October 1855 - "In October, 1855, the board of directors of the San Diego and Gila Railroad elected Judge James Robinson president.... He combined careers in both the private and public sectors, the usual case for lawyers during this period. In small communities like San Diego, it was common for a person to hold more than one public service position. On January 10, 1852, Robinson became both city attorney, an elective position, and land commissioner. Starting in 1852, Robinson also served as inspector of elections and city treasurer. "  www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/85summer/robinso  

1855 - "By 1855, nearly fifty thousand immigrants from China, Chile, Mexico, Ireland, Australia, France, and especially the United States had arrived in the city of San Francisco. Men outnumbered the first female arrivals by as many as ten to one. Meanwhile, tents outnumbered buildings. Gambling and prostitution were among the most lucrative businesses; hundreds of men could be found every evening in the gambling saloons, eating cheap meals, drinking hard liquor, playing cards, and paying an ounce of gold just to sit next to a woman. The boom-and-bust economy sent a few poor men to the pinnacle of success while merchants dreaded overstocked markets and plummeting fortunes."  www.common-place.org/vol-03/no-04/san-francisco/  

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

• When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

• California State Employees may contact the State Information & Reference Center (916-654-0206; cslsirc@library.ca.gov) with the SITN issue number and the item number [S#].

• All other interested individuals should contact their local library - the items may be available there, or may be borrowed by your local library on your behalf.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

DEATH PENALTY

The Impact of Legally Inappropriate Factors on Death Sentencing for California Homicides, 1990-99. By Glenn L. Pierce. Center for Criminal Justice Policy Research Northeastern University. (The Center, Boston, Massachusetts) 2005. 51 p.

Full Text at: www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/CaRaceStudy.pdf

["The study ... says capital punishment in California is least likely to be the sentence for those who kill Latinos and for those killed in racially and ethnically diverse counties.... Whites were 27.6 percent of the state's murder victims (in the 1990's). Yet those who murdered whites were four times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who murdered Latinos and three times more likely than those who murdered African Americans." Sacramento Bee (September 22, 2005) A4.]

[Request #S53801]

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Restructuring Juvenile Corrections in California: A Report to the State Legislature. By Sele Nadel-Hayes and Daniel Macallair. Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. (The Center, Washington, DC) September 2005. 51 p.

Full Text at: www.cjcj.org/pdf/restructuring.pdf

[“Youth corrections in California is at a crossroads. Reforms currently underway involve significant management, oversight, and administrative staffing changes. These changes are intended to precede sweeping structural changes at the operations level. This report presents an overview and recommendations for implementing a more effective, rational, and humane system of juvenile corrections in California.”]

[Request #S53802]

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Drug Offenders: Various Factors May Limit the Impacts of Federal Laws that Provide for Denial of Selected Benefits. By Government Accountability Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) September 2005. 93 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d05238.pdf

[“Several provisions of federal law allow for or require certain federal benefits to be denied to individuals convicted of drug offenses in federal or state courts. These benefits include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, federally assisted housing, postsecondary education assistance, and some federal contracts and licenses. Given the sizable population of drug offenders in the United States, the number and the impact of federal denial of benefit provisions may be particularly important if the operation of these provisions work at cross purposes with recent federal initiatives intended to ease prisoner reentry and foster prisoner reintegration into society.”]

[Request #S53803]

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Alternatives to the Secure Detention and Confinement of Juvenile Offenders. By James Austin and others. Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice (The Department, Washington, DC) September 2005. 41 p.

Full Text at: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/208804.pdf

[“This bulletin promotes reducing the court’s reliance on detention and confinement through administrative reforms and special program initiatives informed by an objective assessment of youth’s risk level.”]

[Request #S53804]

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ECONOMY

BANK & THRIFT REGULATION

American Bankers Association, et al. v. Bill Lockyer, et al. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. S 04-0778. Amended Memorandum and Order. October 5, 2005. 11 p.

