August 1854 - "The California State Fair has over 140 years of history behind it. Sponsored by the California State Agricultural Society, the exhibition of horses, cattle, mules, and other stock, and agricultural, mechanical, and domestic manufacture and productions promoted the new state's growing agricultural industry. The California State Fair has come a long way since it began in 1854, when the stars of the show included a 72-pound beet and other gargantuan produce. http://ceres.ca.gov/geo_area/counties/San_Francisco/landmarks.html "    

August 1854 - "Menlo Park was officially named in 1854. Two Irishmen, Dennis J. Oliver and D.C. McGlynn, bought 1,700 acres of land near County Road. The men were married to sisters. They built two homes with a common entrance. Across the driveway they built an arch on which they placed the name of their home, Menlo Park. They placed the date of August 1854 under the name. When the railroad came through Menlo Park, … (railroad officials) felt the station needed a name. They looked at the estate gates and arches and saw the name across the top. The official decided that would be the designated name. This station is the oldest California station in continuous operation. http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/cacountymenlopark.htm#history"    

Introductory Material

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.

CALIFORNIA READER

CALIFORNIA READER

PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey of Californians and the Future. By Mark Baldassare, Public Policy Institute of California. (The Institute, San Francisco, California.) August 2004. 44 p.

Full Text at: www.ppic.org/content/pubs/S_804MBS.pdf

["If there's one thing Californians have in common, it is an abiding belief that while housing, the economy and public education may be bad now, they are probably going to get worse.... The survey of 2,506 Californians was conducted in five languages between May 24 and June 8 as part of a year-long study on the effect of a projected state population increase of 10 million more residents by 2025." San Francisco Chronicle (August 5, 2004) 1.]

[Request #S3791]

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

CORRECTIONAL POPULATIONS

Why Are We So Punitive? Some Observations on Recent Incarceration Trends. By Randall G. Shelden, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. (The Center, San Francisco, California) 2004. 17 p.

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

["[Prison] growth has outpaced the growth of crime.... Looking back over the 30-year period from 1971 to 2000, the overall crime rate remained roughly the same (4,124 per 100,000 in 2000 compared to 4,165 in 1971), while the rate of imprisonment increased almost five-fold."]

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United States of America v. Thomas Cameron Kincade. U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. 02-50380. August 18, 2004. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/BADFFFC872DBA30288256EF300802EBD/$file/0250380.pdf?openelement

["A federal appeals court reversed itself and ruled that the government can draw blood from federal parolees for a DNA databank used to investigate crimes -- a decision that dissenters called an invitation to repression. The 6-5 ruling upholds a 2000 federal law and lifts a cloud over similar laws in every state.... Defense lawyer Monica Knox said she would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court." San Francisco Chronicle (August 19, 2004) 1.]

[Request #S3793]

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Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the United States. By the Sentencing Project. (The Project, Washington, DC) 2004. 3 p.

Full Text at: www.sentencingproject.org/pdfs/1046.pdf

["The scale of felony voting disenfranchisement in the U.S. is far greater than in any other nation and has serious implications for democratic processes and racial inclusion.... Policymakers at the state and federal level should reconsider these policies in light of legitimate correctional objectives and the democratic interests served by recognizing the right to vote of all sectors of the population."]

[Request #S3794]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

AMERICAN INDIANS

"Indian Schools Struggling with Federal Mandates." By Sean Cavanagh. IN: Education Week (July 28, 2004) online.

Full Text at: www.edweek.org/ew/ew_printstory.cfm?slug=43Bia.h23

["The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) oversees 185 schools serving 48,000 students in 23 states.... State and local leaders representing rural districts across the country have raised concerns about the The No Child Left Behind Act's impact. But even in comparison with those districts, BIA systems face challenges that still stand out."]

[Request #S3797]

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Bill Lockyer, et al v. City and County of San Francisco, et al. California Supreme Court. S122923. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/S122923.PDF

["The court unanimously struck down San Francisco's attempt to legalize same-sex marriages, saying Mayor Gavin Newsom had illegally defied the state law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.... The justices steered clear of the constitutional issue and instead focused on the narrower question of whether a local official can refuse to enforce a state law before a court has declared the law invalid." San Francisco Chronicle (August 13, 2004) 1.]

