questions
1996 July	Montana	Tribal companies explore private sector opportunities
1996 July	South Dakota	'Community on the Rise' shares ups—and downs
1996 July	Wisconsin	Manufacturing Outreach Center benefits businesses and students
1996 July	U.P. Michigan	Trade pacts produce economic opportunities
1996 January	Minnesota Montana North Dakota South Dakota	The quiet side of economic development While state and local governments make the headlines, foundations take risks, test ideas and redefine the term
1996 January	Minnesota	International Falls—a cold climate that's warm to business
1996 January	North Dakota	Regional coalitions aim to stem rural decline
1996 January	South Dakota	Northern's International Business Institute moves state products abroad
1996 January	U.P. Michigan	“Magic of winter cities...seeing is believing”
1995 October	Minnesota	Commission seeks regional solutions
1995 October	Minnesota	Depositors can target their money to special community lending fund
1995 October	North Dakota	County cuts funds for economic development
1995 October	Wisconsin	Schools, businesses hope to learn from each other
1995 July	Minnesota	U.S. Postal Service goes remote to Duluth
1995 July	U.P. Michigan	Mental health center turned prison restores jobs
1995 April	South Dakota	Geddes defies prognosis for small towns
1995 April	Wisconsin	$1 million grant propels joint Indian farm/university project
1995 April	U.P. Michigan	Sawyer AFB says, 'goodbye B-52s, hello new tenants'
1994 October	North Dakota	Bankrupt businesses may spur rural economies
1994 October	Minnesota	City hopes purchase and resale of hotel will keep business open
1994 April	Minnesota	Local shoppers head to Mall of America
1994 April	North Dakota	Institute fosters growth of women-owned businesses
1994 April	North Dakota	Is Unisys move to Bismarck part of a growing trend?
1994 January	Minnesota	Minority-owned businesses grow in Minnesota
1994 January	North Dakota	Towns draw lots for business referrals
1994 January	South Dakota	Two towns' schools keep communities afloat
1994 January	U.P. Michigan	U.P. gears for military base closing
1993 October	Minnesota	The Minnesota Principles go global
1993 October	Montana	Moscow and Whitefish—united over a cup of cappuccino
1993 July	Minnesota	Appleton built it ... and they came
1993 July	South Dakota	Future of Sioux Falls meatpacker again uncertain
1993 July	U.P. Michigan	Sustainable development: long-term benefit to the U.P. economy?
1993 April	Wisconsin	Crandon lures trolley firm
1993 April	U.P. Michigan	Sault Ste. Marie enjoys revival
1992 October	Wisconsin	La Crosse school trio and Russian sister city sign pact
1992 October	Wisconsin	Ashland focuses on tourism opportunities
1992 October	South Dakota	State and national reports signal economic growth
1992 October	U.P. Michigan	Michigan Tech, U.P. firms grow in response to environmental laws
1992 July	Minnesota	Behind the scenes at the Mall of America
1992 July	U.P. Michigan	Downtown Escanaba comes alive
1992 April	Minnesota	State's 14th Indian-owned casino to open in Hinckley
1992 April	North Dakota	Canadian shoppers just keep coming
1992 January	Minnesota	Convention Center a bonanza for Minneapolis

Advanced Search
Glossary

Topics Index