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Who Said That?
I went to electric razors so I would not have to look at myself in the morning.”
— Former New York Mayor Mario Cuomo, who, 14 years after leaving office, still is refusing to sit for an official portrait for the state capitol's Hall of Governors, suggesting that he finds the whole idea pompous
/Xtras
>>The best of our online-only features
CHANGE THE LENS
Barack Obama says he wants to renew an interest in public service. But that won't happen until he — and local government leaders — change the way government workers are perceived, writes Ken Miller in his latest column. 
THE EVOLUTION OF CITY HALL
The design and form of city halls have changed a lot. Check out these photos of some of the best — and some of the missteps.
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
Newspapers have lost interest in covering legislatures. Here are some glimpses from the front lines of the decline of statehouse journalism.
THE BOND MARKET BLUES
With all the turmoil roiling the municipal bond market, raising capital is getting pricier and more complicated. But when the market emerges from the current crisis, it's likely to be deeply altered, writes Penelope Lemov in GOVERNING's new e-newsletter on revenue and finance. Sign up to receive the newsletter for free in your inbox.
EAT LOCAL 2.0
Locavores have fueled a boom in farmers markets across the country. Now, thanks to new Web sites in two states, the farmers market is going virtual.
More Web Features
CHRISTOPHER SWOPE'S URBAN NOTEBOOK
Christopher Swope recently wrote about some rare good news out of Flint, Michigan. Here's a link to his January 2008 story on Flint, plus a video on the Hotel Durant's historic renovation groundbreaking.
THE UPSIDE OF THE DOWNTURN
Nobody knows yet just how bad the current economic downturn will get, but it's going to be bad news for just about everyone. There may be a silver living, however, for those who work in state and local government, writes John D. Donahue in a Management Insights column.
Remapping Retiree Benefits
CITIZENS AND PERFORMANCE
Novices with the Numbers: Performance measurement has caught on almost everywhere — except for the schools teaching the next generation of government managers.
• Plus: More artices from the Citizens and Performance series
BLOGGING THE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
Check out blog posts and videos from Governing's Managing Performance Conference, held in Austin in October. Speakers included Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (left), Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.
WATCH THE WINNERS
Already read the profiles of Governing's honorees for this year? Then check out these videos of the winners from the Nov. 12 awards dinner.
WHEN GOV'T TXTS ARE TMI
Local governments have discovered texting. But not all the messages they send out are exactly breaking news. Check out these "alert!" emails.
A LOCAL SOLUTION
An extended interview with Howard County, Maryland, health officer Peter Beilenson, on how his jurisdiction plans to cover its uninsured.
AMERICA'S INNOVATIVE LEADERS: RON SIMS
Metropolitan areas across the United States are mired in traffic problems and infrastructure issues. The leadership of Ron Sims, the county executive of King County, Washington, is a reminder that progress will come from regionally sound, comprehensive transit plans.
THE MAN BEHIND THE PLAN
Today, when a private company is considering relocating to a new city, there's a carefully orchestrated process. But the site-location game wasn't always that way. Just about every aspect of the process can be traced to one man who started it all: Felix Fantus.
THE FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK
We've always thought that a four-day work week sounded like a great idea, and we recall a smattering of companies trying it out around 30 years ago. But now it's an idea that's taking off in the public sector. The impetus? High gas prices.
More from the B&G Report
MANAGING TECHNOLOGY 2008 CONFERENCE REPORT
Get the full story from Governing's Managing Technology conference in Seattle.
PLUS: Blog posts from the conference
THE OTHER HALF OF THE STORY
Federal welfare overhaul in the mid 1990s certainly reduced caseloads, writes columnist Jonathan Walters, as recipients were moved off the rolls and into economic independence. But that doesn't mean they were any better off. States and localities scrambled to provide services to a new class of working poor. Twelve years later, governments are still trying to get it right.
BRINGING RAIL TO THE SUN BELT
Check out photos of Phoenix's new light-rail system, which will open in December. It's the latest in a series of Sun Belt cities to turn to transit as a method of curbing sprawl and creating a walkable sense of place.
A BATTY APPROACH TO WEST NILE
Last year, Weld County, Colorado, had 98 human cases of the West Nile virus — the highest number in the state. To curtail the incidence of West Nile this summer, the county health department is working with an unusual ally: bats.
THE WEB AT WORK
Is it naïve to argue that government workers should have unfettered Internet access?
Part 1
Part 2
GETTING IN THE GAME
Do video games belong in public libraries? Some librarians say they teach reasoning skills, coordination and they encourage social interaction. Others say games out of line with a library's mission.