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DEMOGRAPHY

IMMIGRATION

Taking Chances: The Folly of the Visa Lottery. By Mark Krikorian, Center for Immigration Studies. Backgrounder. (The Center, Washington, DC) July 2004. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.cis.org/articles/2004/back804.pdf

["The diversity lottery established in 1986 has taken a life of its own. It has evolved over the years, and now offers a maximum of 50,000 visas per year to people from 'underrepresented' countries.... Unlike other components of the federal immigration program, the lottery has no constituency. The program seems to persist for two reasons: nostalgia and fear of the slippery slope."]

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ECONOMY

INCOME

The Shape of the Curve: Household Income Distributions in U.S. Cities, 1979-1999. By Alan Berube and Thacher Tiffany, The Brookings Institute. (The Institute, Washington, DC) August 2004. 36 p.

Full Text at: www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/metro/pubs/20040803_income.pdf

["Sharp contrasts between pockets of poverty and wealth characterize most cities. In fact, over the latter part of the 20th century, the number of extremely poor communities in the U.S. rose dramatically, with most concentrated within central cities. This trend owed to policies and economic and social forces that confined growing poor, mostly black, populations to urban centers.... The resulting conditions ... helped prompt the 'flight' of many middle and upper-income, mostly white, families to rapidly developing suburbs and beyond."]

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State and Local Sales Tax Revenue Losses from E-Commerce: Estimates as of July 2004. By Donald Bruce and William F. Fox, Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Tennessee. (The Center, Knoxville, Tennessee) July 2004. 12 p.

Full Text at: cber.bus.utk.edu/ecomm/Ecom0704.pdf

["The experience of the last several years indicates that e-commerce has been a less robust channel for transacting goods and services than was anticipated ... Expectations continue for strong growth in e-commerce in coming years. Thus, the revenue erosion from e-commerce continues to represent a significant loss to state and local governments."]

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A Regional View of Social Disparities: A Visual Examination of the Socio-Economic Status of the Greater Sacramento Region. By the Community Services Planning Council, Inc. (The Council, Sacramento, California) 2004. 78 p.

Full Text at: www.greatvalley.org/pub_documents/2004_5_28_0_8_37_A_Regional_View_2004.pdf

["Motivations behind the report [include] cross-jurisdictional disputes between counties and cities in the [greater Sacramento] region over urban sprawl... How to share local sales tax revenue and provide shelter for the homeless, care for the indigent, mass transit and adequate housing for low-income residents." The Sacramento Bee (August 1, 2004) E1.]

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EDUCATION

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

State Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act: Respecting Diversity Among States: ECS Report to the Nation. By the Education Commission of the States. (The Commission, Denver, Colorado) July 2004. 95 p.

Full Text at: www.ecs.org/html/Special/NCLB/ReportToTheNation/docs/Report_to_the_Nation.pdf

["Education Commission of the States has identified five overarching recommendations -– and a number of suggested actions -– for federal officials and state policymakers to consider should they choose to modify or adjust provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act: 1) Embrace NCLB as a civil rights issue; 2) Ensure performance growth of all students, not just low-performing students 3) Reassess adequate yearly progress; 4) Strengthen highly qualified teacher requirements; and 5) Build state and local capacity."]

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Speaking English in Santa Ana: Proposition 227 Then and Now. Superior Court of California County of Orange: Grand Jury Report. (The Court, Orange County, California) 2004. And School District Submits Response to Grand Jury Report: Press Release. By Santa Ana Unified School District. (The District, Santa Ana, California) 2004.

Full Text at:

["In response to a highly critical report by the Orange County Grand Jury, Santa Ana Unified School District officials defended their bilingual education classes as legal and helpful to students. The [jury's] report, which came after years of controversy over how the district teaches its Spanish-speaking students, [criticized school] officials for overemphasizing bilingual classes." Los Angeles Times (July 27, 2004) 1.]

Grand Jury Report. 20 p.:
http://www.occourts.org/grndjury/bilingual.pdf

Santa Ana Unified School District Press Release. 1.:
http://www.sausd.k12.ca.us/departments/pio/release.asp?id=53

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Proposal A: Are We Better Off? A Ten-Year Analysis: 1993-94 Through 2003-04. By Kathryn Summers-Coty, Michigan State Senate Fiscal Agency. (The Agency, Lansing, Michigan) 2004. 44 p.

