How the New Stimulus Can Strengthen Local Governments The American Rescue Plan can help local leaders do a lot more than cover budget shortfalls. The funds offer a chance for them to address equity issues, engage residents and create the future they want to see. Zachary Markovits, Results for America | April 9, 2021 | Opinion We’ve heard it over and over: Never let a crisis go to waste. But while that might have become a cliché, it’s still good advice. And it’s a lesson America’s mayors and other local government leaders should heed today as they confront overlapping economic, public health, climate and racial justice crises in their communities.