New America in California: Press

New America Foundation Announces New Philanthropy Fellow

Elizabeth Wu — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:32:00 -0500

The New America Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of the first HAND Foundation Philanthropy Fellow, Dr. Lucy Bernholz. With the generous support of The HAND Foundation, based in Redwood City, Dr. Bernholz will analyze key trends in the philanthropy sector, with a focus on the reforms and regulations that will determine its future.

California's Revolutionaries | Le Monde

Erin Drankoski — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:05:00 -0500

On the docket: "Proposition 13," the referendum by which the people of California, in 1978, voted to amend the constitution of the state to limit taxes. The text of the referendum caps the property tax to 1% of property value. To raise taxes, there needs to be a super-majority vote of two thirds in the legislature. "California is the only state where it takes a two-thirds majority vote to pass a budget and raise taxes, comments Steven Hill

'Change Has Come' ... or Has It?

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:07:00 -0500

"We thought we were getting a man of action. Instead, we got someone who'll spend six hours chasing a white ball around a park," Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said, with tongue planted only partly in cheek. "If voters had known about the golf, they would have been less surprised by his lack of urgency on many issues." ... Original Article

Newsom's Departure Is All About Brown | San Francisco Business Times

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:55:00 -0500

Forget the issues with cash and the polls, says New America Foundation senior fellow Joe Mathews, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision to leave the Democratic race for governor boils down to one thing. ... Original Article

US Health Care Reform Could Leave Implementation to States | California Healthline

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:22:00 -0500

... medical care," Micah Weinberg, a senior research fellow in the California Program of the New America Foundation, argues in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece...

Pop Up Magazine: Magazines Live! | 7x7

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:05:00 -0500

San Francisco writer Douglas McGray (an Irvine fellow at the New American Foundation), a contributor of social-policy narratives for The New Yorker and the acclaimed public-radio show, This American Life, is Pop-Up's editor in chief. "Branching out into radio opened my eyes to all the ways a story can be told," says McGray, 34. Despite what he calls the "awkward phase" that journalism is currently suffering, the Maine native claims that Pop-Up Magazine is not a reaction to a floundering print-media industry.

Election Week | New York Times

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:22:00 -0500

“This fact should have been disclosed during the campaign,” wrote Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New American Foundation. “We thought we were getting a ...

Cut Health Costs? Here's A Prescription | Sacramento Bee

Cecille Isidro — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:34:00 -0500

According to the New America Foundation, premiums in California have grown seven times faster than median household income. Even being the very best, ...

Banking Development District Initiative Advances in Los Angeles

Elizabeth Wu — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:22:00 -0400

For Immediate Release

Banking Districts Proposed for Low Income Areas | San Fernando Valley Business Journal

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:28:00 -0400

According to the New America Foundation, more than 300,000 Angelenos lack basic checking and savings accounts. "But this is a reality in too many low-income communities throughout Los Angeles and across the state, where banks and credit unions are nonexistent," said Olivia Calderon, California legislative director of the Asset Building Program at the foundation. ... Original Article

Banks for Poor Neighborhoods in Los Angeles | La Opinion

Erin Drankoski — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:31:00 -0400

"A bank does not charge horrifying interest rates to customers who need an emergency loan," said Olivia Calderón, Legislative Director of the New America Foundation.

"In poor communities there is a great need and if they continue to lack basic bank accounts it will be increasingly difficult for them to get ahead," said Calderón. ... Original Article

CA's System of Initiative and Referendum | KOGO

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:01:00 -0400

Direct Democracy | The Oregonian

Erin Drankoski — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:04:00 -0400

Yet there are some interesting reform ideas now floating around California. In an oped in Monday's Los Angeles Times, Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New American Foundation, offers several possible changes in California's system. Here are three of Mathews' proposal. ... Original Article

New America Foundation Commends Governor Schwarzenegger for Signing AB 30, Allowing 17 Year Olds to Preregister to Vote

Elizabeth Wu — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:28:00 -0400

For Immediate Release

Steven Hill on the Economic Breakdown in California | Austrian Broadcasting Company

Erin Drankoski — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:04:00 -0400

Choosing Our New 'Founders' | North County Times (CA)

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:02:00 -0400

Of the suggestions thus far, one made by Steven Hill of the New America Foundation at a Constitutional Convention Town Hall held in July in Santa Monica seems to make the most sense. ... Original Article

Instant Runoff: The Vote Of The Future? | Long Beach Press-Telegram

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:59:00 -0400

A nonprofit public policy think tank that is advocating the idea -- the Washington, D.C.-based New America Foundation -- said that instant runoff voting changes the nature of political campaigns. ... Original Article

Some Illegal Immigrants to Be Held in Old Hotels, Nursing Homes | Christian Science Monitor

Cecille Isidro — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:54:00 -0400

... the detained immigrants ... suggests that rounding up all illegal immigrants is not at all feasible," says Tomas Jimenez of the New America Foundation. ...

Lisa Margonelli on Climate Legislation | New America/Politico Live Chat

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:13:00 -0400

Lisa Margonelli, author of Oil on the Brain and director of New America's Energy Policy Initiative, takes questions on the current state of the energy and climate debate in this week's New America/Politico Live Chat ...

A Constitutional Approach to Fixing California | New America Media

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:07:00 -0400

... affect public policy for the whole state and how it is governed,” said Gautam Dutta, deputy director for political reform at the New America Foundation. ...