Full Text at: www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/Publications/Issues/PropA/ProposalATenYears.pdf

["The Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency has issued a report on the 10th anniversary of Proposal A, the school finance reform measure that dramatically changed the way that Michigan finances public K - 12 education. The Agency has found that most school districts are receiving less money under Proposal A than they were before approval by voters of the school funding change." State Tax Notes (July 5, 2004) 23.]

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Categorical School Finance: Who Gains, Who Loses? By Thomas B. Timar, University of California, Davis. Working Paper Series. 04-2. (Policy Analysis for California Education, Berkeley, California) 2004. 25 p.

Full Text at: pace.berkeley.edu/WP_04-2_Sch_Fin.pdf

["A chunk of money that ought to be going to the neediest students in the state is instead being channeled into schools serving more well-off and high-scoring children. The report was highly critical of a massive and tangled area of California school finance known as 'categoricals'.... Categoricals are special pots of money designated for specific purposes, such as Gifted and Talented Education and helping English learners." Sacramento Bee (July 15, 2004)1.]

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"No Child Left on Their Behind." By Elizabeth Crane. In: District Administration (July 2004) pp. 26-29.

Full Text at: www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=802

["The government has long been involved in what our children eat in school and how much they exercise. However, schools do not stand alone on the front lines of the obesity battle. Bringing in the support of families and the community is key to sustaining a successful health and nutrition program. The message needs to be consistent: healthy foods and physical activity are important components of a healthy life." Public Education Network Weekly (July 30, 2004)1.]

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School Meal Programs: Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools: Actions Taken to Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality. By the U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO-04-673. (The Office, Washington, DC) 2004. 36 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d04673.pdf

["The nation faces a complex challenge in addressing recent trends in children's health and eating habits.... The U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action to prevent and decrease ... obesity among all Americans, especially children.... Schools were identified as one of the key settings for public health strategies to address these issues."]

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ACLU and the State of California Reach Settlement in Historic Williams Education Lawsuit: Press Release. By the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. (ACLU, Los Angeles, California) August 13, 2004. 1 p.

Full Text at: www.aclu-sc.org/News/Releases/100740/

["Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration and the American Civil Liberties Union have tentatively settled a major education lawsuit that accused the state of denying poor children adequate textbooks, trained teachers and safe classrooms." Los Angeles Times (August 11, 2004)1.]

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ENERGY

ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY

Lighting Strikes Twice: California Faces the Real Risk of a Second Power Crisis: Taking the Right Steps to Ensure a Powerful Future. By Bay Area Economic Forum. (The Forum, San Francisco, California) August 2004. 28 p.

Full Text at: www.bayeconfor.org/pdf/BAEF2004v5.pdf

["Citing a growing danger of electricity shortages this summer or next, an advocacy group for business and local governments wants state officials to intervene by speeding up permitting of new power plants and allowing utilities to sign long-term contracts with power sellers. Those and other 'near-term fixes' will be needed to keep the lights on during the summer of 2006, the Bay Area Economic Forum warns." Contra Costa Times (August 9, 2004) 1.]

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Liquefied Natural Gas Import Terminals: Siting, Safety and Regulation. By Paul W. Parformak and Aaron M. Flynn, Congressional Research Service. RL32205. (Environmental Protection Information Center, Garberville, California) 2004. 26 p.

Full Text at: www.wildcalifornia.org/cgi-files/0/pdfs/1078177225_LNG_Ignites_Controversy_CRS_Report_to_Congress_LNG_Jan_04.pdf

["Amid the massive cargo-bearing ships at one of the world's busiest seaports, a Mitsubishi subsidiary wants to build California's first terminal for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from overseas.... In an uncontrolled LNG release, the Congressional Research Service said, a pool fire could erupt that would burn hotter and faster than a gasoline or oil fire. It said the fire could be extinguished only after all the fuel was consumed." Sacramento Bee (July 6,. 2004) 1.]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

AIR POLLUTION

Gaming the System: How Off-the-books Industrial Upset Emissions Cheat the Public Out of Clean Air. By the Environmental Integrity Project. (The Project, Washington, DC) August 2004.

["A new report from an environmental group charges that refineries across the country routinely exceed pollution limits because air quality regulators overlook episodic releases that occur when equipment breaks down or is shut down for maintenance.... At issue are refinery 'upsets,' or disruptions in normal operations that require refinery operators to dispose of gas through flares or vents. The report charged that many upsets could be avoided if refineries invested in more equipment." Contra Costa Times (August 19, 2004) 1.]