Full Text at: 207.41.18.73/caed/DOCUMENTS/Opinions/England/04-778.pdf

["A judge struck down a portion of a California law that restricts banks from selling consumers' private information to their affiliates, ruling that the state law is pre-empted by federal rules.... The federal act lets banks and other financial institutions share information with affiliates about customers' 'credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living.'... The California law forced banks to give consumers the opportunity to bar the sale of information to an affiliate that isn't in the same line of business. For example, the state law said a bank can't pass on information about a customer to an insurance company owned by the same corporation, if that customer objected." Contra Costa Times (October 5, 2005) Q4.]

[Request #S53805]

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Making Ends Meet: How Much Does it Cost to Raise a Family in California? California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California.) September 2005. 34 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2005/0509_mem.pdf

["Sharply rising costs for housing, healthcare, transportation and child care have made it tougher for California households to make ends meet. Incomes required to achieve a 'modest' standard of living are generally far higher than the state's minimum wage or the federal poverty level." Los Angeles Times (September 28, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53806]

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How Good is the Economy at Creating Good Jobs? By John Schmidtt, Center for Economic and Policy Research. (The Center, Washington, DC) October 2005. 17 p.

Full Text at: www.cepr.net/publications/labor_markets_2005_10.pdf

["This report found that between 1979 and 2004 the share of American workers in good jobs remained unchanged at about 25 percent, despite strong economic growth over that period. (The report defines a 'good job' as one that offers at least $16 per hour or $32,000 annually, employer-paid health insurance and a pension.) In the last quarter century, the U.S. workforce has become older, more experienced and better educated, but 75 percent of workers are still struggling in jobs that do not provide health insurance, a pension and solid middle-class wages."]

[Request #S53807]

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EDUCATION

EDUCATION FINANCE

What Would Proposition 76 Mean For Education? By Jean Ross, California Business Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) October 2005. 6 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2005/0510_prop76education.pdf

["While school funding would remain subject to the Proposition 98 guarantee, competition for room under the spending cap could increase pressure on the Legislature to suspend the Proposition 98 guarantee in order to avert deep reductions in other areas of the budget.... This proposition would allow the governor to reduce K-14 education spending below the level required by the Proposition 98 school funding guarantee, as well as to reduce other constitutionally dedicated spending. The impact of any reductions made by a governor would permanently reduce the minimum funding guarantee for schools, since Proposition 76 also eliminates the obligation to restore funding in years when schools receive less than the minimum required by Proposition 98."]

[Request #S53810]

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Lost, Dysfunctional or Evolving? A View of Business Schools from Silicon Valley. By Kyle Eischen and Nirvikar Singh, University of California, Santa Cruz. (Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, Santa Cruz, California) September 29, 2005. 22 p.

Full Text at: repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=cgirs

["Our findings indicate that business schools face structural, content, and program shifts. Educationally, business programs continue to be seen as doing a good job of educating their students in core functional areas and processes. However, they do less well in teaching their graduates interpersonal skills, real-time decision-making, recognition of contexts, and integration across functional areas. These are increasingly the skills demanded by the global business environment....Women and minority groups increasingly form the majority of the future student population, with distinct needs and demands for part-time and executive education. This shift is also evident in demands for life-long learning and engagement as opposed to fixed, one-shot program experiences." Excerpted from the abstract.]

[Request #S53812]

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Measuring Up on College-level Learning. By Margaret A. Miller and Peter T. Ewell. (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, San Jose, California) October 2005. 55 p.

Full Text at: www.highereducation.org/reports/mu_learning/Learning.pdf

["The model described in this report enables states to gather information that addresses two critical questions: 1) What is the “educational capital,” or the knowledge and skills of the population, that states have available to them for developing or sustaining a competitive economy and vital civic life? 2) How do all the colleges and universities in the state contribute to the development of the state’s educational capital? Colleges and universities can and should be accountable for assessing student learning and reporting results, but the measures used by individual institutions may not add up to a comprehensive assessment of educational capital for the state as a whole."]

[Request #S53813]

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EMPLOYMENT

WORKERS COMPENSATION

Farmers Brothers Coffee v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. California Court of Appeals, Second Appellate District. B180839. October 17, 2005. 11 p.

