Advancing Educational Choice: Job Openings.
The Alliance for School Choice is moving its offices from Arizona to Washington, DC. With that move comes the need for some staffers on the ground. What follows are some job announcements that may be of interest.

Professional Opening: Director of Research

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a Director of Research in its new DC headquarters. Responsibilities will include research support for the Alliance’s policy advocates, supervision of research support staff, coordination with and supervision of outside researchers, and writing for a lay audience. The successful candidate should have strong research and writing skills, experience with education policy issues, sufficient experience and gravitas to supervise the work of distinguished outside researchers, experience with legislative bill-tracking, supervisory experience, and a congenial personality. The Alliance offers a fast-paced, positive working environment and excellent benefits. Please send resume and writing sample to Elizabeth Moser, director of state outreach, at schoolchoicelady@cox.net. The Alliance is a nonpartisan, equal opportunity employer.

Professional Opening: Director of Communications and Marketing

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a Director of Communications and Marketing in its new DC headquarters. Responsibilities encompass supervision and execution of a media and marketing strategy to advance school choice across the nation. The successful candidate must possess experience and a demonstrated track record of success in both communications and marketing, strong writing skills, supervisory experience, high energy, and a congenial personality. The Alliance offers a fast-paced, positive working environment and excellent benefits. Please send resume and writing sample to Elizabeth Moser, director of state outreach, at schoolchoicelady@cox.net. The Alliance is a nonpartisan, equal opportunity employer.

Professional Opening: Print and Electronic Publications Director

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a Production Director with responsibility for all print and electronic publications. These publications include: the School Choice Activist and Navigator newsletters, annual reports, various other publications, and the Alliance website. Specific responsibilities include designing and executing production of these publications; coordinating and editing substantive content; and supervising support staff and outside contractors. The successful candidate must possess experience and a demonstrated track record of success in both print and electronic publications, including web design and HTML coding experience, strong writing and grammatical skills, supervisory experience, high energy, and a congenial personality. The Alliance offers a fast-paced, positive working environment and excellent benefits. Please send resume and writing sample to Elizabeth Moser, director of state outreach, at schoolchoicelady@cox.net. The Alliance is a nonpartisan, equal opportunity employer.

Professional Opening: Executive Assistant to the President

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a highly experienced Executive Assistant to the President in its new DC headquarters. Responsibilities encompass assistance to the President on correspondence, calendar, travel, and general organization; and principal liaison to the Board of Directors. The successful candidate must possess experience and a demonstrated track record of success as an executive assistant, experience in Board relations, experience with travel and meeting planning, careful attention to detail, an ability to multi-task, high energy, and a congenial personality. The Alliance offers a fast-paced, positive working environment and excellent benefits. Please send resume and writing sample to Elizabeth Moser, director of state outreach, at schoolchoicelady@cox.net. The Alliance is a nonpartisan, equal opportunity employer.

Professional Opening: Development Director (production and communications)

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a Development Director for production & communications in its new DC headquarters. Position responsibilities include:

• proposal and letter writing,
• writing grant reports, Alliance Insider (development’s quarterly newsletter) and other fundraising marketing/communications materials and publications,
• working with communications team to produce an annual report,
• implementation and management of the direct mail program,
• establishment and implementation of an annualized mail schedule (requests, non-requests, annual giving) for each giving level,
• prospect identification and cultivation for Alliance, and
• stewardship of all current donors to ensure maximize retention and increased gifts.

Qualifications

Excellent oral, written and organizational skills required. Highly accomplished and versatile writer with thorough knowledge of strategic communications concepts, methods and techniques. Proficient in proofreading and fact-checking. Ability to manage and organize projects. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information, prioritize competing work and deadlines, and produce highly accurate work. Experience with a direct mail program a plus.

Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, or a related field. Minimum of five years experience creating written communications in support of fundraising efforts.

Salary and benefits are commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Interested candidates please submit a cover letter and resume to Cheryl Hillen, director of development, at cehillen@aol.com. For questions/inquires, please call (860) 872-4004. For more information on the Alliance for School Choice, please visit our web site at www.allianceforschoolchoice.org.

