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News aggregatorRule: Fiber Network Building Code - Loma Linda, CALoma Linda has built a publicly owned citywide fiber optic network. Originally, the city added this rule to the developer agreement but later also codified it in the Municipal Code. Any new building (or substantial re-model) must be built ready to interface with the network and meet a wiring requirement to allow the occupants to take full advantage of the network.
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Report: Concentrating Solar and Decentralized Power: Government Incentives Hinder Local OwnershipCan residential rooftop solar compete with new utility-scale concentrating solar electric plants? Only if federal and state incentives are amended to level the playing field. This May 2008 report explores the economics of solar PV and concentrating solar and shows how local ownership is hindered unless government solar incentives change. Categories: Recycling News
Resource: 4 Ways Your Rebate Check Can Help You and Our Local EconomyHere's a flyer we've prepared for download and distribution to help you spend your stimulus check in a way that will help your community.
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Rule: Clean Election Program - ConnecticutState legislature candidates who acquire enough small contributions can choose to have his or her campaign publicly financed. The Clean Elections program also provides finances for primary elections and additional grants for candidates being outspent by non-participating candidates. The program will be expanded to include all statewide elections in 2010.
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Update: Clean Election RulesWe've updated our section on Clean Election laws. New rules, new resources and more background. As of 2008, five states have passed "clean election" laws, laws that provide public money for state election campaigns if a candidate agrees to strict spending limits.
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Update: Internet Sales Tax FairnessWe've updated our section on Internet Sales Tax Fairness. New rules, new resources and more background.
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Rule: Internet Sales Tax Fairness - New YorkIn 2008, New York included with it’s budget a bill that requires many online retailers to begin collecting sales taxes on purchases shipped to the state, even if they have no operations or employees working there.
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Rule: Carbon Caps With Universal DividendsMany proposals addressing climate change advocate for a cap on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or carbon content of fuels. Returning money from future carbon allowance auctions as a per capita dividend creates a carbon cap policy that is ethical, equitable, and conducive to being politically successful.
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Rules: Fixed Price Book LawsLaws in some European countries, most notably Germany, require all bookstores, including online sellers, to sell books at fixed prices. Supporters say outlawing discounts protects independent bookstores and small publishers, which in turn ensures that a broader variety of books are available and that there is less focus on best-sellers. That seems to be the case in Germany, where there are 14,000 book publishers, over 4,000 bookstores, and twice as many titles per capita published each year as in the United States. Moreover, with greater competition and a more stable market, book prices in Germany have actually fallen. France has a similar regulation, known as the Lang Law, which was adopted in 1981 and prohibits discounts of more than 5 percent on books. Amazon.com has tried, so far unsuccessfully, to have the law overturned.
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Rules: Set-Asides for Local RetailOne way communities can ensure that redevelopment projects and new retail centers include locally owned businesses is to negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with the developer that stipulates how much of the project's retail space must be set aside for local businesses.
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News: Report: Federal Barriers Are Limiting Renewable Energy Ownership OpportunitiesA typical 2 megawatt wind turbine provides enough electricity for around 600 average American homes. So why is it nearly impossible for those same 600 households to pool their resources and own a wind turbine? A new policy brief by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) shows how removing two barriers to owning and investing in renewable energy projects can pave the way for true energy independence. Categories: Recycling News
News: UK Home Buyers Will Get Substantive Energy and Environmental InformationRegulations coming into force in April and May 2008 will bring a wealth of energy and environmental information to homebuyers in the United Kingdom. Potential buyers will get an Energy Performance Certificate and a mandatory comparison of the new home to the requirements contained in the UK's Code for Sustainable Homes as part of home information packets (HIPs) prior to purchasing the home. Categories: Recycling News
News: New York Requires Amazon.com to Collect Sales TaxIn a move that will help level the playing field for independent businesses, New York lawmakers adopted a policy this week requiring Amazon.com and other online retailers to collect state and local sales taxes.
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Report: Driving Our Way to Energy IndependenceUpdating our pathbreaking 2003 report, this March 2008 report describes how currently commercially available technologies could transform our petroleum powered transportation system into one powered by electricity and biofuels. Provisions in the recently passed Energy Act could accelerate that transformation. With the adoption of complementary policies, the revolution in our transportation sector can generate an equally profound revolution in our electricity sector. Hundreds of thousands of locally owned wind turbines and solar electric arrays supplying flexible fueled, plug-in hybrid vehicles can allow tens of millions of Americans to become energy producers not just energy consumers. Categories: Recycling News
Podcast: ILSR's Stacy Mitchell on Big Box retail issuesMore than 1.5 hours on a wide range of retail related questions and answers broadcast on the Mark Johnson Show, RadioVermont WDEV
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News: More States Close Tax Loophole that Gives Chains an EdgeFor years, chain retailers have exploited a loophole present in the tax laws of about half the states to escape paying billions of dollars in state income taxes. Efforts to close these loopholes have faced an uphill struggle, but the momentum may finally be shifting, thanks to research that has exposed the extent of the problem and its primary corporate beneficiaries, as well as new activism by independent business owners, who are breaking rank with powerful business groups to call for tax fairness.
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New Anti-Ethanol Studies Reach Wrong Conclusion on Greenhouse GasesA new policy brief from Institute for Local Self Reliance criticizes the authors of two recent studies published in Science for advancing a conclusion not supported by their own studies. ILSR's paper notes that the vast majority of today’s ethanol production comes from corn cultivated on land that has been in corn production for generations. Since little new land has come into production, either directly or indirectly, the current use of ethanol clearly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Categories: Recycling News
News: Gift Cards that Keep on GivingSoaring gift card sales have been a boon to chain retailers. By developing joint gift cards, independent businesses are beginning to redirect some of this spending to the local economy.
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Resource: CD-ROM: Regulating Big Box RetailA session from the American Planning Association's 2007 conference. Presenters were Thomas Jacobson, Stacy Mitchell, and Julie Tappendorf. CD-ROM includes audio synchronized with PowerPoint, transcripts and slides, note sheets, and reading materials.
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News: Favoring Local Businesses in Government Purchasing has Economic Benefits, Study FindsUsing local independent suppliers for state contracts results in three times the economic benefit of bids fulfilled through national chains, according to an Arizona study. The findings are fueling support for a bill that would give a purchasing preference to local businesses.
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