Read what Code for America Fellow Matt Lewis had to say about technology, government, and a better America — in Arc News:
It’s no surprise that the last few years have been particularly hard on governments across the country. While there’s been a lot of attention focused on how the federal government will meet its obligations, there has been considerably less media attention on the fact that most American cities are experiencing significant financial hardship, the results of which may be dire for many citizens.
Even before the period of budget deficits, our cities weren’t operating at full efficiency. As many have suspected for years, when taking a closer look under the hood of an American city, one can see that there is a lot that can be improved: inefficiencies, bureaucracies, and waste.
Many cities are making ends meet by reducing or eliminating existing services. Today there is a new understanding within city halls that the new financial reality facing most American cities will require a new way of thinking about what services and information they provide to their citizenship so that their communities can continue to improve. We at Code for America believe that there are many opportunities to use technology to help governments provide valuable services to their citizens without exorbitant costs. Code for America started with the idea that even as cities cut services they can no longer support, there is still immense potential for them to serve their citizens better.
Read the full article.
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