Browsing by Author "Marron, John"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Assessing the Current Value and Potential Contributions of the Greater Indianapolis YMCA
    (IUPUI (Campus). Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, 2011-12) Klacik, Drew; Marron, John
    The YMCA contracted with the Indiana University Public Policy Institute (PPI) to measure the potential contributions to the community and YMCA members of the expansion strategy as well as current operations. The following analysis identifies and quantifies some of the key benefits attributable to the YMCA’s current operations, its expansion strategy, and the healthy city campaign.
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    Community Vitality Index
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2015-11) Marron, John
    As part of the Thriving Communities, Thriving State project, the Institute created a Community Vitality Index by modifying an index created by The New York Times. Our version of the index is comprised of each Indiana county's ratio of estimated housing costs to median household income, education attainment, unemployment rate, disability benefits use rate, life expectancy, and obesity. Key findings include: •Mid-sized counties collectively perform exceedingly well on these measures relative to rural and urban communities. •Educational attainment in rural areas lags behind urban and mid-sized communities, considerably contributing to greater economic challenges. •Residents of urban areas spend substantially more of their incomes on housing than rural or mid-sized counties. •Communities adjacent to urban areas; university centers; and areas with robust, specialized manufacturing industries appear to be faring well. •Areas that lost considerable employment with the decline of the manufacturing sector and rural counties not proximate to major metropolitan areas experience the greatest degree of challenges. •Indiana’s larger regional centers (Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne, and South Bend) anchor thriving regions that benefit surrounding counties and the state as a whole. •Regions historically centered on manufacturing and regions with their central city located outside the state fare less well than other regions.
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    Implications of Inflation-Adjusted Fuel Taxes on Government Revenue
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2014-05) Marron, John; Dumortier, Jerome; Zhang, Fengxiu
    One potential source for increasing funding for the surface transportation system is to increase gasoline and diesel taxes. As part of a project with the Soy Transportation Coalition, this report outlines the results of an analysis using a model in which fuel taxes are reduced by one cent from the present unit tax in each of 12 states studied and then links fuel taxes to projected inflation. The authors also evaluate the possibility of raising revenue through an annual special registration fee on newly sold battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and conventional hybrids.
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    Indiana in Perspective
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2015-01) Marron, John; Mulholland, Zachary
    The second project under the Policy Choices Initiative, Thriving Communities, Thriving State, continues the conversation about the challenges to and opportunities for creating a vibrant future for Indiana, but from a place-based context. This issue brief serves as an overview of the typology used in Thriving Communities, (urban areas, mid-sized areas, and small town/rural areas) and presents summary data based on this typology, including demographics, health and well-being data, and economic data. Place is an important unit of analysis in the competition for attracting business and residents. Ultimately, however, the futures of many Hoosier communities are inextricably inked to the successes of surrounding communities. While every place has its own unique set of needs and successes, leaders must think hard about how those things that create identity for their community can continue to add community value as part of a network of places.
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    Indiana Rural Roads and Bridges: The Crumbling Reality and What it will Take to Mend These Critical Economic Arteries
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2016-08) Palmer, Jamie; McCullouch, Bob; Dumortier, Jerome; Marron, John; Ketzenberger, John
    Nearly $6.4 billion. That’s how much it would cost to bring all of Indiana’s rural roads up to an acceptable level and to repair or replace all of Indiana’s functionally obsolete or structurally deficient bridges. The number is nearly triple the state’s financial reserves. It’s quadruple the amount of new money legislators injected into the road funding formulas during the General Assembly’s 2016 session. It’s an enormous amount of money, yet for a state that rightly calls itself the Crossroads of America, the investment is necessary to ensure Indiana’s farmers and all who make a living in agriculture have a route to continued economic strength.
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    Policy Brief: Fuel Tax Changes and the Impact on State Revenue for Iowa
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2014-02-11) Dumortier, Jerome; Marron, John; Zhang, Fengxiu
    his brief focuses on three questions regarding the implications of changes to Iowa's fuel tax policy: What would be the effect of a one cent reduction in gasoline and fuel taxes? What would be the effect of linking the gasoline and diesel tax to inflation in 2014 in terms of annual state fuel tax revenue through 2025? How much additional revenue could have been generated from linking the gasoline and diesel tax to inflation in 2008, the last time Iowa adjusted fuel taxes? The model used in the analysis shows that linking Iowa's fuel taxes to the rate of inflation could have a substantial impact on the state's ability to maintain its transportation system into the future.
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    Recommendations for a Thriving Indiana
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2016-03) Littlepage, Laura; Lawrence, R. Mark; Klacik, Drew; Marron, John; Palmer, Jamie L.; Burow, Sue; Merritt, Breanca; Spalding, Ronnetta; Wyeth, Debbie; Cobb-Dennard, Jamar; Glaze, Brittany; Camacho-Reyes, Karla
    When it comes to Indiana, one size does not fit all. Our state is blessed with open spaces and small, rural communities reminiscent of simpler times, friends on front porches, or a Norman Rockwell painting. At the other end of the spectrum is Indianapolis, the 14th largest city in America, and urban communities from Gary to New Albany, Evansville to Fort Wayne. In between are cities, suburbs, towns, and rural communities of various shapes and sizes. All have differing assets, opportunities, and needs. So Thriving Communities, Thriving State is, in essence, three studies in one: an urban communities study, a mid-sized communities study, and a rural/small communities study (see definitions on page 2). This report is a summary of those three reports. The work was informed by three commissions composed of people from many walks of life in each kind of community. The research, analysis, and resulting recommendations were guided by their knowledge of the kinds of communities in which they live, work, and serve. Thriving Communities, Thriving State, produced community-based recommendations that require policy decisions at the local, regional, and state levels. In other words, it’s not only what Indiana can do for its communities, but also what communities can do for themselves and the state. All three commissions prioritized: • Education/workforce preparation • Leadership and engagement • Quality of life and quality of place In addition to these overlapping goals, the commissions each identified other areas including government innovation/local control, entrepreneurship, and acceptance of diversity.
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    Recommendations for Thriving Rural Communities
    (IU Public Policy Institute, 2016-03) Marron, John; Camacho-Reyes, Karla; Littlepage, Laura; Lawrence, R. Mark
    The Rural and Small Town Commission brought together 16 individuals from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors – people with an interest in small towns, rural communities, and unincorporated areas throughout the state – to identify common community challenges and opportunities, and to develop recommendations and strategies to address them over the next ten years. Between January 2015 and January 2016, the Rural and Small Town Commission analyzed the issues important to 58 Indiana rural counties and small communities everywhere throughout the state. The commission identified areas of common interest, studied these areas, and developed recommendations. The commission met in person eight times. Between meetings, commission members interfaced with Institute staff. In addition, Institute staff conducted five public input sessions in communities throughout the state. Thriving Communities, Thriving State is a Policy Choices project of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute. Informed by a representative group of community leaders and other stakeholders, it explores state and local strategies and policies that can help Indiana communities of all sizes thrive and fulfill their critical roles in attracting businesses, new business investment, and workers to Indiana. Instead of examining local issues on a one-size-fits-all basis, Thriving Communities, Thriving State frames Indiana’s changing demographic and economic realities for three kinds of communities: • Urban: First- or second-class cities that have been among the 10 largest cities since 1900, generally with a population of 50,000+ • Mid-sized: 15,000+ population in 2010 that are not included in urban • Rural/small town: Small towns are those not captured above with a population between 5,000 and 15,000 or a seat of county government smaller than 5,000. For the purposes of these designations, small communities and unincorporated areas are considered to be rural.