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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

BROWNFIELDS

Financing Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment. By L. Cheryl Runyon and Larry Morandi, National Conference of State Legislatures. Legisbrief. Vol. 11, No. 16. (NCSL, Denver, Colorado) March 2003. 2 p.

["A 'brownfield' is an abandoned commercial or industrial site whose future use may be affected by contamination.... These sites can be redeveloped into economic centers, recreational areas, housing and open spaces. Paying for redevelopment is an increasingly important topic as state and local governments look to these sites to spur economic development and manage growth and sprawl while protecting public health."]

[Request #S7717]

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Final Revised Recovery Plan for the Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis). By the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (The Service, Portland, Oregon) April 2003. 63 p.

Full Text at: pacific.fws.gov/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/documents/SouthernSeaOtterFinalRevisedRecoveryPlan-MainText_000.pdf

[Toxic chemicals, oil spills and depleted habitats are killing off California's sea otters.The report, 16 years in the making, recommends letting the southern sea otters roam along Central California's Gaviota Coast where they once thrived, ending a "no otter zone" south of Point Conception. The wider range would help protect the population in the event of a major oil spill. The report also recommends raising the population threshold for removing the species from protection under the federal Endangered Species Act from the 2,650 set under the last plan to at least 3,090 animals." Sacramento Bee (April 3, 2003) A6.]

[Request #S7733]

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Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative Summary. By the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Environmental Network and Information Exchange. (The Exchange, Washington, DC) April 18, 2002.

["Saying military readiness is at stake, the Pentagon is asking Congress to exempt military installations, including several in California, from environmental laws protecting marine mammals and endangered species and requiring the cleanup of potentially toxic weapons sites.... There has long been friction at California's military installations, where training such as live bombing, tank maneuvers and amphibious beach assaults can run afoul of federal protections for the plants and animals on military lands." Los Angeles Times (March 19, 2003) 1 p.]

Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative Q & A. 6 p.
https://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Sustain/RRPI/Documents/q_and_a_f.doc
Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative factsheets. Various pagings.
https://www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Sustain/RRPI/rrpi.html

[Request #S7734]

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Health and Smart Growth: Building Health, Promoting Active Communities. By William L. Roger and others. Funders' Network. (The Network, Miami, Florida) February 2003. 20 p.

Full Text at: http://www.fundersnetwork.org/usr_doc/Health_and_Smart_Growth.pdf

[In recent years, researchers, funders, and practitioners have become increasingly aware of close linkages between community design, land use patterns, and public health.... Public health is impacted by development practices in a variety of ways. Physical activity, air quality, water quality, ecological balance, and social networks are all impacted by the built environment."]

[Request #S7751]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

FEDERAL / STATE RELATIONS

Formula Grants: 2000 Census Redistributes Federal Funding Among States. By the U. S. General Accounting Office. GAO-03-178. (The Office, Washington, DC). February 2003. 36 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d03178.pdf

["Correcting population estimates for the 2000 census redistributes among states about $380 million in federal grant funding ... most of the shift in funding occurs in fiscal year 2003 ... California, Florida and New York accounted for a high percentage of the correction in population estimates in their perspective regions."]

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House Budget Gives Government Reform Unprecedent Power To Cut Programs In Other Committees' Jurisdictions. By Richard Kogan and Robert Greenstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (The Center, Washington, DC) March 31, 2003. 2 p.

Full Text at: www.cbpp.org/3-31-03bud.pdf

["The budget plan ... passed on March 21, 2003, includes a reconciliation directive that requires 13 House committees to cut mandatory programs by specified amounts. The directive also gives vast unprecedented authority to the House Government Reform Committee to cut programs in other committees' jurisdictions."]

[Request #S7736]

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Comparing the House and Senate Budgets. By Robert Greenstein and Richard Kogan, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (The Center, Washington, DC) April 1, 2003. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.cbpp.org/3-31-03bud2.pdf

["The Senate and House budgets now in conference each would increase deficits by nearly $2 trillion through 2013, with the House budget adding almost $1.9 trillion to deficits and the Senate adding $1.7 trillion. But the two budgets nevertheless differ in important ways."]

[Request #S7737]

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Exploding Deficits, Declining Growth: The Federal Budget and the Aging of America: Policy Statement. By the Research and Policy Committee of the Committee for Economic Development (The Committee, Washington, DC) March 2003. 60 p.

Full Text at: www.ced.org/docs/report/report_deficit.pdf

["'Friendly Fire' Hits Tax Plan: In somber, hard-hitting language, the report offers a reminder that annual deficits of $300 billion to $400 billion loom as far as the eye can see. That's not including the administration's new tax proposals, the report estimates they would raise the 10-year deficit by $2.7 trillion.... They warn that deficits will cripple the ability of future governments to invest in education and infrastructure." Los Angeles Times (March 6, 2003) 16.]

