June 1997 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 just a sample of PRI's recent contributions.

written by Justin Matlick, Public Policy Fellow

A "battle tank" among think tanks, the Pacific Research Institute aggressively puts its ideas into action. As a result, the thunder of our ideas continuously rolls through the media and across the political landscape. Our latest impacts include:

CIVIL RIGHTS

After an April 8 decision by three judges from California's 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Proposition 209, the voter-approved measure to end Affirmative Action in California, PRI's civil rights machine was mobilized once again.

Sally Pipes, President and CEO

Sally uses her platform as President to bring market philosophy to public debate. Her most recent efforts have informed the public on how affirmative action actually hinders the progress of women and minorities in America. In April and May, Sally was interviewed by The Economist, appeared on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" and on KRON-TV's "California This Week", gave a speech to the Pacific Heights Republican Women's group, and was interviewed by numerous newspapers, including the Orange County Register and the Washington Times. In the Times article, Sally was asked for her opinion on an ACLU member's assertion that Proposition 209 "does not just move minorities and women to the back of the bus, it boots them off altogether." Sally's quoted response? "Balderdash."

Pamela Lewis, Senior Fellow in Women's Studies and Race Relations

Pam, a former co-chair of Proposition 209, responded to the court's decision with a barrage of media appearances where she spotlighted the ruling as a victory for equal opportunity, not a defeat. She was interviewed live on KSFO radio (San Francisco) and KNTV (San Jose), and published six opinion-editorials, including pieces in the San Francisco Examiner, the Oakland Tribune, and the Orange County Register. "Telling kids that they are victims of society will never get them to work hard," Pam wrote in the San Francisco Business Times, "Let's be honest here. Kids who study hard and get good grades can get into college and graduate school -- regardless of race or sex."

EDUCATION

PRI's Center for Innovation in Education continues its fight to liberate California's schools by actively promoting "the four Cs" (choice, charters, content, contracting out) in the media, the legislature, and at the grassroots.

Lance Izumi, Co-Director

"I believe the federal government's role in education should be secondary to state and local," Lance was quoted as saying in a Los Angeles Times article on national education standards (April 22). Driven by this belief, Lance continues to outflank the education bureaucracy in the media. In April and May, he broadcast his thoughts on education via quotes in newspapers (including the San Francisco Examiner), appearances on California assemblyman George Runner's television program and KSCO radio, and his bi-weekly radio commentary on KQED, San Francisco's NPR affiliate.

Pamela Riley, Co-Director

The creation and promotion of charter schools is an integral part of Pam's strategy to implement education reform. On April 10th and 11th, Pam served as program chair for the annual Conference of the California Network of Charter Schools, and in May she addressed public forums on education reform in the towns of Aptos and Gilroy, California. Pam is also overseeing PRI's first Survey of California Charter Schools, which will demonstrate that charters outperform their unionized counterparts in all key areas. Appearances and projects such as these allow PRI to arm grassroots groups with the weapons needed to unshackle our public school

ENVIRONMENT

PRI's "Index of Leading Environmental Indicators", published on Earth Day, April 22, brought to light the true facts about the environment: contrary to popular opinion, environmental quality is improving. By pounding these facts on the podium of public debate, Vice President Steve Hayward has turned green faces red with embarrassment. Media coverage of the Index included a feature article on the front page of Investor's Business Daily, a cover story in the Oakland Tribune, five live radio interviews, including the "Lee Rodgers Show" (KSFO), and seven newspaper quotations, including one in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Steve also brandished his work on Capitol Hill, where he participated in a Heritage Foundation panel discussion on environmental quality with US Senator Mike Enzi and former US Senator Malcolm Wallop.

WELFARE

Negotiations over welfare reform have once again come to center stage in the California Assembly and John Liu, PRI's Director of Health and Welfare Studies, has continued his role as one of the debate's few reasonable voices. John has thoroughly educated the staff of State Senate Minority Leader Rob Hurtt on welfare issues, and in April and May he took these efforts to the media. John discussed the findings of his latest study "The Overlooked Facts about Welfare in California" in a speech at the City College of San Francisco, a live interview on KSCO radio, and in two opinion pieces published in the San Francisco Chronicle. "It is incomprehensible," he wrote, "why welfare advocates demean the importance of honest work when it provides recipients with the necessary skills that will eventually lead them to a higher paying job."

FOSTER CARE

"Thank you for producing the report Fifteen Years of Failure: An Assessment of California's Child Welfare System," wrote US Congressman Todd Tiahrt in a May 13 letter to Public Policy Fellow Justin Matlick, "This briefing paper was an invaluable resource to me in the recent debate over the Adoption Promotion and Stability Act of 1997." This letter illustrates how, by funneling his work on child welfare through the media megaphone, Justin has translated his research into tangible policy impact. In the last two months, Justin's work has been the subject of articles in 17 newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Washington Times. He discussed his work on seven radio programs, three television programs, at a Capitol Hill briefing for congressional staffers, and in an opinion-editorial published in Investor's Business Daily. In addition, excerpts from his study were entered into the US Congressional Record on April 30.

IMPACT: WASHINGTON, D.C.

PRI Public Policy Fellow Katherine Post, editor of the bi-weekly "Contrarian," is aggressively carrying out the mission given her by the Institute: infiltrate the Washington establishment, and insert PRI's ideas into political debate at the federal level. She has effectively networked with media contacts and congressional staffers, and organized recent appearances by Justin Matlick in Washington. In addition, Katherine promoted her own work on women and the glass ceiling in a May 27 appearance on KSCO radio.