Professional Opening: Development Director (c-4, state-based fundraising, external relations)

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a Development Director for c-4 and state-based fundraising in its new DC headquarters.

Position responsibilities include:

• cultivation of a diverse base of donors for Advocates,
• management and implementation of events throughout the country to build support for Advocates,
• utilization of mail, meetings, events and proposals as appropriate to raise Advocates support,
• prospect research for political major donor prospects,
• working with the Advocates board to identify prospects;
• assisting with marketing and communications materials and mailings,
• stewardship of all current donors ($1,000 - $5,000 range) to ensure maximize retention and increased gifts, and working with state team to identify and cultivate support for state-specific fundraising needs/projects (both Alliance and Advocates).
  

Qualifications

Excellent oral, written and organizational skills required. Highly accomplished and versatile writer with thorough knowledge of strategic communications concepts, methods and techniques. Proficient in proofreading and fact-checking. Ability to manage and organize projects. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information, prioritize competing work and deadlines, and produce highly accurate work. Experience with political fundraising a must!

Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, or a related field. Minimum of five years experience in a political fundraising position.

Salary and benefits are commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Interested candidates please submit a cover letter and resume to Cheryl Hillen, director of development, at cehillen@aol.com. For questions/inquires, please call (860) 872-4004. For more information on the Alliance for School Choice, please visit our web site at www.allianceforschoolchoice.org.

Professional Opening: Development Assistant

The Alliance for School Choice (www.allianceforschoolchoice.org), the nation’s leading public policy organization supporting private educational options for disadvantaged schoolchildren, seeks a Development Assistant in its new DC headquarters. Position responsibilities include:

• management of the Raiser’s Edge 7.0 database,
• serving as the gift administrator, reconciling contributions periodically with the accounting team and organizing/providing financial information for the monthly executive committee reports,
• facilitation of development mailings and serve as manager of the donor files, editing all development print materials including donor proposals and grant reports, supporting the development team in donor cultivation (assist the development manager with the facilitation of regional donor events, edit promotional and giving club materials), assisting with the management of the direct mail program, most importantly managing deadlines, and provide special assistance as needed (aid with organizational strategy and development progress).

Qualifications

Proficient with Raiser’s Edge 7.0. Knowledge in gift administration. Excellent oral, written and organizational skills required. Proficient in proofreading and fact-checking. Ability to manage and organize projects. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information, prioritize competing work and deadlines, and produce highly accurate work. Experience in a fundraising environment preferred.

Bachelor’s degree in communications, business or a related field. Minimum of two years experience in a fundraising position.

Salary and benefits are commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Interested candidates please submit a cover letter and resume to Crystal Corriveau, development manager, at ccorriveau@allianceforschoolchoice.org. For questions/inquires, please call (480) 262-7708. For more information on the Alliance for School Choice, please visit our web site at www.allianceforschoolchoice.org.

Labels: Education, jobs in public policy, School choice

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Two New Blogs to Recommend.
If you're an avid ready of the PolicyGuy blog--and face it, who doesn't find a discussion of state-level policy fascinating--have I got two new web sites for you.

One is State Policy Blog, which covers budgets, education, health care, telecommunications, and what have you. Anything related to policies enacted or carried out by state and local governments. I'm one of the regular contributors.

A second blog is StateHouseCall.org. It shares many of the same features of State Policy Blog. Its focus is limited to health care policy. (In fact, if it's on StateHouseCall, it will also be on State Policy Blog, though not vice versa.)

Both sites have RSS feeds.
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Long-Term Care: Who Needs It? Why Care?
Who needs long-term care? You might, if you live long enough. Current projections are that half of all people who reach 85 years old will require long-term care. Note that the "old old" (80+ years, if I recall correctly) are one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population.

If you're decades, even six or more decades from then, you'll have some interest in long-term care, if for no other reason that your tax dollars are going to pay for the LTC. The demand for taxpayer funding of LTC will only go up with time.

Stephen Moses, of the Center for Long-Term Care Reform, Inc., has assembled a resource list of speeches and reports on the topic.

