New America in California: Publications, Events and More
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... The federal government pays about $2 for each dollar the state contributes to Healthy Families. "I
don't think this is common knowledge," Micah Weinberg, health policy
specialist with the New America Foundation, said ... Original Article
Joe Mathews moderated a panel discussion in which the policy leaders were
asked to address the topics of fiscal or governance reform, "silver
bullet" solutions, and the impact severe cuts and revenue shifts would
have on local government, health and education. ... Original Article
... Smart2BeGreen,
an organization that aims to provide "simple steps to a greener life,"
recognized Terry Tamminen's extensive environmental work by giving him
a "Green Hero" award. ... Original Article
U.S. Supreme court confirmations are a good time to reflect on some basic precepts of our
"separation of powers" system of government. Like previous nominees, Sonia Sotomayor faced the Senate judiciary committee's firing squad,
as partisan tensions played out over lifetime appointment to a court
that has no retirement age. At 54 years of age, Sotomayor, whose
nomination the full Senate votes on today, easily could serve for three decades.
Micah Weinberg is a health policy expert with the non-partisan New America Foundation. He says the funding model, similar to a 401k, creates an incentive ...
... groups like Common Cause, The New America Foundation, The Courage Campaign, Orange County Lincoln Club and Joint Venture - Silicon Valley Networks. ...
As the momentum for a California Constitutional Convention builds,
a proposal from Steven Hill, Director of the
Political Reform Program, to empower citizen delegates has generated
President Obama's biergarten moment at the White House on
Thursday may have started out as a political stunt, but in the end it could
become a model for the future of race relations in America.
I'm not talking about the "teachable moment" nonsense. Nor am I
particularly impressed by the idea that people of different backgrounds should
get together to talk about their backgrounds. What's new here, and what I think
might just stick, is the idea that people in conflict should sit down… more
As you ride the bus or freeway to work tomorrow, ask yourself: Can
the person seated next to me, or driving past me, be trusted with the
job of redesigning California's basic political and budgetary rules?
Are "average Californians" ready to don the white powdered wigs to
become the Founding Mothers and Fathers of a new California?
Just a few months ago, national health care reform seemed
solidly on the path to congressional approval. A popular new president made it
his top domestic priority and turned the process over to the leadership of
large Democratic majorities in both houses. The path became rocky, though, with
most Republicans and many conservative Blue Dog Democrats signaling concern.
With the recession continuing to hurt city budgets, "these early
recalls could be the beginning of a deluge of local political battles,"
said Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at New America Foundation and former
Los Angeles Times reporter.
With the recession continuing to hurt city budgets, "these early recalls could be the beginning of a deluge of local political battles," said Joe Mathews, ...
About the only thing as disappointing as the frivolous
arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was the loud, almost gleeful
chorus of "I told you so's" coming from his defenders. You've heard
of schadenfreude -- taking pleasure in the suffering of others? Well, this was
the peculiar political version. It's not that commentators were happy that
Gates had allegedly been mistreated. But they seemed inordinately pleased that
some aggrieved yet righteous person had come along to help them prove a point
Border Patrol apprehensions may have dipped to the lowest
rate in 35 years, but it has nothing to do with border security. Rates of
illegal migration are governed by social and economic forces, not by expensive
surveillance technology, walls and the Border Patrol. It thus makes no sense to
continue to rely on an expensive and failed border fortification as a
centerpiece of our immigration policy.
This afternoon the state legislature approved a budget to close the $24 billion deficit. The budget included cuts to health care, education, CalWORKS, prisons, and state worker pay.
New America Foundation experts released the following statements:
Steven Hill, Director, Political Reform Program:
The Southern California Constitutional Convention Town Hall focused on introducing and educating the community to the concept and gathering feedback from the public. Featuring panels of elected officials, issues experts, and community leaders, this event was Southern Californian residents’ first major opportunity to learn and ask questions about this powerful method to reform the state, and give input into a process that could profoundly affect California for generations to come.
