government Archives - Page 2 of 2

Jul 13

Local Government Spending

By AV CaptureAll|2020-07-13T12:11:20-08:00July 13th, 2020|government, Local Government, State Government|0 Comments

Every local government has to decide how to direct general expenditures. Education and police top the list, followed by healthcare, transportation, and roads. An issue that all state and local governments are currently facing is a substantial projected budget shortfall in revenue because of closures due to COVID19.

State and local governments spent $193 billion on law enforcement and corrections in 2017. Local governments were responsible for $129 billion, or two-thirds of that spending. Law enforcement spending ranks behind education ($684 billion) as the second-largest spending category for local government budgets.

According to USA Facts, governments in America’s largest counties tend to spend more money per capita on law enforcement than smaller counties, according to data compiled by the US Census Bureau.

Local governments spent on average $340 per person on law enforcement in 2017. That represents 9.2% of all spending, but priorities differ in counties of varying sizes and demographics.

The 9.2% of all local government spending is a fifth of what’s spent locally on education (48.6% of spending or $2,106 per person). It’s also more than twice that of public health (4% or $174 per person).

In the 25 most populous counties, local governments spent $573 per resident on law enforcement – which includes both police services and corrections. In the next 303 most populous counties, all with at least 200,000 residents, law enforcement spending stood at $388 per person.

For the next largest state expenditure, public education, spending per pupil ranges from $7,486 in Idaho to $23,091 In New York, the highest tally of any state, followed by the District of Columbia, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Vermont.

Local governments spend far more of their budgets directly on elementary and secondary education than states. In 2017, 40% of local direct general spending went to elementary and secondary education compared with less than 1% of state direct spending.

Only in Alaska, Hawaii, Kentucky, and New Jersey did state governments deliver 5% or more of direct K–12 spending. Hawaii was an outlier because the Hawaii State Department of Education operates public schools and thus 100 percent of its direct educational spending occurred at the state level.

Overall, the United States spent $13,025 per pupil in 2017. Among the states, New York spent the most per pupil ($25,288), followed by Wyoming ($20,255), New Jersey ($19,364), and Vermont ($18,755). These states also generally had the most per capita spending in 2017.

One of the next highest direct general expenditures is in healthcare. In 2017, state and local governments spent $294 billion, or 10% of direct general spending, on health and hospitals. Health and hospitals combined were the fourth-largest source of state and local direct general spending in 2017 and roughly equal to higher education expenditures. And in 2017, 66% of health and hospital spending went to hospital services and 34% went to other health programs.

According to a Pew Research report on federal data released since the pandemic, education jobs have accounted for nearly two-thirds of the decline in state and local government employment. It is not known how this will recover when school starts again in late summer. Nationally, local education employment has declined by more than 9% since March.

As local governments face substantial projected budget shortfall in revenue because of closures due to COVID19, AV Capture All provides affordable tools for city councils and municipal courts to live stream meetings, keep agendas organized and help citizens stay engaged. Click here to request a quote and demo.

Source: Urban Institute and usafacts.org

Jun 30

Jury Trials Remain on Hold

By AV CaptureAll|2020-06-30T13:32:46-08:00June 30th, 2020|Court hearings, government, judicial, Live Streamng, Technology Innovations|0 Comments

In most states, Superior and Municipal Courts, and jury trials are planning to slowly begin again over the next couple of months.

In New Jersey, Superior and Municipal Courts resumed some in-person court services on June 22. A small number of judges and court staff will be working on-site each day. The rest will continue to work remotely to ensure safe distancing can be maintained. And new jury trials and in-person grand jury selection began June 28.

States that are still struggling with COVID-19 have delayed their plans to reopen courts later in the summer. In Texas, State courts have decided to hold off on jury trials until after August 1.

In Massachusetts, courthouses will start to reopen in early July, but jury trials in the state will not resume for at least a few more months. Jury trials for both criminal and civil cases are postponed to at least September 8. Grand juries are also not allowed to be empaneled before that date. Jury trials for both criminal and civil cases are postponed to at least September 8. Grand juries are also not allowed to be empaneled before that date.

As most Americans who work from home know, technology has allowed them to do their job. Our legal system is taking advantage of the same technology.

On June 26th and 27th, the Online Courtroom Project conducted a two-day demonstration trial entirely online to understand the challenges and opportunities of applying technology solutions in the current justice and court system.

With some courts reopening and a surge in new coronavirus cases across the country, public reluctance to show up for jury service is understandable, so different legal groups are trying to find workable solutions.

“We know we are facing unchartered territory and complicated issues, but there are a lot of available resources and practices that point the way to providing solutions to the current justice bottleneck, and even improving practices in the future. As an interdisciplinary group, we plan to bring thoughtful but expedited wisdom to researching and recommending best practices for online hearings and trials.” Richard Gabriel, President, Decision Analysis, Inc., and Founder of Online Courtroom Project.

Attorneys are facing issues about getting their clients a fair trial.

The other major concern is the backlog of untried cases in the criminal justice system, which of course has ballooned during the lockdown. In Connecticut, civil jury trials are backlogged by at least six months. And that delay could prompt attorneys to opt for bench trials, according to James Abrams, the chief administrative judge for civil matters in the Superior Court system.

But Abrams is optimistic about getting back on track, especially if jury trials begin in November.

“We will be able to right the ship within six months,” he said. “There would be a six-month backlog. That is a situation we will be able to manage.”

Attorneys have another point of view. Jamie Sullivan, at Howard Kohn Sprague & FitzGerald, said he favors bench trials in the short-term because “it will move business and will allow cases to be adjudicated.”

But Sullivan said, “Few people realize how important this system of having a jury is to the American democracy. It not only allows the most powerless to render judgment on the most powerful, but it allows citizens from different backgrounds to engage in principled debate and to lose that would be incredibly damaging for democracy.”

In New York City, the virus is putting incredible stress on its judicial system, creating long delays in criminal proceedings and raising growing concerns about the rights of defendants.

Since February, the backlog of pending cases in the city’s criminal courts has risen by nearly a third — to 39,200. Hundreds of jury trials in the city have been put on hold indefinitely. Arraignments, pleas, and evidentiary hearings are being held by video, with little public scrutiny. Prosecutions have dropped off, too, as the authorities have tried to reduce the jail population.

In mid-June, the state courts in New York City took a first small step toward physically reopening: Judges started returning to their chambers, though they are still holding court virtually.

AV Capture – Judicial Solution is used to record the Audio (and Video if desired) of courtroom hearings. The Court Calendar or Docket is synchronized to the recording, with an option to publish public hearings online. If published, the docket is then indexed and becomes immediately searchable, allowing Court staff to save time by directing defendants or other interested parties to the website to view or order their recordings. If not published, court recordings can be easily located, and burned to DVD.

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Jun 18

Government Has an Impact on Happiness

By AV CaptureAll|2020-06-18T15:08:01-08:00June 18th, 2020|government|0 Comments

As we face the confluence of an unprecedented health crisis, an economic crisis, and a racial crisis, it is not hard to understand that Americans are stressed and looking for answers. State, Local and Federal governments continue to find ways to provide answers to these pressing issues.

The current protests taking place in all 50 states indicate citizens are frustrated and not happy with the status quo. Happiness is such an important concept that our Founders added the word to our Declaration of Independence.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

The phrase gives three examples of the “unalienable rights” which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their creator, and which governments are created to protect.

In a study done by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) into how happiness is connected to the government, it’s been found that the quality of government has a substantial impact on average happiness. The level of happiness seems to be higher in well-governed nations. The measure of happiness can be connected to the level of security and assurance citizens feel in being able to earn a living, live in healthy environments, have housing stability, and trust their leaders.

Average happiness is also connected with the quality of governance.

The quality of governance appears to be more important for happiness than the size of a government. The size of a government has some connection with average happiness but it’s the quality of a government that plays a bigger role. Big government by itself does not go together with greater happiness for most people, but good + big government does.

There is also a connection between the happier citizens are, the more apt they are to vote and be engaged to participate in government, and less apt to obstructive behavior. The better the government the happier the citizens. The fact that governance is, by definition an intentional activity supports this vision.

How does good governance add to average happiness?

Good governance isn’t the only source of happiness in itself. Citizens need to feel they are being treated carefully and respectfully.

Voting Matters

When citizens participate in elections and elevate their voice, there is a direct correlation to happiness, regardless of the outcome, according to a study done by Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer, titled “Beyond Outcomes: Measuring Procedural Utility.”

The study highlights that when the government improves the collective well-being of citizens, there is a rise of collective happiness.

While some may argue that happiness is an “unscientific” concept, there is an undeniable effect and impact on citizen’s happiness and hopes for future prosperity when they are faced with a long-term economic depression or a war.

Is happiness the responsibility of society or the citizen?

This is a question that Ed Diener, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and the University of Utah, and senior scientist for the Gallup Organization, has studied for years. His answer is: “Of course, it is both!”

If you think about all the elements that contribute to happiness, at the top of the list are health, employment, and housing. The government plays a part in all of those elements and their actions have an influence and contribute to our happiness, yet, it is our responsibility to find happiness.

“Some people argue that people must make themselves happy because governments cannot do it and it is not the government’s responsibility. But why is happiness any different than education, or the economy, or health? To some extent, the government must do its part even though individuals also must take action. And government policies can definitely influence happiness!” said Diener.

Can we feel happiness if every citizen is not treated the same? We are seeing that being played out in the streets today with protests happening in all 50 states.

When the government plays its part in our lives by providing the essentials we need like clean water, safety, and the hopes of prosperity, then the opportunity to find happiness is made a little easier for everyone.