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<br /> FINANCIER: Case Study 6wei liika" *,
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<br /> ' ' ' . . ' z,,.,..:. - :.: , For :City Financial :Planning- . , :-.,,, ,,. • , ., •
<br /> by -Lloyd-B. Dennis 1 ,_
<br /> The pressures of inflation,Federal failing .in, the private as well as the
<br /> -, cutbacks in aid to the cities, the' public sectors of the very_cities that are
<br /> : painful examples of the troubles of ,. hurting the most. .-.
<br /> Cleveland and New York,and Propo ' - - It is a.failure to- communicate,,a fail-
<br /> - sition-13 model legislation pending,. • ure 'to accept responsibility, and a fail
<br /> all press the need.for businesslike , 2 ure to see the long-range benefits that
<br /> efficiency upon local Government both sides,,need,.:and.:which :can"be
<br /> units of every size. ., achieved only through mutual-cooper
<br /> ' California has created and tested ation. ,.
<br /> - . many modelsef Government;prac- While the. blame for this lack of "
<br /> tice whichhave ubsequently been cooperation must be shared equally; it
<br /> ( adopted in other states with varying is notable that a leading Cleveland bus-
<br /> degrees of success.But there is noth- ' inessman, after that city's loan default,
<br /> ! - . ,. ing unique about the problem of the pointed out; that when businessmen '
<br /> cities, and the model of public-pri- had offered to lend management ex
<br /> vate partnerships that has just been , perts to the city, the Mayor said No.
<br /> - developed in California can be ap- 'We offered and offered and offered
<br /> • plied to the financial problems of - .-but he told us-he didn't need help;-
<br /> ' - ,.. ' any city in any state. ::
<br /> As Chairman of the Social'Policy 'Rising Level_of Involvement,
<br /> _
<br /> .Committee of 'United California --This kind of private-sector.offer, and, -
<br /> Bank,Mr. Dennis,nearly three years - -its acceptance in an increasing number:
<br /> - ago created a model program bring- . of US cities,.presages'a rising level of : .
<br /> ing the human and mechanical re- volunteer business ;involvement in • _
<br /> sources of the-bank into combina- near-.and long-term financial.planning, ".`.
<br /> tion.with.those:available in other -not'only:.for cities but`also:for many:
<br /> major businesses,and offering them other.pressing areas of public services:
<br /> to assist small cities in"their long- For`the-shrinking dollar will continue,. .,..
<br /> range-financial planning: Itis his • to`;diminish`:Government's ability 'to
<br /> _- . - contention, in this article,he wrote meet citizen expectations, which'are
<br /> • for Financier, that the expertise.of ' bound to remain at least at the same
<br /> the private sector can be brought to:
<br /> ''`le vel; and'probably to increase.
<br /> bear on many of the local problems- The challenge is to make the offer-
<br /> already visible, or discernible just ing of the help an orderly process, with
<br /> below the surface. - - its goals well-defined, and its imple- •
<br /> mentation monitored. In the Spring of
<br /> The economic breakdown of several 1976, in the wake of the New. York '
<br /> _ major cities is due in largemeasure to a. : `: .financial crisis, -I began discussions
<br /> •FINA•, IER February 1979 3 i
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