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States and Cities Duke It Out

A look at why 'they can't get along.'

It is more the case, than not, that major urban centers and state legislatures don't see eye-to-eye on many issues. Check out this Governing magazine article, What Do States Have Against Cities, Anyway? 

You will note that this is not just a recent phenomenon, but one that stretches back over a hundred years or more. It reminds me of my Disaster Zone Column from July, 2015 There are 100 States, Not 50  

Of course, we emergency managers sometimes get caught in the middle, or may even align ourselves with one end of the spectrum against the other. I've seen that happen too as rural areas exert their influence and "sometimes jealousies" against their urban colleagues. 

Might we work to find compromise positions — somewhere?

 

 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.