Full Text at: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B180839.PDF

["Illegal immigrants hurt on the job are entitled to workers' compensation benefits, a court panel has ruled, upholding California's policy of granting workplace rights to undocumented employees.... The court said federal immigration statutes didn't preempt state laws governing workers' comp insurance, minimum wage guarantees and occupational health and safety protections." Los Angeles Times (October 19, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53815]

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ENERGY

ENERGY

California Public Interest Energy Research: Independent PIER Review Panel Report. By the California Council on Science and Technology. (The Council, Sacramento, California) 2005. 61 p.

Full Text at: www.ccst.us/ccst/pubs/pier/library/PIER2005.pdf

["California leads the nation in fostering and implementing new sources of electricity to sustain its economy while preserving its natural environment. The contributions of California Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) to this effect have been recognized by legislation.... This document represents the final report of the second PIER Independent Review Panel."]

[Request #S53817]

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High Performance Cities: A Guide to Energy-Saving Policies for Urban Areas. By Kate Gordon. (The Apollo Alliance, Washington, DC) 14 p.

Full Text at: www.apolloalliance.org/docUploads/apollo-final.pdf

["As energy and fuel costs rise, state and local governments lead the way towards energy independence in America by employing strategies ranging from using biofuels in fleet vehicles to retrofitting public buildings to meet minimum energy efficiency standards.... The City of Denton, Texas partnered with California-based Biodiesel Industries, Inc. to harness the landfill gas from a city managed dump ... initial production capacity of three million gallons of pure diesel per year."]

[Request #S53818]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

AIR POLLUTION

Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure Assessment Study for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach: Draft. By Pingkuan Di, and others. California Air Resources Board. (The Board, Sacramento, California) October 2005. 53 p. Appendices

Full Text at: www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/offroad/marinevess/documents/100305draftexposrep.pdf

["Diesel fumes from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are elevating the risk of cancer not only adjacent to the ports but many miles inland. In the Los Angeles area, polluters from fixed facilities must prepare detailed plans and slash emissions. The sources of much of the diesel exhaust, however, are not covered by those rules because ships, trains, trucks and cargo equipment are considered 'mobile sources' that are regulated less stringently." Los Angeles Times (October 5, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53819]

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Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant. By the California Air Resources Board. (The Board, Sacramento, California) 2005. 19 p.

Full Text at: www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/ets/finalreport/execsum.pdf

["A report links environmental tobacco smoke to a variety of health effects ranging from asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and increased incidences of breast cancer in non-smoking pre-menopausal women.... The scientific record is increasingly clear that smokers are putting their families and friends at risk if they regularly smoke in their presence." California Environment Protection News Release (September 29, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53820]

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Wilderness Society, et al. v. U.S. Forest Service, et al. U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief. October 5, 2005. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.pacrivers.org/roadlesscomp10.05.pdf

["Major environmental groups sued the Bush administration over its repeal of a Clinton administration ban on road-building and development in vast pristine areas of U.S. national forests. The suit by 20 organizations, including the Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, follows a suit filed August 30 by California and three other states. Both challenge the government's decision in May that potentially opened some of the forests' 58.5 million roadless acres to logging and mining trucks and off-road vehicles." San Francisco Chronicle (October 7, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53821]

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National Parks Service Management Policies: Draft. By the U.S. National Park Service. (The Service, Washington, DC) October 18, 2005.

Full Text at: tinyurl.com/ex8cv

["The Bush administration has backed away from the most controversial parts of a proposed revision of National Park Service policy that critics said would have opened the park system to more commercial activity and off-road vehicle use. Although the new draft quieted the storm, it did not allay all concerns. Some said the new proposal could still subtly erode the service's historical emphasis on park conservation in favor of more attention to visitor uses.... The revision is subject to a 90-day public comment period." Los Angeles Times (October 19, 2005)

[Request #S53822]

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Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman's Associations, et al. v. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, et al. U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. 03-16718. October 18, 2005. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/2313CF1C06066AF18825709D006F966F/$file/0316718.pdf?openelement

