| Analysis of the Relative Tax Burden of Flint, Michigan |
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At the request of the C. S. Mott Foundation, Public Policy Associates, Incorporated is conducting a study of the relative burden on individuals and firms of the total taxes, fees, and debt currently borne by Flint and comparison municipalities in Genesee County and throughout Michigan. The study was commissioned as an intensive, fast-turnaround piece of background research designed to inform the public dialogue about the overall costs of government services and doing business in Flint as Flint deals with a fiscal crisis. PPA’s study will assess the overall “fiscal burden” on various types of residents and businesses in Flint and compare Flint to its neighboring communities as well as a set of peer municipalities in Michigan. PPA was asked to perform this timely research because of its track record of rigorous and objective analysis of economic, tax, and related data and its ability to deliver comprehensive information in a short time frame and in a manner and style useful to community decision makers. |
| The Role of Employers in Welfare-to-Work |
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Over the past decade, welfare policy at the state and national levels shifted strongly toward work and economic independence. Much attention has been focused on the challenges facing individuals who make the transition from welfare to work, but relatively little has been understood about the perspective of employers who see the other end of the transaction. In 1996, the C.S. Mott Foundation retained PPA in collaboration with Brandon Roberts + Associates to conduct research on the perspectives of business in hiring welfare recipients and, especially, promising methods of engaging business in the welfare-to-work process. The project entailed matching JOBS program records with wage-record files in six states, including Michigan. The data analysis provided insight into what size and type of firms tend to hire disproportionate numbers of welfare recipients. Focus groups of employers were held in three states. In addition, eight national case studies were conducted to identify and understand innovative approaches to linking recipients with jobs. The results, published by the C.S. Mott Foundation as a report entitled Welfare to Wages: Strategies to Assist the Private Sector to Employ Welfare Recipients, will help policy makers and practitioners better understand this important aspect of moving from welfare to work. |
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