{"product_id":"9781466911154","title":"CONSUMER GOVERNMENT: VIA THE ART OF FULL DISCLOSURE","description":"\u003cu\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE MUNICIPAL BUSINESS SYSTEM\u003c\/b\u003e VIA THE ART   OF FULL DISCLOSURE\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e    The above titled Book is intended to change the way local governments do NOT do \"business\". It is predicated on and dedicated to an achieved fact:   There is NO compelling reason why cities, counties and government special districts cannot be run \u003ci\u003ebetter\u003c\/i\u003e than private businesses are alleged   to operate. \u003ci\u003e Local Government can be superior!\u003c\/i\u003e Further, there is no reason for municipal services to be gutted as is being done and   advocated, and\/or “outsourced” for ideological and unknown undocumented “cost-saving” reasons. It is time local government defended itself against   massive misinformation and lack of supporting data. Cities can, and should be “run like a business”.  This Book details the adaptation of corporate   “line-of-business profit \u0026amp; loss” corporate accounting to municipal services.    \u003cp\u003eThe MUNICIPAL BUSINESS SYSTEM, explained in detail in this Book, has provided billions of new revenues to 250+ governments. Better yet, those   monies were retrieved from those improperly benefitting from tax-supported \u003ci\u003edirect benefit services\u003c\/i\u003e. Previously, influential persons and   organizations were subsidized by taxes paid by everyone. By providing a highly detailed inventory of services, then full costing information for   each to the public and their elected representatives, huge amounts of tax monies were repatriated. Those monies were diverted from those who should   pay fees, and returned to pay for services provided to the \u003ci\u003ecommunity at large\u003c\/i\u003e. Thus Police, Fire, EMS, parks, recreation, library, street   maintenance, and agreed-to social services were resuscitated. Through the \u003cb\u003eMUNICIPAL BUSINESS SYSTEM\u003c\/b\u003e process the tax and fee-paying public is   provided detailed full disclosure of revenue, cost-of-service, and quality information for the hundreds of local services provided by most cities   and counties. And choice if, when, how, and quantity provided. Thus re-inventing the manner in which taxes are used and service levels defined. \u003c\/p\u003e   \u003cp\u003eAt last, there is a \u003cb\u003eSYSTEM\u003c\/b\u003e to utilize computerization capabilities fully to provide a rationale and reasons for not cutting municipal   budgets or privatizing local services, and thus destroying local government, its protections and services. Importantly, taxes paid by all can be   utilized solely to finance services benefitting ALL, not subsidizing just the few to retain special local service benefits solely for personal,   corporate, or business purposes, at the expense of the \u003ci\u003ecommunity at large.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e   \u003cp\u003eThe Author utilized his decades of experience and knowledge acquired in-the-trenches to develop, refine, and apply the \u003cb\u003eMUNICIPAL BUSINESS   SYSTEM.\u003c\/b\u003e He now shares with others what was labored over for 40 years of development by a corps of dedicated municipal employees, and ultimately   with a brilliant group of financial analysts and CPAs, who designed and implemented the detailed highly sophisticated but simply computerized   \u003cb\u003eMUNICIPAL BUSINESS SYSTEM.\u003c\/b\u003e Then Ayres taught the \"how\" at three major universities for 15 years. The Book provides sufficient textual   overview, explanation, specific illustrations, examples, and details to know and control the cost of all services throughout the entirety of local -   and maybe even state - governments.\u003c\/p\u003e   \u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003eDouglas W. Ayres, MPA, LLD\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e spent eight years with the University of Chicago's National Governmental Center (PAS) conducting scores of   consulting engagements around the U.S., Canada and in Venezuela. He served as Town Clerk\/Assistant Town Manager of Salem, Virginia; City Manager of   Melbourne, Florida (Cape Canaveral); City Treasurer\/Assistant City Manager, then City Manager of Salem, Oregon. As City Manager of Inglewood,   California he installed the computerized \u003cb\u003eMUNICIPAL BUSINESS SYSTEM\u003c\/b\u003e.  As a USC Graduate School Professor he taught Public Finance for 15   years, and for 25 years spread the SYSTEM to 250+ local governments via consulting firms - DWA, Inc.; Management Services, Inc. (MSI); and Ayres \u0026amp;   Ayres, Inc. On retirement, Revenue Cost Specialists (RCS) succeeded Doug, further developing the \u003cb\u003eMUNICIPAL BUSINESS SYSTEM\u003c\/b\u003e and its software   as specifically presented and then dissected in \u003cb\u003eCONSUMER GOVERNMENT\u003c\/b\u003e VIA THE ART OF FULL DISCLOSURE.   ","brand":"Trafford Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47129830195440,"sku":"9781466911154","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781466911154_p0.jpg?v=1763688197","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781466911154","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}