Not to cast aspersions on all of our elected officials (for, in truth, there are many doing the people’s work) but here’s a message to those highly principled obstructionists responsible for the current U.S. federal government shutdown: Thanks. For nothing. … Continue reading →

Economic developers seeking to attract investment to their communities often confront the challenge of competing against larger, better known and better capitalized organizations and agencies that are pursuing many of the same prospects. It can be humbling and downright demoralizing … Continue reading →

There’s a saying among lawyers who practice litigation that, if you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have neither … pound the table! The … Continue reading →

One of the strangest and yet most common features of government is the appointment of personal friends and campaign supporters to positions of profile and influence. While on the one hand such appointments are perfectly understandable – dispensing garden variety … Continue reading →

When a state (or a city, for that matter) establishes a representative office in a foreign country, its goals usually include developing export opportunities or investment attraction prospects. The effectiveness of such offices is a matter of some dispute. Some … Continue reading →

One of the peculiarities of international policy occurs at the intersection of principles and profits. It is interesting to observe just when, where and for what reasons policymakers determine that a country’s actions and policies are so objectionable that they … Continue reading →

Of the many economic mantras and national narratives our leaders repeat and, as a consequence, we have internalized, perhaps none is more sacred to our self-image than this one: “American ingenuity, the American worker and American industry were responsible for … Continue reading →

… would you care where it came from? Back in 2003, the City of Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada) established free, community-wide, internet access in areas designated as part of the “Fred-eZone.” The idea was to create the infrastructure for a … Continue reading →

How many times have you heard cautionary admonitions against government investment? Government shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners (or supporting losers) … Government investment displaces private sector activity … Government investment warps market forces … A new book, reviewed … Continue reading →

In recent posts I highlighted various indicators suggesting that the U.S. economy is not only gaining strength, it is becoming more attractive as a destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) and for manufacturing generally. With respect to the latter, the growing … Continue reading →