Labels: Health care

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How Much Does Your School District Spend?
For most homeowners, the single largest recipient of their property taxes is the local school monopoly. Yet numbers on school finance can be hard to find and worse, difficult to figure out.

The Goldwater Institute has set up an interactive database that gives a look at district finances. Unfortunately, it's of use only if you're looking at districts in Arizona. But it might serve as a model for groups in other states.

There appear to be some bugs that need to be worked out. The first few times I selected a grade level, some computerese error messages came up on the screen. Take that as a sign that the information is not relevant or available.

Labels: Education, K-12 education

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Job Announcement
The following job announcement may be of interested to someone interested in public policy:

Director, Goldwater Institute Center for Constitutional Government
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/aboutus/jobs.aspx

The Goldwater Institute, one of the nation’s premiere market-oriented policy organizations, seeks an experienced senior-level researcher and writer to direct its Center for Constitutional Government. A full description of the Center is online. The director will report to Clint Bolick, Director of the Goldwater Institute Center for Constitutional Litigation, and will be responsible for the strategic vision, research, and operations of the Center for Constitutional Government. Specific tasks include researching and writing studies and articles on Arizona and federal constitutional issues; organizing forums and conferences; initiating and supervising research projects with outside scholars; editing papers; public speaking; and supervising interns. Competitive candidates will possess a graduate degree, preferably Juris Doctor or a related field with an emphasis on law; at least two years of related experience; keen and demonstrated analytical and writing skills; good interpersonal skills and a sense of humor. Address cover letter, resume, and two relevant writing samples to Clint Bolick c/o Kathi Bobbe, Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix AZ 85004, or by e-mail to kbobbe@goldwaterinstitute.org. No phone calls please. The Goldwater Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Director, Goldwater Institute Center for Economic Prosperity
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/aboutus/jobs.aspx

The Goldwater Institute seeks an experienced, senior-level fiscal policy analyst to direct its Center for Economic Prosperity. A full description of the Center is online. The director will be responsible for the strategic vision, research and operations of the center. Specific tasks include researching and writing studies and articles, planning and hosting forums and conferences, initiating research projects with outside scholars, editing papers, public speaking, and supervising new analysts. Competitive candidates will have a strong background in economics and at least 3 years of related experience; demonstrated analytical and writing skills; good interpersonal skills and a sense of humor. Address cover letter, resume, and two relevant writing samples to attn: Dr. Matt Ladner c/o Kathi Bobbe, and mail to: The Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, or send materials via e-mail kbobbe@goldwaterinstitute.org. No phone calls please. The Goldwater Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Communications and Marketing Associate
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/aboutus/jobs.aspx

The Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute seeks an aggressive and enthusiastic Communications and Marketing Assistant. The position will promote Goldwater Institute research and staff in the news media and with other target audiences by implementing media plans for releasing Goldwater research, publicizing events, and through other outreach initiatives. This position will coordinate day-to-day communications and marketing; track media coverage and actively pitch story ideas to beat reporters and guest columns to editors around the state and country; and track and fulfill speaking engagement requests, as well as accompany policy staff to those events.

Qualified candidates will have at least two years of work experience and be extremely organized and detail oriented. Strong preference will be given to candidates who can speak, read, and write Spanish. Candidates must have excellent writing skills and be comfortable “cold-calling” and aggressively pursuing outreach opportunities. Candidates should be familiar with the Microsoft Office software suite. Knowledge of marketing trends like podcasting and You Tube and basic website editing skills a plus. An aggressive team player will find training and advancement opportunities abound. Competitive salary and excellent benefits.

Address cover letter and resume to Starlee Rhoades, Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix AZ 85004, or by e-mail to srhoades@goldwaterinstitute.org. No phone calls please. The Goldwater Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Development Associate
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/aboutus/jobs.aspx

The Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute seeks a motivated and enthusiastic Development Associate to manage multiple fundraising and sponsor relations projects. This position will be responsible for coordinating fundraising and policy events, managing year-round direct mail projects, developing an internet fundraising program, expanding prospect research activities, managing a donor database, and processing donor contributions.

