Stimulus: Where's the $787 Billion?
George Guess, co-director of the Center for Public Finance Research, was quoted in a BusinessWeek story about the $787 billion stimulus plan passed by Congress, and the current state of funding distribution. "There are real constraints -- physical, legal, and then just the process of how fast you can commit funds," he said. "It's the way it works in a decentralized democracy, and that's what we're stuck with." View the entire article.
Terrorists and Tobacco
Sharon Melzer, a professor in the School of Public Affairs, was quoted in an online story for Miami New Times about the cigarette smuggling trade funding terrorism. "That case opened a lot of eyes to the links between cigarettes and terror groups," said Melzer about the 2002 conviction of a pair of Lebanese-American brothers who raised nearly $8 million for Hezbollah by exploiting differences in tobacco taxes between North Carolina (where they lived) and Michigan (where they sold cigarettes). "It's extraordinarily difficult to prove those links. That's why we've really only seen one successful prosecution under that law," Melzer added, referencing a current case in Miami involving ties to the Irish Republican Army. View the full article.
Migraines and Grades
Joseph Sabia, a professor of public administration and policy, released new research coauthored with Daniel Rees from the University of Colorado Denver that links migraines in high school students to more academic challenges and a decreased likelihood of attending college. The research was discussed in more than 20 news outlets, including the Sacramento Bee and the Denver Daily News. "We know that migraine headaches can profoundly impact quality of life. Our study offers evidence that they are an important obstacle to long-term academic success," Sabia said. "Our results show that migraine sufferers have trouble attending school and have trouble concentrating on the days they do make it to school." The research was presented at the 84th Annual Conference of the Western Economic Association International on July 2. View the full article.
Let's Make a Deal
Patrick Griffin, director of the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute, commented about the need for lobbyists in politics during a nationally-broadcast segment on National Public Radio's Morning Edition. "It is always an asset to support the people that are supporting your point of view," he said. "I think the real point of contention is whether the money follows the votes or the votes follow the money." View the summary and listen to the broadcast.
Solution to Health Care Reform?
Robert Carroll, executive-in-residence at the School of Public Affairs, contributed commentary about President Obama's health care reform plan and its affect on existing health care markets to the New York Times Economix news blog. "Reliance on the private market is crucial to ensure consumers continue to receive the health care they demand and for innovation to go unhindered," he wrote. "But it is unlikely that reform can be fully successful without addressing the poor incentives associated with the exclusion for employer-sponsored insurance. And the tax exclusion itself cannot be altered significantly without insurance market reforms to ensure a well-functioning individual market." View the full blog entry.
Immigration's Affect on the Workforce
Rita Simon, professor of public affairs, was quoted in an Oregonian story about the immigration battle and negative backlash from U.S. citizens. "They're anti-immigrant because they are vulnerable," she said. "They're concerned that immigrants come in, take their jobs and replace them." View the full article.
Space Travel on a Budget
Howard McCurdy, a professor of public policy, was quoted in an Associated Press story about a NASA budgeting strategy that could call for a cost-effective rocket for space travel. Based on the cheaper alternative's smaller price tag and dated model, McCurdy suggested that NASA officials are concerned that "there won't be enough money for the Cadillac version." This story was picked up by more than 40 news outlets, including BusinessWeek, USA Today and the Washington Post. View the BusinessWeek article.
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Budget Office
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The major undertaking of American University’s Budget Office is to create annual and long-range University budgets.
