Final Issue: Summer 2005 • Number 34
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Feature Articles

Do New England State and Local Governments Have Too Many Employees, and Are They Overpaid?
Americans tend to be ambivalent about their state and local governments. On the one hand, they desire – and receive – a host of public services from state and local governments, including education, police and fire protection, and the maintenance of roadways. Voters are often disenchanted by efforts to curtail these services or by a deterioration in their quality. On the other hand, many Americans think that their state and local taxes, especially local property taxes, are too high, and many citizens believe that their state and local tax dollars could be used more efficiently. Calls for streamlining government agencies and downsizing the public sector are commonplace across the nation.

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(Note: Table 2 has been corrected since original printing).

Across the Region / Six-State Review
The fiscal performance of the six New England states.

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Note: Fiscal Facts was discontinued with the Summer 2005 issue.