Land Lines October 2012
Pension Legacy Costs and Local Government Finances
Local government pensions are significantly underfunded because many governments have not set aside enough funds each year to cover the liabilities incurred. In effect, they are borrowing to pay for current labor services and shifting the burden to future taxpayers.
Creative Conservation
The conservation challenge before us, against all odds and whether we like it or not, is to create a future for the benefit of the people, based on a respect for and understanding of the multiple values of nature in many more places across America.
Land Use Changes and Economic Growth in China
Since the implementation of its economic reform, China has pursued a resource-intensive growth model that has forced land to play a critical role in sustaining its rapid economic growth. Land in China is not only the outcome of economic growth but also its driver.
This issue explores the magnitude of unfunded local government pension costs across the U.S.; a creative approach to environmental conservation and management; and how national land policy in China has become a key driver of the Asian country’s rapid economic growth.