Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

In Economic Terms People Count!, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The economic picture for Rhode Island is looking brighter. Recent forecasts by Manpower, Inc. and the New England Economic Project (NEEP) paint a positive picture in the short-term future, reflecting on favorable signs evident in the slow recovery of the economy being experienced throughout the region."

Providence's Unending Quest For Cash, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The mayor of Providence has a big problem. How can he balance a budget that addresses the needs of an increasingly large number of people, yet deal with a declining tax base that is less able to pay for theses extra services?"

How Goes The American Dream?, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"Americans are a hard-working lot. The ambitious American worker has fewer holidays, less vacation time and other benefits than Western Europeans. They are well-rewarded for their pursuit of the American dream. Home ownership rates in this country are among the highest rates in the world. The typical American worker has more cars and more kitchen gadgets, electronic hardware, recreational gear and more computers in his home than any other worker in the world."

Some Thoughts On Regionalization, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"New Englanders pride themselves on their self-reliance, their fortitude, their independance and, some would say, their obstinacy. Generally good qualities, but they come at a price: not cooperating with others around you. And this has been a tradition in this part of the country since its founding.

But now the 39 cities and towns are faced with severe cutbacks in funding from federal and state sources, and major questions are being raised by taxpayers who are expressing their anger by voting to reduce all types of programs, especially the biggest expense in most communities--the schools."

Who Are Nation's Poor? Census Pores Over Stats, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"A wise old Englishman once said, 'The governments are keen on gathering statistics; they collect them, add them and raise them to the nth power, but you must never forget that in the first instance they are given by the village watchman who just puts down what he damn well pleases.'"

The Same Numbers Can Add Up To Various Sums, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"It was Benjamin Disraeli, supposedly, who first used this truism: 'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.' At a time of great interest in house prices and the growing field of demographics, it is incumbent on the reader to be aware of this when reading stories in these areas that are substantiated by numbers."

Taking Steps To Solve The Country's Housing Woes, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"The problems of housing in today's America force us to look back almost a quarter of a century in time to the Great Society era, for it was during this period that some of the most progressive and far-reaching housing legislation in this nation was enacted."

Energy Conservation For Cities And States, Chester Smolski

Smolski Texts

"During this winter season the 68 percent increase in the price of fuel oil has made us painfully aware of our dependance on foreign oil."