May 2000 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.

Education

Time magazine interviewed Lance Izumi, director of PRI's Center for School Reform on May 15, following Gov. Gray Davis's proposal to exempt California teachers from paying state income taxes. On May 16, Lance discussed the governor's proposal on "Which Way LA?," the public affairs show on KCRW, the National Public Radio affiliate in southern California.

On May 2, KQED in San Francisco broadcast Lance's commentary that explained how students at Bennet-Kew elementary school, who are mostly poor and have limited English skills, score so well on standardized tests. Lance's May 30 KQED commentary detailed how limited-English-proficient students were being successfully transitioned into English because of Proposition 227. On May 31, the Orange County Register interviewed Lance on state education issues. "California teachers have eyes on windfall," by Nanette Asimov mentions Lance in the May 12 San Francisco Chronicle.

"Costly lesson: Why throwing money at schools is no solution," by PRI Editorial Director Lloyd Billingsley, appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News on May 14. "Fresno charter school receives state honor for its excellence," by the editor, mentions PRI's Innovations for Excellence in Education: The California Charter School Story in the April 29 Fresno Bee. "Gore plagiarizes past school failures," by Tom Dawson, assistant director of PRI's Center for School Reform, was syndicated by Bridge News. PRI and its briefing on accountability at the California Department of Education are mentioned in "Watching Education Spending," a May 10 letter to the editor of the Sacramento Bee by Maury Walker.

Freedom and Technology

"Cybersitters report for assigned duties," by Sonia Arrison, director of PRI's Center for Freedom and Technology, was published in the Washington Times on May 6. Sonia's "Pre-Teens Privacy" ran in many papers including the Anchorage Daily News, Modesto Bee and Daily Journal of Manassas, VA. Justin Matlick's "H1B: The American Dream" appeared in the e-zine Liberzine on May 16.

On May 22, Sonia was quoted in the C-Net news article "FTC to recommend stronger privacy legislation to Congress." Sonia's letter to the editor on Internet taxes appeared in the May 24 Sacramento Bee. PRI Policy Fellow Helen Chaney was quoted in the April 29 San Francisco Chronicle and in the May 3 Daily News of Jacksonville, NC, on the digital divide.

On May 15, Sonia was invited to testify in front of the California Assembly Revenue and Tax committee on AB 2367, the "Sales Tax Reduction Act." And on May 18, Helen spoke at a Federalist Society dinner in Palo Alto.

Environment

During May, PRI's Index of Leading Environmental Indicators 2000 was mentioned in Reason, Insight, Oakland Tribune, Austin Chronicle, Environment and Climate News, Chemical Week, Orange County Register, Omaha World Herald, Niles Daily Star, Delaware County Times, El Paso Times, Florida Today and in many other publications.

"Sprawl isn't hurting state's environment," by Steven Hayward, Index author and director of PRI's Center for Environmental and Regulatory Reform, was published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review/News Record on May 9, 2000 and appeared in other Pennsylvania papers.

Enterprise and Opportunity

"Women leap hurdles in century's political decathalons," by PRI Fellow Laura Steadman, appeared in the May 12 San Francisco Business Times. Liberzine.com ran "A Mother's Day Revolt," by Naomi Lopez Bauman, director of PRI's Center for Enterprise and Opportunity, on May 5. Naomi's study Free Markets, Free Choices was quoted in "Make pay gap disappear," by Darin Pankratz, in the Grand Forks Herald (ND) on May 13.

Events

On May 12, Pacific Research held a joint conference with the Hoover Institution on Teacher Quality at Stanford University in Palo Alto. The presenters included Eric Hanushek from the University of Rochester, June Rivers of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Pennsylvania secretary of education Eugene Hickok, professor J.E. Stone of East Tennessee State, and Professor Herbert Walberg of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Lance Izumi served as moderator for the panel along with Bill Evers of Hoover.

Notables

The Washington Times published "Cemetery Without Crosses," by Lloyd Billingsley, about the Elian Gonzalez case, on May 3. Lloyd's "Hollywood's Missing Movies," is the cover story in the June issue of Reason.