Local fact checks
Local Fact Checks
November 2, 2017
The City of Hartford, Connecticut, is facing a $49.6 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2018. Regarding this shortfall, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin claimed: "[T]he much bigger reason for Hartford’s budget crisis is this: … More than half of our property is non-taxable." In response, Journal Inquirer managing editor Chris Powell wrote, "The mayor argues that the city is hobbled financially because half its land is occupied by government or nonprofit institutions and thus exempt from city property taxes. But state government already compensates for that by reimbursing half the city's budget." Are Mayor Bronin and Powell correct?
August 9, 2017
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in June his intention to declare a state of emergency for New York City’s transit network following a series of power outages, derailments, and delays. He also called on New York City officials to spend more money on the subway system. In response, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the system is “the state’s responsibility.” Is de Blasio correct?
July 27, 2017
Two studies examined the impacts of Seattle's minimum wage increase on employment. In a commentary referencing the studies, Washington Post writer Ben Spielberg claimed that the increase in Seattle's minimum wage has been "perfectly fine for the economy." A University of California, Berkeley, study of the restaurant industry found "no significant disemployment" following the second-step increase of the minimum wage (to $13). A University of Washington study found that the minimum wage increase “reduced hours worked in low-wage jobs by around 9 percent, while hourly wages in such jobs increased by around 3 percent.”
July 24, 2017
Legislation to bar local governments from adopting sanctuary city laws that prohibit reporting an individual’s immigration status to federal authorities is pending in the Michigan Legislature. According to Rep. Terry Sabo (D-Muskegon), “What these bills [call for is] for local government to take on even more duties [than] what they already have and our police agencies are already strapped with our cuts in revenue sharing, they’ve been underfunded.” Would the legislation mean more duties for local governments?
June 16, 2017
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has sought $215 million in state funding to close recent budget deficits. CPS chief executive Forrest Claypool claimed that the state provides $500 million less in funding than CPS' enrollment dictates. Chicago Public Schools received more state funding in FY 2016 than the median received by all other districts. Only when pension contributions are counted can CPS be said to have received less state funding than other districts.
May 1, 2017
Former Nebraska state Sen. Heath Mello, the Democratic candidate in Omaha’s mayoral race, was joined at a campaign rally by DNC Chair Keith Ellison, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb. In response, Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, characterized Mello as an “anti-choice candidate.” In the Nebraska Senate, Mello voted in favor of three bills that limited the conditions under which abortions are legally available, and in favor of three other bills that attached conditions on receiving abortion services.
April 17, 2017
A Charlotte Observer editorial on repeal of North Carolina’s House Bill 2 law claimed that Gov. Roy Cooper discarded "his earlier promise not to accept any deal that left people vulnerable to discrimination." Evidence provided by The Charlotte Observer shows that Cooper promised to fight against discrimination and for repeal of HB 2 but not that he made promises about the nature of repeal legislation he would or would not sign. Throughout the gubernatorial campaign and during Cooper’s first months as governor, he promised to work to repeal HB 2. He also expressed support for a full repeal, and he opposed two proposals after his election. However, Cooper also expressed a willingness to compromise on repeal legislation since his election.
March 31, 2017
In the election for Wisconsin superintendent of public instruction, Lowell Holtz claimed that incumbent Tony Evers failed to fix the achievement gaps in Milwaukee and Madison. Superintendents are not solely responsible for addressing educational achievement gaps. Gaps in test scores among black, Hispanic, and white students in Madison and Milwaukee widened between 2005 and 2014. The gap in four-year graduation rates between black and white students widened in Milwaukee between 2010 and 2015 and remained largely unchanged between Hispanic and white students. The gap in four-year graduation rates for both groups narrowed in Madison.
February 17, 2017
Referring to President Trump’s executive order, “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” Univision's Jorge Cancino claimed that it contains "a clause making it a crime to help an undocumented immigrant." However, executive orders are statements of policy and have no power to make law. The clause referenced by Cancino is a directive by Trump to the Secretary of Homeland Security to enforce existing immigration law, in this case the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
February 16, 2017
Sacramento Bee writer Jim Miller wrote that CalPERS' reduced investment return assumption means school districts will have to contribute more to employee pensions. This is true. CalPERS projects a 30 to 40 percent increase in participating employer unfunded liability payments as a result, though the increased contributions are necessary to fund benefits already earned by government workers.
February 15, 2017
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick recently told Syracuse Post-Standard that the introduction of ridesharing services in upstate New York “could have a dramatic impact on reducing drunk driving and the fatalities attendant to the problem.” The potential impacts of legalizing ridesharing services in upstate New York is a matter of speculation. Research on the impacts of ridesharing is limited, and results are mixed.
February 14, 2017
The New York City Council adopted an ordinance requiring shoppers to pay five cents for each plastic or paper bag provided by a store. New York City Councilman Brad Lander claimed the bag tax will induce shoppers to bring bags with them to the store and get rid of plastic grocery bags. Lander is partially correct. Studies have shown that banning or taxing plastic or paper bags increases shoppers use of reusable bags and decreases use of plastic bags, but does not end plastic bag use.
February 6, 2017
Antonio French criticized his opponent in the Democratic primary of the St. Louis mayoral race, Lyda Krewson, saying "Her new crime plan … will cost taxpayers $34 million without adding one layer of additional oversight or accountability." French is correct. Krewson herself estimates that her proposed crime plan will cost $34 million, and her working group proposal does not include additional oversight that is not already provided by the city's current crime plan.
December 14, 2016
In response to Oklahoma voters' rejection of a state sales tax increase, Grove Public Schools Superintendent Sandy Coaly said "we don't want to be at the bottom of anything else, so why do we want to be at the bottom for education.” Is Coaly correct? In terms of per-pupil revenue and spending, Oklahoma is one of the bottom five states. But student performance ranks at or near the national average.
December 13, 2016
City leaders in Savannah, Georgia are seeking legislation to give cities greater power to obtain private properties that it considers blighted. The Georgia Municipal Association correctly claimed that current law requires local governments to wait 20 years before selling condemned properties to private entities.
August 4, 2016
No. Lottery funding for the form of direct aid controlled by municipalities and used for a range of public services has increased over time.
July 20, 2016
A June 28, 2016, New York Times article claims that students in "half the charters perform only as well, or worse than, Detroit's traditional public schools." Our research finds that claim to be misleading.
May 28, 2016
Since June 30, 2015, Quick has received a total of $40,876.73 in contributions, of which $18,300 (44.8 percent) came from out-of-state and out-of-area unions.
May 22, 2016
Littlefield did vote to approve the Scottsdale Waterfront development project, which, among other things, involved the construction of two, 135-foot-tall residential towers; however, we find the claim that the vote “set a precedent” to be misleading.
April 7, 2016
We find that fracking does have an impact on property values; however, whether that effect is positive or negative depends on a variety of variables.
March 16, 2016
Yes. Chicago's combined federal, state and local per-pack cigarette tax of $7.17 is the highest in the nation.
March 11, 2016
We look at an ad from Kim Foxx, who is running to be the Democratic nominee for Cook County State's Attorney, that claims the incumbent did nothing for 400 days after the Laquan McDonald shooting.
December 9, 2015
We found that these bonds would actually be considered investment grade bonds—the opposite of junk.
October 7, 2015
How has education changed in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina?
October 2, 2015
Is Washington, D.C., among the safest cities in the United States? Based on currently available crime data, we say no.