Qualified candidates will possess excellent persuasive writing and communication skills, be extremely organized and detail oriented, and be able to work well under pressure. Candidates must be able to juggle multiple demanding projects, maintain a consistently positive attitude, and be able to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced fundraising environment. Preference will be given to candidates with fundraising experience and familiarity with public policy arguments relating to free markets, school choice and constitutional government.

This position offers excellent training and advancement opportunities as well as a competitive salary and benefit package.

Address cover letter, resume and two writing samples to Jess Yescalis, Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix AZ 85004, or by e-mail to jyescalis@goldwaterinstitute.org. No phone calls please. The Goldwater Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Summer Law Clerk
http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/aboutus/jobs.aspx

The Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute, one of the nation's preeminent free-market policy organizations, seeks a full-time rising 1L or 2L clerk for Summer 2007, to work for its newly established Center for Constitutional Litigation under its director, Clint Bolick. The clerkship will be an intensive hands-on legal research position. The successful candidate must be able to commit the entire summer, must demonstrate exceptional research and writing skills, and should be personable and possess a strong work ethic and good sense of humor. Salary is $13.00/hr. Address cover letter, resume, and two relevant writing samples to Clint Bolick c/o Kathi Bobbe, Goldwater Institute, 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix AZ 85004, or by e-mail to kbobbe@goldwaterinstitute.org. No phone calls please. The Goldwater Institute is an equal opportunity employer.

Labels: jobs in public policy, School choice

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Let's make the costs of health care transparent.
Families USA, a group that advocates for government-run health care, has released a new study on the costs and medical problems of the uninsured.

The lead paragraph of a USA Today article on the subject is stark: "Hospitalized children who lack health insurance are twice as likely to die from their injuries as those with insurance, a new study reports." The implied suggestion is clear: expand government-paid health welfare programs.

Of course, there are alternatives to simply enrolling people in Medicaid, S-CHIP, or any number of government programs. One possibility? Premium supports so that people can buy insurance in the individual market--or what's left of the market, which has been devastated in some states by guaranteed issue, community rating, and excessive mandating of benefits.

At the end of last month, Robert Samuelson wrote a Washington Post op-ed that brings up a key part of any discussion of health care policy. "For decades, Americans have treated health care as if it exists in a separate economic and political world: When people need care, they should get it; costs should remain out of sight."

But due to soaring costs--increases that are driven in large measure because the costs are invisible, even for insurance--the availability of health insurance coverage continues to be a nagging concern.

Samuelson gives credit to President Bush for the effects of his latest proposal, which are to bring the costs of insurance into the open. "

By contrast, the plan of Governor Schwarzenegger (R-California) simply involves cost-shifting. "It's clever," Samuelson says, "but it perpetuates the illusion that health care is cheap."

(Cross-posted from StateHouseCall.org)

Labels: Health care

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Geek Speak: Dell Parts Supplier.
If you need some parts for a Dell laptop, I recommend that you check out Parts-People. I wore the lettering off the keycaps early (not a good sign), and of late, the E, F, and G keys required the force of a sledgehammer to operate. Parts People came recommended on a Dell users forum, and they came through just fine. Ordered the keyboard at 10:30, it was shipped at 12:30, and arrived from across the country in two days.

Now back, sometime, to our regularly scheduled policy talk.

Labels: Consumer experiences

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Public Pension Mess: Reports.
The problem of public pension obligations has been getting renewed attention from some research and education organizations. Here's a sampling.

An Analysis of Local Government Pension Plans in Pennsylvania (PDF)
Allegheny Institute

State Throws Cold Water on City Pension Aid Request (PDF)
Allegheny Institute

Three Myths About State and Local Government Pensions Plans
AFSCME (government workers union). Crisis? What Crisis?

Status of Local Pension Funding Fiscal Year 2005: An Evaluation of Ten Local Pension Funds in Cook County (PDF)
Chicago Civic Federation
Summary: "This report provides a trend analysis of indicators that measure the financial health and performance of ten major local government pension funds from 1997 to 2005. It finds a combined 16.5 billion dollars in unfunded liabilities for the ten funds."