Report. 36 p.:
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pubs/EIP_upsets_report_appendixA.pdf

California Appendix. 36 p.:
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pubs/EIP_upsets_appenB_CA.pdf

[Request #S3816]

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Developing Methods to Reduce Bird Mortality in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area: PIER Final Project Report. By K. Shawn Smallwood and Carl G. Thelander, BioResource Consultants. Prepared for the California Energy Commission. (The Commission, Sacramento, California) August 2004.

["Scientists proposed ways to reduce bird mortality at the Altamont Pass in eastern Alameda County, the world's largest wind farm and possibly the deadliest for fowl.... The report is the conclusion of a four-year study of bird deaths at Altamont, the most extensive research on the subject." Sacramento Bee (August 14, 2004) A3.]

Table of contents and executive summary. Various pagings.:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/500-04-052/500-04-052_00_EXEC_SUM.PDF

Full report. 520 p.:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/pier/reports/500-04-052.html

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"Emissions Pathways, Climate Change, and Impacts on California." By Katharine Hayhoe, and others. IN: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 101, no. 34 (August 24, 2004) pp. 12422-12427.

Full Text at: www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/0404500101v1.pdf

["Global warming could raise average temperatures as much as 10 degrees in California by the end of this century — sharply curtailing water supplies, causing a rise in heat-related deaths and reducing crop yields — if the world does not dramatically cut its dependence on fossil fuels.... The study contemplated the consequences of two distinct paths the industrialized world could take in response to a changing climate: maintaining its current reliance on coal, oil and gas, or massively investing in new technologies and alternative energy sources." Los Angeles Times (August 17, 2004) 1.]

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American Motorcycle Association District 37, et al. v. Gale Norton, et al. U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. C03-03807. August 3, 2004. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.ca.blm.gov/pdfs/cdd_pdfs/lawsuits-more/Ilston.Ruling.8.3.04.pdf

["The judge told the Department of Interior that it hadn't gone far enough in protecting the beleaguered tortoise on 4.1 million acres set aside for its recovery in the California desert.... The decision may have the effect of limiting cattle grazing and off-road vehicle use in the future. The judge also deemed illegal an 18-year-old Fish and Wildlife regulation for improperly interpreting the Act." San Francisco Chronicle (August 5, 2004) B3.]

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California Ocean Resources Management: A Strategy for Action: Draft for Public Review. By the California Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency. (The Agencies, Sacramento, California) August 4, 2004. 27 p.

Full Text at: www.resources.ca.gov/ocean/strategy_for_action/Draft_Strategy_for_Action.pdf

["The intent of this Action Plan is to recommend initial actions that the state should pursue to maintain its nationally-recognized leadership role in managing and protecting ocean and coastal resources. The goals of this Action Plan are simple yet far reaching: increase the abundance and diversity of aquatic life, make the water in those bodies cleaner; provide a marine and estuarine environment that Californians can productively use and safely enjoy; and support ocean-dependent economic activities."]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

CHURCH & STATE

Expanding the Administrative Presidency: George W. Bush and the Faith-Based Initiative. By Anne Farris, and others, Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government. (The Roundtable, Albany, New York) August 2004. 57 p.

Full Text at: www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/docs/policy/FB_Administrative_Presidency_Report_10_08_04.pdf

["The study is one of the first comprehensive looks at the Bush administration's efforts to redirect government grants to churches and other faith-based groups.... The report finds that the Bush programs mark a major shift in the constitutional separation of church and state.'" San Francisco Chronicle (August 17, 2004) 1.]

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FFIS Competitive Grant Update. By the Federal Funds Information for States. Update. 04-23-25. (FFIS, Washington, DC) July/August 2004. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/ffis/subs/cg/2004/CG04-23.htm

[Includes: "Conservation Partnership Initiative;" "Program for Background Checks for Employees with Direct Access to Individuals Who Require Long Term Care;" "Rural Health Network Development Grant Program;" "Develop Water Requirements for Specific Crops, Orchard and Forages in Support of the Caribbean Area Field Office Technical Guides;" "Grazing Land Conservation Initiative Program Technical Assistance;" "Technical Assistance to Monitor Wetland Reserve Program;" "Grazing Land Conservation Initiative Program Technical Assistance;" "Technical Assistance to Develop and Implement Conservation Programs;" "Making Smart Growth Work: Reuse and Revitalization of Vacant and Abandoned Properties, Request for Initial Proposals;" and others.]