["The federal government is not supplying enough water to the Klamath River to sustain the dwindling coho salmon, a court ruled in a victory for conservationists and fishing interests in southern Oregon and northwestern California.... The Bureau of Reclamation's irrigation plan from 2002 to 2010 will provide the coho with only 57 percent of the water it needs -- based on the government's figures -- and fails to explain how the species will survive.... The court told a federal judge in Oakland to order the government to take immediate steps to preserve the coho, which was declared a threatened species in 1997." San Francisco Chronicle (October 19, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53823]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

Oil and Gas Giving in the States. By Sue O'Connell. The Institute on Money in State Politics. (The Institute, Helena, Montana) October 3, 2005. 6 p.

Full Text at: www.followthemoney.org/press/Reports/200510031.pdf

["With natural disasters battering the oil and gas industry along the Gulf Coast, Americans have seen a sharp increase in gas prices, as well as predictions of higher home heating costs this winter. Politicians across the country are blaming the industry for price gouging and looking at ways to ease the effects of higher prices, ranging from suspensions of state gasoline taxes to investigations into pricing practices.... Even before disaster struck in the form of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the oil and gas industry made significant contributions to state political candidates and political party contributions -- particularly in the states where they do big business."]

[Request #S53825]

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Shifting Gears: State Party Strategies Post-Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. By the Institute on Money in State Politics. (The Institute, Helena, Montana) September 2005. 104 p.

Full Text at: www.followthemoney.org/press/Reports/200509261.pdf

["To determine the effects the federal reform has on state-level party committees, the Institute closely examined how state political party committees and legislative caucuses in 13 selected states changed the ways in which they raised and spent soft money during the 2004 election cycle. This was the first election cycle since enactment of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, more commonly known as the McCain-Feingold Act."]

[Request #S53826]

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Building Confidence in U.S. Elections. By Commission on Federal Election Reform. (The Commission, Washington, DC) September 2005. 113 p.

Full Text at: www.american.edu/ia/cfer/report/full_report.pdf

["A report recommends widespread overhaul of election practices to make it easier for Americans to vote and to guarantee that their votes are counted. Seeking to overcome the flaws that brought election turmoil to Florida in 2000 and to Ohio last year — and that cast doubt on the outcome nationally — they are calling for election oversight to be removed from politicians and given to nonpartisan election professionals." Los Angeles Times (September 19, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53827]

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Emergency Preparedness and Response Could Better Integrate Information Technology with Incident Response and Recovery. By the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (The Department, Washington, DC) September 2005. 60 p.

Full Text at: www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/OIG_05-36_Sep05.pdf

["FEMA relies heavily on a range of information technology (IT) systems and tools to carry out its response and recovery operations. Strategic management of these assets is important to ensure that the technology can perform effectively during times of disaster and tremendous stress."]

[Request #S53828]

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Restoring the Competitive Edge: California's Need for Redistricting Reform and the Likely Impact of Proposition 77. By Douglas Johnson and others. The Rose Institute of State and Local Government. (The Institute, Claremont, California) September 26, 2005. 36 p.

Full Text at: research.mckenna.edu/rose/redistricting/Rose%20Report%20on%20Redistricting%20and%20Prop%2077%20v12%20report.pdf

["Under Proposition 77, retired judges rather than lawmakers would draw political boundaries. The measure would require that districts be as compact as possible and minimize the splitting of cities and counties. Redistricting experts caution against expecting a dramatic shake-up of political power."]

[Request #S53824]

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Proposition 76: Key Issues and Fiscal Effects. By Elizabeth G. Hill, Legislative Analyst's Office. (LAO, Sacramento, California) September 30, 2005. 13 p.

Full Text at: lao.ca.gov/2005/prop_76/prop_76_093005.pdf

[The ballot analysis ... from the nonpartisan legislative analyst's office, said schools would be guaranteed at least $3.8 billion a year less than under the current system.... The analysis also said the measure would, as intended, keep the state from spending more than it brings in." Los Angeles Times (October 7, 2005) B1.]

