John Kovari

John Kovari, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

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Recent Articles

Op Ed: How Milwaukee Can Meet its Fiscal Challenges
Op Ed

How Milwaukee Can Meet its Fiscal Challenges

And avoid the pitfalls of complex local tax structures.

Wisconsin’s TIF policy needs changes

Wisconsin’s TIF policy needs changes

A couple years back, I authored a report for the Public Policy Forum about tax incremental financing (TIF), and warned that communities can use TIF too much, or too little.

History and Walker’s Jobs Claim

History and Walker’s Jobs Claim

On election night, Governor-elect Scott Walker promised Wisconsin 250,000 news jobs by the end of 2014. Critics claim the goal is unrealistic and his jobs plan as lacking and juvenile.

Fares vs. the Economy: What Explains the Decline in Bus Ridership?
Fares vs. the Economy

What Explains the Decline in Bus Ridership?

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker blames the economy and is downplaying his decision to raise fares over the past several years, and transit advocates are saying that the drop is due to large fare increases and service cuts (fewer routes).

Infrastructure Projects Create Jobs

Infrastructure Projects Create Jobs

There’s quite a hefty debate about whether the stimulus is creating jobs or not. A headline from a recent article went so far as to make the claim that stimulus funds have not created any significant number of jobs. Despite the headline, some economists were quoted in the article saying that it was too soon to see any real effects from the stimulus, or that the stimulus is most likely counter-acting job losses.