Martha McCluskey (Buffalo) writes the worklaw listserv to inform everyone about the forthcoming conference: “The High Road Runs Through the City: Advocating for Economic Justice at the Local Level.” It is scheduled to take place
Sept. 27-28, 2007, in Buffalo, NY and will be hosted by the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, and Cornell University ILR.
Here’s part of the description:
Local government provides important opportunities and challenges for efforts to address economic inequality and workers’ rights. Living wage ordinances are one example of the recent interest in local policy as a site of potential progressive reform. However, such local initiatives for economic justice frequently confront questions about the relationship between local democratic governance and economic policymaking. Many cities have failed to enforce their living wage ordinances; many local economic policies are made outside of democratic processes; local governments are often constrained by “subsidy wars” encouraging a race to the bottom; and local politics is often dominated by narrow interests. This conference brings together scholars in a variety of disciplines with activists and policymakers to explore the possibilities and challenges for developing progressive economic policies in local government.
For those interested in attending, visit http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/wied/highroadrunsthroughthecity/ or contact Martha McCluskey, Professor of Law and William J. Magavern Fellow, State University of New York at Buffalo, mcclusk@buffalo.edu.
PS