[Request #S53830]

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Proposition 76's New Spending Cap Could Require Substantial Spending Cuts. By Jean Ross, California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) September 2005. 5 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2005/0509_spendingcap.pdf

["Proponents of Proposition 76 argue that the new cap is designed to 'smooth' state spending. This Brief examines the provisions of Proposition 76 that would establish a new limit on state spending and finds that the proposed cap could lead to a significant reduction in state spending over time."]

[Request #S53833]

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HEALTH

CAREGIVERS

Young Caregivers in the U.S.: Findings from a National Survey. By Gail Hunt and others. National Alliance for Caregiving. September 2005. 66 p.

Full Text at: www.caregiving.org/data/youngcaregivers.pdf

["More than one million U.S. children ages eight to 18 care for relatives who are ill or have disabilities.... Some 1.3 million to 1.4 million child caregivers remain "largely ... hidden" because they 'stay silent' out of "fear [of] being separated from their parents. Most child caregivers provide help to grandparents or parents with illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease and cancer. 58% of child caregivers help with at least one routine daily activity, such as bathing or eating, and nearly all help with shopping, household tasks and meal preparation. Caregiving children are more likely to be from low-income, minority families and single-parent households." CaliforniaHealthline (September 14, 2005)1.]

[Request #S53834]

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Health Insurance Coverage in the United States Latino Population. By the California-Mexico Health Initiative (The Center, Berkeley, California) October 2005. 2 p.

Full Text at: www.ucop.edu/cprc/documents/cmhi_ins_coverage.pdf

[“Mexican immigrants face a profound vulnerability when it comes to health care access and are far less likely than U.S. natives to visit a doctor, have health insurance or use emergency rooms.... Authors of the report said disparities in health care, most prevalent among recent immigrants, pose social and economic challenges for both countries.... It doesn’t help the California economy, the U.S. economy or the Mexican economy to have workers who are getting sick.” Sacramento Bee (October 14, 2005) A4.]

[Request #S53836]

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The Medicare Drug Benefit: Summary of Plan Offerings in California. By Avalere Health. (California HealthCare Foundation, Oakland, California) October 2005. 2 p.

Full Text at: www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/MedicareDrugBenefitSummaryOfPlanOfferings.pdf

["This fact sheet presents ... an overview of the available drug plans, including the cost of monthly premiums, number of 100 most commonly used drugs available and percentage of plans offering coverage in the "doughnut hole" coverage gap. Information about benefit design, cost-sharing requirements, each plan's appeals process, and the list of counties in which plans will operate, is needed to develop a complete picture of the options available throughout the state."]

[Request #S53837]

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The Medicare Drug Benefit: Impact on Nursing Facilities. By Alexis Ahlstrom and others, Avalere Health, LLC. (California HealthCare Foundation, Oakland, California) October 2005. 10 p.

Full Text at: www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/MedicareDrugBenefitNursingFacilities.pdf

["This issue brief examines the short- and long-term impact of the Medicare drug benefit on the state’s 1,300 nursing facilities and their 105,000 residents. It also offers recommendations for managing and monitoring the transition to the new coverage plans.... Considering the limited access that nursing facility residents have to traditional medical resources like physicians and pharmacists, nursing facility staff will need to play a leading role in helping residents select an adequate and affordable drug plan."]

[Request #S53838]

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The Medicare Drug Benefit: Implications for Chronic Disease Care. By Chiquita White, Avalere Health. (California HealthCare Foundation, Oakland, California) October 2005. 19 p.

Full Text at: www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/MedicareDrugBenefitChronicDiseaseCare.pdf

["Many Medicare beneficiaries will face utilization management tools, such as formularies and tiered cost sharing, for the first time. Potential implications include limited access to medications, new out-of-pocket expenses, and gaps in coverage, particularly for those eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal, who now have wide access to medications. The brief reviews the roles federal and state officials can play in easing the transition, and makes recommendations to ensure that beneficiaries get the information they need to make decisions about their care."]

[Request #S53839]

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HOUSING

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The High Cost of Credit: Disparities in High-priced Refinance Loans to Minority Homeowners in 125 American Cities. By the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. (The Association, Oakland, California.) September 27, 2005. 34 p.