Defusing New York's Pension Bomb
Empire Center for New York State Policy

Washington Pensions See Eight-Fold Increase in Unfunded Liability
Evergreen Freedom Foundation

An Evaluation of Public Employee Retirement Systems in California (PDF)
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Public Pensions in Minnesota (PDF)
Minnesota Center for Public Finance Research and the Minnesota Taxpayers Association

Pension Intervention (PDF)
Pacific Research Institute

Public Pensions: Unfair to State Employees, Unfair to Taxpayers (PDF)
Pioneer Institute.

Leaving Money on the Table: The 106 Pension Funds of Massachusetts (PDF)
Pioneer Institute.

The Gathering Pension Storm (PDF)
Reason Foundation

2005 Wilshire Report (PDF)
Wilshire Research

The Mounting Cost of Deferred Responsibility in Government (PPF)
Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.
Summary: "State and local governments have made promises that they cannot afford. The price tag of the promises of pension and health care payments made to retired state and local government workers, when combined with debt, represents $3.5 trillion in IOUs that will be passed on to future taxpayers. This report spells out how a mandate from the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) will require state and local governments to report their real budget shortfalls. It estimates the unfunded amount owed by local governments in Wisconsin could add up to $13.8 billion. It is already known that Wisconsin state government will spend $3.6 billion to retire its unfunded liability for pension and retiree health care."

Labels: Public employee pensions

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Public Pension Mess: News Accounts and Editorials
Public employee pensions are a mess. How so? What follows are some clippings from recent newspaper articles, coast to coast.

First we start with the publication sometimes derided as the "McPaper." USA Today comes in with mes a lengthy, and depressing, look at the state of public pensions. It's the best of the bunch.

Pension gap divides public and private workers
USA Today, February 21, 2007

Key quotes:
As the first wave of 79 million baby boomers heads to retirement, the nation is dividing into two classes of workers: those who have government benefits and those who don't. The gap is accelerating in every way — pensions, medical benefits, retirement ages. ...

Retired government workers are twice as likely to get a pension as their counterparts in the private sector, and the typical benefit is far more generous. ...

Governments' generosity could have serious consequences for taxpayers and pensioners. Some states — including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia — have troubled retirement systems that may require huge tax increases, spending cuts or even defaulting on promised benefits. The U.S. government has a bigger unfunded liability for military and civil servant retirement benefits ($4.7 trillion) than it does for Social Security ($4.6 trillion). ...

Only 18% of private workers now have traditional defined benefit pension plans, compared with more than 80% of government employees.

Contrary to a widely held notion, the extra government benefits aren't compensation for lower pay. Most government workers are paid more than private employees in similar jobs, and the wage gap is growing.

Out to pasture: Don't mess with state employee pensions
Salt Lake Tribune, February 20.

In an editorial, the paper responds to a proposal to bring 401k/defined contribution plans to the Utah civil service. It dismisses the idea by appealing to tradition, and a red herring as well:

"If a 401(k) plan becomes an option, it will attract short-timers and transients, people who are looking to take the money and run instead of paying their dues and acquiring the institutional knowledge necessary to make public agencies work, and work efficiently. Do you want a revolving door at the police department, and the fire department, and the teacher's lounge? We don't."

Oh yes, we need that "institutional knowledge" at the counter of the DMV.

The SL Tribune argues that the plan is merely an act of war on public employees by conservatives.

What then to make of the Los Angeles Times, no member of the vast right-wing conspiracy?

Vote Yes on M.
Los Angeles Times
February 26, 2006

Excerpt:
There's a looming financial crisis as retired school, city, county and state employees claim larger chunks of public funds each year for their pensions, in part because people are living longer, in part because elected officials have been catering to the demands of employee unions. The state has a huge and growing unfunded pension liability — meaning government could be on the hook to pay retirees money it doesn't have and isn't likely to get. Money needed for public safety and other services will go instead to support retired government workers.

