Thank you for visiting my professional page. I am interested in all things policy-related, with a particular focus on economics and local or municipal affairs.  Below you will find a biography, my resume, work I have completed during my graduate studies, as well as a link to my blog.  I plan to update this page as I continue to work and develop ideas and solutions. 

Short Biography

I was born and raised in rural Eastern Washington.  But when Tulane University in New Orleans asked me to come run competitively for them upon graduation from high school, I packed a suitcase and left my little world behind.  I may be from Washington, but I grew up in New Orleans.  Studying English and running 80 to 100 mile weeks kept me pretty busy, but not too busy to fall in love with the Crescent City. 

After finishing at Tulane, I moved to Austin, TX, with my lovely wife (then girlfriend) to try and make the world a better place.  Looking for an opportunity in the non-profit world, I landed at the Better Business Bureau which served me well for four years.  But in the end I knew I was looking for more, so, from a recommendation through a friend, I changed jobs to work for the Austin Area Research Organization as their Assistant Director.  There I fell in love with policy and politics, and realized quickly that I was behind the curve and needed some more education if I was going to make the difference I hope to make.

In the fall of 2007, I entered the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and I have enjoyed every second of my experience here.  But alas, the time is too short and I now find myself looking back out into the world for a new place to apply my drive and ability.

My Resume

Microsoft Word 2003 Format                                                  Plain Text Format

Recent Work

ECONOMICS

Community Change in East Austin - Community Change in East Austin is a two-part report prepared for PeopleFund, a federally certified community development financial institution in East Austin, by the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. 

An Economic Analysis of Tacoma, WA - Written for a class on Urban and Regional Economic Policy, this analysis uses a historical economic perspective and recent changes in both employment and earnings by industry to identify both opportunities and challenges facing the Tacoma economy.

Report Data Tables

Shifting the Paradigm: A New Economic Development Strategy for Tacoma Washington - The second paper written for my Urban and Regional Economic Policy class, this comparative analysis looks at the strengths and weaknesses of both Seattle and Tacoma and recommends ways to collaborate and avoid their historically unproductive economic development competition.

Report Data Tables

PRESENTATION: A Bar and Recycling Program for Austin, Texas - This collaborative presentation to the Austin City Manager, drawing on best practices from around the country, describes a recycling program designed for the Sixth Street District that, if implemented correctly, will actually save both the businesses and the city significant amounts of money.

POLITICS

Tough Grandma, Tough Sell; The Candidacy of Carole Keeton Strayhorn - A collaborative paper discussing the former Texas Comptroller's failed bid for the Governor's seat, in this work I focused on Strayhorn's fundraising and did the analysis involving the finances of her campaign.

TECHNOLOGY

Municipal Broadband - A Viable Alternative - Falling behind the rest of the developed world, the US is in serious economic trouble if we cannot address our lagging internet accessibility.  It falls upon the local municipal governments to step up to this challenge.  This paper describes a possible economic solution.

MANAGEMENT

President Bush's Attempt at Government Reform - Following many presidents before, in 2001 President Bush embarked on his effort to reinvent government, relying on e-Government Initiatives to bring about the change.  How successful he will be is yet to be scene.

A Look at Municipal Bankruptcy - Municipal bankruptcy is a bizarre endeavor.  Unlike corporations or private citizens, municipalities have, in theory, the opportunity to reduce costs to zero and revenues to the limits of citizen income, so default shouldn't be a possibility.  But of course it is.  This is the topic of this paper.

Program Evaluation: The San Antonio NCR Program - The City of San Antonio's Housing and Neighborhood Services Department (link here) have been developing a program called Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization.  We did a standard program evaluation of their efforts and came up with specific recommendations based therein.  At the end we did a presentation for them explaining our findings.

My Blog

ethronson's blog - Come climb into my head and see what recent points of view I have taken concerning life, politics, philosophy, and college football.