Full Text at: www.acorn.org/fileadmin/Afforable_Housing/hmda/High_Cost_of_Credit_Report.doc

["A racial disparity in mortgage lending rates appears to be sharper in Los Angeles and other California metropolitan areas than the rest of the country. The study looked into the percentage of higher-cost loans issued to minority communities compared with nonminority communities in the same metropolitan area." Los Angeles Times (September 29, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S53840]

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Another Crisis in the Making!: How the Subprime Mortgage Industry is Sandbagging Katrina-affected Homeowners. By the Association of Community Organization for Reform Now. (The Association, Washington, DC) September 22, 2005.

Full Text at: acorn.org/uploads/media/CrisisInTheMaking-MortgageServicingAndKatrina.pdf

["A large percentage of homeowners affected by Hurricane Katrina can expect their mortgage lenders to keep pressuring them to make payments, even though the government and many mortgage banks promised debt relief... Only half of 40 subprime lenders queried were suspending mortgage payments for 90 days or more -- a practice that was standard among prime lenders. Most of the remainder offered 30- to 60-day payment suspensions, and some provided no suspensions."]

[Request #S53841]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHILDREN

Who Gets the Child Tax Credit? By Len Burman and Laura Wheaton. (The Tax Policy Center, Urban Institute, Washington, DC) October 3, 2005. 12 p.

Full Text at: www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411232_child_tax_credit.pdf

["In 1997, Congress created a $500-per-child tax credit, which has since been increased to $1,000 and made available to some low-income families with children. Still, many families receive less than $1,000 per child, according to this report. Due to differences in income, composition, and employment status, 50 percent of black children and 46 percent of Hispanic young people receive no or reduced benefits from the child tax credit, compared with 18 percent of white children."]

[Request #S53842]

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Supporting Families With Incarcerated Parents: Strengthening Families. By the Family Strengthening Policy Center. Policy Brief No. 8. (The Center, Washington, DC) 2005. 14 p.

Full Text at: www.nassembly.org/fspc/practice/documents/brief8_2_.pdf

["This brief examines risk and protective factors of children of incarcerated parents; intervention models as well as state and federal initiatives to address this vulnerable population. Special section on developmental effects of parental arrest on children and State Department of Corrections initiatives related to families of inmates."]

[Request #S53845]

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Katrinia's Window: Confronting Concentrated Poverty Across America. By Alan Berube and Bruce Katz. Brookings Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) October 2005. 13 p.

Full Text at: www.brook.edu/metro/pubs/20051012_Concentratedpoverty.pdf

["Hurricane Katrinas' assault on New Orlean's most vulnerable residence and neighborhoods has reinvigorated a dialogue on race and class in America. This paper argues that the conversation should focus special attention on alleviating concentrated urban poverty -- the segregation of poor families into extremely distressed neighborhoods."]

[Request #S53846]

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HHS Awards Welfare High-Performance Bonuses. By Federal Funds Information for States. Issue Brief 05-42. (FFIS, Washington, DC) October 17, 2005. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/ffis/subs/ib/2005/IB05-42.pdf

["The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $200 million in fiscal year 2005 welfare high-performance bonuses to 41 states and the District of Columbia for performance in 2004.... The annual awards were allocated among the above categories, with the top states receiving an amount proportionate to their percentage of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant."]

[Request #S53847]

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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.]

EDUCATION

BILINGUAL EDUCATION

"Revisiting the Bilingual Debate From the Perspectives of Parents: Policy, Practice, and Matches or Mismatches." By Tom T. Stritikus and Eugene Garcia. IN: Educational Policy, vol. 19, no. 5 (November 2005) pp. 729-744.

["We draw from two separate sources: the research literature regarding what are the best practices for ELL students, and a statewide survey of parent public opinion regarding education in Arizona, which similar to California, passed a voter initiative in 2000 to end bilingual education. By considering parental opinions and the extant research, we might improve our chances of meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students."]

[Request #S53848]

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