[Request #S7738]

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HEALTH

ALCOHOL & DRUG USE

For Our Health & Safety: Joining Forces To Defeat Addiction. By the Little Hoover Commission (The Commission, Sacramento, California) March 2003. 104 p.

Full Text at: www.lhc.ca.gov/lhcdir/169/report169.pdf

["The commission criticized the state drug and alcohol abuse programs for working inefficiently and failing to ensure quality of care statewide.... Managed correctly, alcohol and drug treatment is a cost-effective response to these expensive maladies, saving $7 for each dollar spent, the commission said." Contra Costa Times (March 12, 2003) F4.]

[Request #S7740]

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Back Where We Started: An Examination Of Trends Of Immigrant Welfare Use Since Welfare Reform. By Steven A. Camarota, Center For Immigration Studies. (The Center, New York, New York) March 2003. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.cis.org/articles/2003/back503.pdf

["Back Where We Started: '96 Law Failed to Cut Overall Immigrant Welfare Use: Rather than reducing immigration levels, Congress in 1996 chose to deal with the problem of heavy immigrant welfare use by adopting a punitive approach of denying many immigrants access to welfare programs.... New research from the Center shows that this approach has largely failed." U.S. Newswire (March 17, 2003) 1.]

[Request #S7742]

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Kentucky Association of Health Plans, Inc., et al. v. Miller, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Insurance. U.S. Supreme Court. 00-1471. April 2, 2003. 14 p.

Full Text at: www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02pdf/00-1471.pdf

["The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can force HMOs to expand patient access to doctors and hospitals, upholding laws on the books in more than 20 states and potentially giving California greater power to regulate health plans.... Although California doesn't have a similar statute, known as an 'any willing provider' law, state officials said the ruling would bolster efforts here to pass legislation policing HMOs and medical groups." Sacramento Bee (April 3, 2003) A1.]

[Request #S7743]

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2003 Guide to California Medicare HMOs. By the California Healthcare Foundation. (The Foundation, Oakland, California) 2003. 111 p.

Full Text at: www.calmedicarehmos.org/documents/home/GuideToCalMedicareHMOs2003_NoBlanks.pdf

["This guide ... rates every Medicare HMO in the state, evaluates the benefits they provide and out-of-pocket costs, tells which plans offer the best prescription drug coverage, and identifies the HMOs which we have judged to have financial problems that could affect care."]

[Request #S7744]

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The People of the State of California v. D.C, Inc. dba WWW.DIRTCHEAPCIG.COM, et al. San Diego County Superior Court. Complaint for Injunction, Civil Penalties, and Other Relief. March 28, 2003.

["It isn't hard for kids to find weapons of mass destruction. They just have to click their way to Dirt Cheap Cigarettes, one of a number of online tobacco merchants that state officials say make it all too easy for minors to score smokes. That's why, after months of quiet investigation, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer will file suit against five out-of-state Internet tobacco vendors, who are charged with not just peddling nicotine to children but also dodging state cigarette taxes." San Francisco Chronicle (April 1, 2003) A2.]

Complaint. 13 p.
http://caag.state.ca.us/newsalerts/2003/03-039Dirt_Cheap.pdf

Press release. 1 p.
http://caag.state.ca.us/newsalerts/2003/03-039.htm

[Request #S7759]

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"Physician, Public, and Policymaker Perspectives on Chronic Conditions." By Gerard F. Anderson, Partnership For Solutions. IN: Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 163 (February 24, 2003) pp. 437-442.

Full Text at: www.partnershipforsolutions.org/DMS/files/PPP_Paper.pdf

["This report analyzes survey information from physicians, policymakers and the public on their opinions of the chronic care system. According to the report, the public is the most positive about the current system, and policymakers are the least positive. The report recommends that the system respond to the concern of providers, the public and policymakers that the current system does not address the needs of those with chronic conditions." Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report (April 2, 2003).]

[Request #S7745]

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No Time For Complacency: Teen Births In California. By Norman A. Constantine and Carmen R. Nevarez, Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development, Public Health Institute. (The Institute, Berkeley, California) March 2003. 34 p.

Full Text at: teenbirths.phi.org/TeenBirthsFullReport.pdf

["Outlook Grim for Single Moms; Ranks Likely to Grow As Jobs Decline: The institute projected that a decade-long decline in the state's teen birth rate will reverse itself within the next three years. It is then expected to increase by 23 percent a year through 2008. The expected rise in California's poverty rate accounts for the increase, the institute's researchers say." Sacramento Bee (March 26, 2003) A3.]

[Request #S7746]

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HUMAN SERVICES

FAMILIES

Strengthening Marriage and Two-Parent Families. By Courtney Jarchow, National Conference of State Legislatures. Welfare Reform; State Choices on Welfare. (NCSL, Denver, Colorado) February 2003. 15 p.

