August 1998 PRI Ideas in Action
Policy Update and Monthly Impact Report

PRI continues to impact public policy in California, the nation, and abroad. The following is a sample of PRI’s influence in August.

Civil Rights

On August 24, San Francisco’s CBS Affiliate (Channel 5) interviewed PRI president Sally Pipes regarding the proposal of San Francisco supervisor Amos Brown to continue and expand the city’s programs for preferences for minority- and female-owned businesses, in defiance of Proposition 209. The same day the San Francisco Chronicle interviewed and quoted Lance Izumi on the subject.

On August 20, "California’s Battle Over Preferences," a review of Lydia Chavez’s The Color Bind, by PRI Editorial Director, Lloyd Billingsley ran in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Health & Welfare

The Washington D.C. launch of PRI’s Project on Children at the National Press Club on August 31 drew major media coverage from ABC News, CNN, the Fox network, Univision, the Financial Times and The Weekly Standard.

"Before further attempts are made to expand government’s role in the lives of children," says The State of Children study distributed at the conference by PRI’s Naomi Lopez, "the public should be made aware and the issue debated."

Attendees included Autumn Hanna from the office of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, Jasper Thomson from the office of Rep. David Camp, Ray Sweeny of Families in Crisis, Bob Grup" of of the Child Protection Report, Carrie McGilliard of Conus Communications, and Debbie Grady of the Institute for Health Freedom.

PRI launched its Project on Children in Sacramento on August 24. "The billions spent annually on children’s programs have done little more than encroach on the lives of children and their families," said project director Naomi Lopez. Stephen Moore, Director of Fiscal Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, called government children’s programs "fiscal child abuse."

Attendees included Eloise Anderson, head of California’s Department of Social Services, state legislative assistant Erin Lofstrom, Joel Miller from Assemblyman Kaloogian’s office; Patricia DeCos, David Illig and Murray Haberman of California Research Bureau, Mike Wintemute, KFBK Radio, Laurie Nelson of Randlett/Nelson & Associates, and Tracy Soeth of Charlton Research.

Education

"Don’t hesitate to contact me with any ideas on how to continue to fight for school choice in California," Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian wrote to Sally Pipes on August 3. Mr. Kaloogian thanked PRI staffers Alison Weeks and Royce Van Tassell for providing intellectual background for the concept of tax credits for those making donations to groups that pay private-school tuition.

The Orange County Register on August 8 interviewed Lance Izumi on the question of whether new spending on education will have any effect on student achievement. On August 25, KQED-FM broadcast Lance’s commentary on discrepancies in the way the state dropout rate is calculated.

"Students Left Out of Equation by Prop 227 Foes," by PRI’s Lloyd Billingsley, appeared in the San Francisco Business Times on August 10. The Los Angeles Daily News, published Lloyd’s, "Cash Prompts Backlash to Prop 227," on August 11.

"What parents need to know about education reform in California" was the topic of a taped interview of Pam Riley by Samantha Spivack of the public affairs show, "Family 101". The interview will air several times in September on K101-FM in San Francisco. "What works in education, what’s wasted?" was the topic of a talk Pam gave at the meeting of the Fremont-Newark Republican Assembly, Tuesday, August 25. Pam also recently spoke on "California and Bay Area Education Reform Initiatives" at the newly-formed San Francisco Republican Assembly.

San Francisco Independent Scholars (SFIS) is currently working with Johns Hopkins University to develop a special category of scholarship for the most meritorious students in the SFIS program. Students in the eighth grade scoring above the 97th percentile on nationally-normed exams may qualify to participate in Johns Hopkins’ Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth summer programs held in various sites around the country.

Freedom and Technology

The San Juan Star (Puerto Rico) published Justin Matlick’s "Self-Regulation is Answer to Internet ‘Privacy Crisis’" on August 12. On August 28, "Senior Focus," a national radio talk show, interviewed Justin about how seniors are the fastest growing population on the Internet. Louis Barnett, chairman of California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, wrote to PRI: "Congratulations on both the new Center for Freedom and Technology and the U.S. Encryption Policy primer. . . I applaud your project."

PRI in the News

E. Thomas McClanahan of the Kansas City Star mentioned PRI fellow Steven Hayward’s work on urban issues in "New Urbanism About Giving Homebuyers a Choice," in the June 20 London Free Press (Ontario, Canada). Steve’s "California Tax Revolt Still Sparking Reforms," appeared in the Gainesville Sun on June 19, the Sunday Chieftan and Star (Pueblo, CO) and Lima News on June 21, the Los Angeles Daily News and Albany Times-Union on June 22, and the Janesville Gazette on June 24.

"Nothing More and Nothing Less," a school-choice article by PRI legal studies fellow Eugene Volokh, appeared in the Brownsville Herald on July 17, the Wichita Eagle on July 19, and the Day of New London, CT on July 20.

On July 7, the Washington Times, Chicago Sun-Times and Danville Register and Bee published "New Affirmative Action Rules Do Little to End Preference Programs," by Katherine Post, PRI’s Senior Fellow in Women’s Issues.

The Crescent City Triplicate (July 11), Tracy Press (July 13) and Union Democrat of Sonora quoted PRI’s Lance Izumi on the issue of class-size reduction.

Dr. Joseph Jacobs of Jacobs Engineering cited PRI privatization initiatives in "Making Bureaucrats Compete," in the August 6 Pasadena Star-News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

On August 9, The New Hampshire Sunday News published "Fearful Symmetry—Clinton and Hiss," a Capital Ideas column by PRI’s Steven Hayward. Charles Jaco of KMOX radio in St. Louis interviewed Steve on the subject of urban sprawl on August 11.

Steven Hayward and Naomi Lopez addressed the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council in Chicago on August 21.

On August 8, KFLO-FM interviewed PRI’s Lance Izumi on aspects of San Francisco’s domestic partnership law. The summer issue of Colorado Visions, the quarterly publication of the Colorado Council on the Arts, published Lance’s speech on conservatives’ view of government arts funding. The August 24 Orange County Register interviewed Lance on the lack of scientific basis for the California Department of Health Services’ campaign against second-hand tobacco smoke.

Harcourt Brace College Publishers plans to print an excerpt from PRI’s 1984 Money in Crisis, edited by Barry N. Siegel, in an upcoming textbook.