September 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.

CIVIL RIGHTS

Recognized nationally for its opposition to race- and gender-based preferences, PRI found itself in the spotlight again in August. When Proposition 209 – the voter-approved measure to end affirmative action in UC schools – was implemented as state law, PRI weighed in with its opinion.

“Give me preferences and give me death,” proclaimed Senior Fellow Lance Izumi in two Los Angeles Times cover stories on September 2 referring to a patient who died after she was treated by a doctor admitted into medical school under U.C. Davis's affirmative action program. Subsequent news of victory over Proposition 209 (August 28) spurred a media rush for commentary from PRI: KSFO’s “Lee Rodgers Show” (September 6), KTAR radio (Phoenix, Arizona’s ABC affiliate) and The San Francisco Examiner contacted Lance, and Sally was interviewed on WVNN’s “Kevin Miller Show” (Alabama) and by The Washington Times. As testimony of PRI’s invaluable support of this initiative, Lance and Senior Fellow in Women’s Studies and Race Relations Pam Lewis were invited by Ward Connerly to participate in a press conference announcing the implementation of Prop. 209. Pam Lewis, a former co-chair of Prop. 209, commented on the decision in numerous interviews including: KGO’s “The Morning Show” with Ted Wygant, KSFO’s “Barbra Simson Show,” and KRON TV’s “Daybreak” with John Kessler. She was also invited, with Jesse Jackson and Patricia Ireland, as a guest on CNN's “Talk Back Live,” hosted by Susan Rook.

EDUCATION

The month began with kudos for Lance’s article on “The California Index of Leading Education Indicators,” which won first prize for research from Focus on the Family (the international Christian ministry dedicated to family values). From August 4-8, Lance and Pam Riley, as co-directors of the Center for Innovation in Education, participated in the first annual meeting of the Charter School Summer Institute at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education. This conference united policy analysts, public officials, academics, graduate students, and charter school leaders and practitioners to discuss the implications of the charter school movement on public education. Pam served on a panel with Thomas Hehir, the U.S. Department of Education’s Director of Special Education, entitled "Charter Schools, Access and Special Education." In addition, Lance served as discussant for Kathryn Stearns' presentation, "The Dynamics of Decentralization," which compared and contrasted Britain’s grant-maintained schools to charter schools in the U.S. As a lighthearted reprieve from the business of the forum, PRI hosted a wine and cheese reception attended by more than 50 institute participants.

In a media build-up for the “back to school” period, Lance brought attention to two critical issues: the shortage of textbooks in the public schools, and the failure of bilingual teaching methods. The solution: increase competition by turning state categorical programs into block grants, lift the cap on the number of charter schools, and introduce opportunity scholarships (a.k.a. school vouchers). Lance took these ideas to the general public in an appearance on KQED radio (August 18) and by participating in an education reform meeting with Ward Connerly that was taped and recorded by CBS’s “60 Minutes.” Another recommendation came in Education Policy Fellow Royce Van Tassel’s op-ed, “School Funding: No one knows where the money goes” (San Francisco Business Times – September 5) proposing new software, called In$ite, which would allow administrators to keep better records and taxpayers to track government education spending.

URBAN STUDIES

Senior Fellow Joel Kotkin's articles this August have been published in The Wall Street Journal (August 12); the Los Angeles Times (August 17); The International Herald Tribune (August 20); the Houston Chronicle (August 24); and American Eagle magazine. The topic of the LA Times article, “How Cities Can Survive: Look to the Renaissance” will be the focus of his luncheon lecture on September 15th.

WELFARE

"The area of entitlements is where [the liberal bias] is most apparent," John Liu told Governing magazine ("Ganging up on the Governors" - August 1997). As Director of Health and Welfare, John continues to keep PRI in the forefront of the debate on a broad spectrum of issues including immigration, social security, children's health care reform and police brutality. On August 21, he appeared on National Public Radio-affiliate KQED's "Michael Krasny Show" alongside state Deputy Director of Social Services Bruce Wagstaff and Chairwoman of the California State Assembly Human Services Committee Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley), and a day later was interviewed by MSNBC. Meanwhile, John continues to keep legislators, such as Senate Republican Leader Robert Hurtt (R-Garden Grove), briefed on welfare reform, and is currently awaiting the release of his latest brief, "What Welfare Reform? California's Need to Review the General Assistance Program."

PRIVATIZATION

Always solution-oriented, PRI policy fellows have been educating the public about the diverse possibilities for free-market solutions to society's problems.

In his op-ed "AIDS Legislation Intrusive, Not Preventative" (Chicago Tribune - August 22), Director of the Center for Freedom in Technology Justin Matlick criticizes the HIV Prevention Act of 1997 which proposes mandatory testing as a means of controlling the AIDS epidemic. Justin points out that "if widespread testing is necessary, the private sector could perform the function without infringing on the right to privacy," and proposes that, for those seeking to make informed decisions about their sexual activity, "Private initiative could lead to a national agency that sells forge-proof identification cards listing the date and results of a person's most recent test."

With Bay Area commuters wasting 90,000 hours per day and $210 million in productivity due to traffic in 1996, PRI endorses privately owned and maintained toll roads and electronic tolls systems. Environmental Policy Fellow Erin Schiller writes in her op-ed, "Congestion Pricing Would Ease Bay Area Traffic Pollution" (San Jose Mercury News - August 8) that "a congestion toll would help pay for the new [eastern span of the Bay] bridge and reduce congestion for the 140,00 daily commuters between Oakland and San Francisco."

IN THE CAPITOL

Katherine Post, Director of the Center for Enterprise and Opportunity, attended the Institute for Humane Studies' seminar, "Liberty and Current Issues," a philosophical approach to current events in the libertarian context. Meanwhile, she continues PRI's grassroots efforts by participating in weekly meetings of the "Leave Us Alone" coalition, a group of conservative activists that meets to discuss policy and strategy. She is also a guest at the Breakfast of Champions Advisory Group, an organization based at the Heritage Foundation that selects and funds private civic groups that are helping low-income families in the Washington, D.C. area.

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

PRI has begun to have influence overseas as well as in the U.S. Britain's RDF-TV interviewed Senior Policy Fellow Steve Hayward for a two hour documentary on the environment, and Pam Lewis appeared on British network, Channel 4's "In Quest" in a panel discussion responding to the question, "Does affirmative action hire the best person for the job?" In Holland, Dutch reporter Marjan Moolenaar of "2 Vandaag" program interviewed Pam Lewis on Proposition 209.