["Although the laws that regulate marriage and divorce are important components of the discussion of marriage, they are not the focus of this policy brief. This policy brief was designed to provide an introduction to the research findings on family structure and to identify some state policy options for encouraging healthy marriages."]

[Request #S7749]

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Fatherhood Programs and Domestic Violence. By Marguerite Roulet, Center on Fathers, Families and Public Policy. (The Center, Madison, Wisconsin) 2003. 20 p.

Full Text at: www.cffpp.org/publications/pdfs/fatherhood_programs.pdf

["One of the difficult issues confronting programs that work with fathers is how they can or should address domestic violence, particularly if the programs are actively supporting their clients’ involvement with their children and other family members. This report...discusses these issues." Poverty Law News (March 6, 2003).]

[Request #S7748]

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Putting Parenting First: Why It's Time For Universal Paid Leave. By Robert D. Atkinson, Progressive Policy Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) March 2003. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.ppionline.org/documents/UI_Paid_Leave_0303.pdf

["Not all parents return to work soon after giving birth because of financial reasons. But for working parents who would like to stay home but cannot afford to, providing more generous tax credits and UI benefits can make family leave feasible. The time parents spend with their infants is an indispensable social investment in the future of America's families, and most importantly in the healthy start for our children."]

[Request #S7750]

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INTERNATIONAL READER

World Trade Organization: First-Year U.S. Efforts to Monitor China's Compliance. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-03-461. (The Office, Washington, DC) March 2003. 44 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d03461.pdf

["U.S. agencies experiences in two areas during the first year of China's World Trade Organization membership illustrates the challenges ahead in addressing compliance issues.... U.S officials continue to pursue their resolution with China in 2003."]

[Request #S7754]

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WASHINGTON READER

California Capitol Hill Bulletin. By the California Institute For Federal Policy Research. Vol. 10, Bulletin 7-9 (The Institute, Washington, DC) March 20 - April 4, 2003. 22 p.

Full Text at: http://www.calinst.org/bulletins

[Includes: "Bipartisan Californians Lead Fusion Energy Sciences Funding Efforts, Cosponsors Sought;" "California Public Schools Spent Nearly $7000 Per Pupil in 2000-2001; Higher State Spending Levels Will Yield More Federal Title 1 Money;" "Homeland Security Funds Being Released To State and Local Governments;" "Education and Workforce Committee Approves WIA Reauthorization;" "Southern California Housing Market Remains Strong;" "Energy Bill Contains Oxygenate Elimination;" and others.]

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[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CULTURAL POLICY

The Claims of Culture: Equality and Diversity in the Global Era. By Seyla Benhahib. Princeton University Press (Princeton, New Jersey) 2002. 280 p.

["Seyla Benhahib challenges the assumption shared by many theorists and activists that cultures are clearly defined wholes. She argues that much debate -- including that of 'strong' multiculturalism, which sees cultures as distinct pieces of a mosaic -- is dominated by this faulty belief, one with grave consequences for how we think injustices among groups should be redressed and human diversity achieved."]

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ECONOMY

INFRASTRUCTURE

Megaprojects and Risk: An Antatomy of Ambition. By Bent Flyvbjerg and others. Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, New York) 2003. 257 p.

["Love them or loathe them, megaprojects capture the imagination. Dams and metro systems, bridges and tunnels, airports and pipelines are the stuff of dreams -- and nightmares. Bent Flyvbjerg's analysis concentrates on a series of financial nightmares that should bring even the most casual reader out in a sweat." New Scientist (March 29, 2003) 55.]

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EDUCATION

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

“Community Colleges in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities.” By Thomas Bailey. IN: The Knowledge Economy and Postsecondary Education: Report of a Workshop (2002) pp. 59-76. TC

Full Text at: www.nap.edu/books/0309082927/html/

["After several decades of growth, community colleges now face a particularly challenging environment.... In this chapter, I describe some of the challenges facing community colleges and then articulate the positive trends that may increase the demand for the services of community colleges."]

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SCHOOL STANDARDS

EQ+IQ=Best Leadership Practices for Caring and Successful Schools. By Maurice J. Elias and others. (Corwin Press,Inc., Thousand Oaks, California) 2003. 239 p.

Full Text at: http://www.corwinpress.com/

["Combining emotional intelligence (EQ) with academic intelligence (IQ) is the essential key to developing knowledgeable, caring, healthy, and successful students in today's troubled world. Social-emotional skills often are not taught at home, but they are in fact the crucial connection that enables students to master and retain content knowlege while also creating a classroom atmosphere filled with proficient, civic-minded students with sound judgment and problem-solving skills that will last a lifetime."]

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