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Publication Archive |
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Miracle in South Central
By: Lance T. Izumi, J.D.
12.28.2005
SACRAMENTO, CA - Mention South Central Los Angeles and most people think of poverty, gangs and despair. Beyond the stereotypes, one discovers real heroes doing great things. One place where such heroic work is taking place is the Watts Learning Center (WLC) charter school, one of the most improved charter schools in California.
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Minimum Wage is a Maximum Fallacy
12.21.2005
SACRAMENTO, CA - With the California State of the State Address just weeks away, Capitol whisperers have divulged that a minimum wage increase will be included in Governor Schwarzenegger's 2006 agenda, and that a preliminary proposal has tentative backing from the leadership of both parties. This is unfortunate news for working Californians because the minimum wage negatively distorts labor markets.
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Missed Opportunities of the Year
By: Xiaochin Claire Yan
12.14.2005
SACRAMENTO, CA - In 2005 California increased the education budget by $3 billion and poured $50 billion into schools at the rate of more than $10,000 per pupil. Yet there is little to show for these efforts. Student achievement remains low and the dropout rate is high. Teacher quality varies widely from school to school and the state lacks an accurate way to measure student progress. Throughout this past year, California missed crucial opportunities to enhance accountability and boost achievement.
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Oh Say Can UC?
By: K. Lloyd Billingsley
12.7.2005
SACRAMENTO, CA - Last week, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez called for an investigation into practices in the University of California (UC) system. There is ample cause for concern on several fronts.
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Are Men Necessary?
The Contrarian
By: Sally C. Pipes
12.5.2005
That's the question New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd poses on the cover of her new book, subtitled When Sexes Collide. The subject, often addressed by the Contrarian, is fascinating. Here is what the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer says about it on page nine: "I admit I have no answers. But for decades now I've loved asking the questions…I am not peddling a theory or a slogan or a policy. I'm always as baffled as the next woman."
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Obesity and the State: The Skinny on the War Against Fat
Health Policy Prescriptions
By: Diana M. Ernst
12.1.2005
Media hype about obesity has tipped the scale of excess. Since the ever-eager talons of government seized the anti-obesity initiative, the crusade has taken flight in the form of TV advertisements, billboards, and other education efforts everywhere. The result has been hyperbole, exploitation by groups seeking to control other people’s behavior, and a sense of victimization among obese people who are told they cannot and should not help themselves. Though evidence indicates that genetics plays a role in obesity, there is no refuting that the chief cause of this “crisis” is unhealthy behavior.1 Obesity is now considered as great an evil as smoking (which until a generation ago was considered a voluntary, acceptable activity), because of the idea that it imposes a cost upon society.
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Testimony submitted to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Standing Committee on Communications, Technology and Interstate Commerce
PRI Technology Testimony
12.1.2005
With the convergence of multiple communications technologies, a similar scenario is possible in the video market, but it's not happening as quickly. That's because the change relies not on technological advances, but on government taking down roadblocks like cable franchise rules. There's a big lobby that doesn't want to see competition, including some local governments, cable companies, and others who benefit from the current regulatory structure. What the NCSL should consider is how these roadblocks harm consumers through lack of competition that increases prices and degrades choice.
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