State owes public employee pension system $7.2 billion
Asbury (NJ) Park Press
February 22, 2007

Excerpt:
New Jersey's deficit for its largest public employee pension system grew to $7.2 billion last fiscal year, a $2.7 billion increase from the previous year.

To begin closing the growing gap between the state's pension assets and what it is expected to owe retired public workers, state and local governments would have to pay $950 million to the Public Employee Retirement System this year, according to Janet Cranna, an actuary hired by the state.

‘Contribution-based’ benefit would ease inequities
Worcester Telegram
February 23, 2007

Excerpt:
Public employees, including elected officials, may count part of a year — even one day — as a full year of service. Married public employees retiring early may pool years of service to maximize benefits. ...

The system is particularly lucrative for people who land full-time public-sector jobs after serving in part-time elected positions such as city councilor, selectman, school board member and, sometimes, town meeting moderator. Thus Raymond V. Mariano, who heads the Worcester Housing Authority, is projected to retire with a $111,000 annual pension, although 16 of the 28 years for which he will be credited were in part-time, elective school board and council positions with a maximum stipend of $18,000.

Council weighs pension raises
Philadelphia Daily News
February 28, 2007

(Setup: A committee of the city council faces a choice. It can approve a measure to increase pension obligations, or not.)

Excerpt:
So what happened? Hint: Voters will go to the polls in mid-May to choose City Council candidates. With mere lip service to the city's fiscal condition, the committee gave unanimous support yesterday to Councilman Jim Kenney's bill. [To increase obligations-ed.] ...

The move comes when the pension fund is eating up more and more taxpayer dollars. In 2005, the city spent $315 million on pensions. In the upcoming year, the city projects to spend $457 million in a city budget that will be almost $90 million in the red.

But even with the increases, the fund covers only about 53 percent of its projected payouts; well-funded public pension plans cover between 80 percent and 90 percent.

Get a handle on retiree costs
Beloit (Wisconsin) Daily News
February 5, 2007

Excerpt:

THE QUESTION is often asked: How did benefit costs for public employees get so out of hand?It's really not that complicated. Back when items like health insurance and pensions were cheap, government negotiators gave away the farm. It was relatively cost-effective, it bought labor peace and, besides, it's always easy to spend other people's money. ...

Governmental jurisdictions have a $17.4 billion fiscal hole, over and above what already has been set aside for public employee pensions and post-retirement benefits.

Pension fix draws mixed reviews
Helena Independent Record
February 2, 2007

(Thinly populated states have this problem, too. Here's an except:)

HELENA — Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s plan to patch up three public-employee pension funds had more than its share of naysayers Thursday, as some groups representing workers objected to scaling back future retirement payments for new workers.

Yet, despite the objections, some still appeared in support of the bill, saying the 2007 Legislature must do something to fix public-employee pension funds facing long-term shortfalls of $570 million.“

You cannot afford to leave this session without solving this problem,’’ said Tom Schneider of the Montana Public Employees Association, a union representing about 7,000 government workers. “The entire system has to be funded. We just can’t allow this to go on and on.’’

Pittsburgh's pensions: Sans reform, disaster
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
February 16, 2007

(Problems are not limited to state governments.)

Excerpt:
One of Pittsburgh's several elephants in the room is the dangerous underfunding of its pension plans.

Thus far, entreaties for a state bailout have not gotten anywhere; one can speculate why. Lawmakers are not eager to saddle state taxpayers with the mistake. Meanwhile, increases in pension costs for state and public education employees loom.

Sinkhole!
BusinessWeek, June 13, 2005

Labels: Public employee pensions, School choice

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Hi there, I'm back!
Remember what I said about retiring the PolicyGuy blog? I meant it. On the other hand, it is a handy place to store some resources for future use.

For example, look in the left hand column. See the words Topic Tags? After finally moving over to Google's "Beta" version of Blogger, I've started to tag different subjects. So when the question arises "Didn't I write something about (blank) some time ago?," I can find the answer. So look around if you're so inclined.

Coming up: a new list of interesting (to me at least) publications on a new project. (permalink)