Letter from the President
Dear Friends,
I’ve been thinking a lot about principles recently. With the way things shift and change in politics and policy these days, one can easily lose sight of the why in the name of
the what. The why is this: PRI advances free-market policy solutions that champion freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility, because we know that these policies work better to solve the pressing challenges we face and to help individuals from all walks of life achieve their full potential. Once we’ve established the why—and only then—can we meaningfully and coherently achieve the what.
As you’ll see in the pages that follow, we’re doing plenty to address the what. On pages 5-7, you’ll learn a bit more about my recent work in health care
policy, including my latest Encounter Broadside, The False Promise of Single-Payer Health Care, published this April. Then, you can read about my stellar colleague Lance Izumi, Koret Senior Fellow in Education Studies and Senior Director of PRI’s Center for Education, and his new book, An American Education
Agenda. This ambitious work, the culmination of Lance’s decades of experience in education policy, outlines 15 policy recommendations for reform at the federal, state, and local levels.
After these spotlights on health care and education, you’ll find a selection of op-eds written by PRI scholars in leading state and national news outlets, as well as updates about legislative briefings, partner events, and other innovative research coming out of PRI’s trusted policy centers. From public pension reform and poverty alleviation to California’s business climate and occupational licensure reform, I can assure you that PRI’s scholars are addressing today’s pressing challenges by offering common-sense, actionable solutions—solutions that PRI makes sure are heard where they’re needed most.
I hope you’ll see that at the core of each what—all the ways we’re making an impact in California and across the nation—is our underlying why. Our work is firmly rooted in a set of values—the defining principles of freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility—and these values guide everything we do. As a friend of PRI’s, you stand for these values as well. Together, let’s redouble our efforts to champion these shared principles in California and beyond. Thank you for your generous support of our work.
Sincerely,
Sally C. Pipes
President, CEO, and
Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy