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Soup to Nuts: An Analysis of Selected Recommendations of the California Performance Review. By the California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) August 6, 2004. 10 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2004/040806cpr.pdf

["The [California Performance Review] report(#S3574) proposes more than 1,000 recommendations aimed at increasing the efficiency of government and restructuring state agencies and departments.... Overall, the report fails to prioritize its recommendations and fails to distinguish proposals that largely affect the structure of government from those that could be implemented independently."]

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States Finally Receive Election Reform Grants. By Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS Issue Brief. 04-32. (FFIS, Washington, DC) August 12, 2004. 2 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/ffis/subs/ib/2004/IB04-32.pdf

["The Help America Vote Act authorized payments to help states meet the minimum standards set forth in the law.... In mid-June 2004, the Election Assistance Commission finally approved the disbursement of funds to states."]

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HEALTH

HEALTH CARE REFORM

Building a Better Health Care System: Specifications for Reform. By the National Coalition on Health Care. (The Coalition, Washington, DC) 2004. 28 p.

Full Text at: www.nchc.org/materials/studies/reform.pdf

["The report advocates: 1) Health coverage for all Americans within two to three years after enacting the enabling legislation; 2) a Congressionally-chartered board, charged with putting the brakes on accelerating health care cost increases; 3) a national effort to dramatically improve the quality, safety and value of health care; and 4) simplifying and modernizing the administration of health care." St. Louis Post-Dispatch (July 21, 2004) A1.]

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Proposed Implementation Approach: Federal Funding of Emergency Health Services Furnished to Undocumented Aliens: Federal Fiscal Years 2005-2008. By the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (The Centers, Baltimore, Maryland.) 2004. 36 p.

Full Text at: www.cms.hhs.gov/providers/mma1011.pdf

["The federal government is offering $1 billion to hospitals that provide emergency care to undocumented immigrants. But to get the money, hospitals would have to ask patients about their immigration status." New York Times (August 10, 2004) A1.]

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Update on Fiscal Relief Grants to States. By Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS Issue Brief. 04-30. (FFIS, Washington, DC) August 10, 2004. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/ffis/subs/ib/2004/IB04-30.pdf

["The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 provided an estimated $20 billion in fiscal relief to states through two provisions. The Federal Medical Assistance Percentage was enhanced for all states for five calendar quarters -- estimated to increase Medicaid grants $10 billion -- and an additional $10 billion was provided to states through new Treasury state fiscal relief programs. This brief provides an update on spending and other information from the P.L. 108-27 provisions."]

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Department of Mental Health: State and Federal Regulations Have Hampered Its Implementation of Legislation Meant to Strengthen the Status of Psychologists at Its Hospitals. By the California State Auditor, Bureau of State Audits. 2003-114. (The Bureau, Sacramento, California) July 2004. 62 p.

Full Text at: www.bsa.ca.gov/bsa/pdfs/2003-114.pdf

["As requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, the Bureau of State Audits presents its audit report concerning the Department of Mental Health’s (department) implementation of Chapter 717, Statutes of 1998 (Chapter 717), commonly known as Assembly Bill 947.This report concludes that even though the department has acted to implement Chapter 717 at its four hospitals, a key issue—whether psychologists have the authority to serve as attending clinicians in patient care and treatment— remains unresolved."]

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Get It Together: How to Integrate Physical and Mental Health Care for People with Serious Mental Disorders: Executive Summary. By Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. (The Center, Washington, DC) 2004. 12 p.

Full Text at: www.bazelon.org/issues/general/publications/getittogether/execsummary.pdf

["Numerous studies over the last 30 years document high rates of serious physical health-related problems and premature death among people with serious mental illnesses, yet detection of these problems remains poor. Integration of physical and mental health services can improve health outcomes and consumer satisfaction and promote efficiency in health care financing." Moving Ideas (August 11, 2004) 1.]

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Drug Reimportation: The Free Market Solution. By Roger Pilon, The Cato Institute. Policy Analysis No. 521. (The Institute, Washington, DC) August 4, 2004. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa521.pdf

["The libertarian Cato Institute, in direct conflict with its allies in the Bush administration, argues that Congress ought to lift the ban on prescription drug imports and let the global marketplace sort out imbalances that leave Americans paying the highest prices in the world." Washington Post (August 4, 2004) A2.]

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A Nation's Health at Risk II: A Front Row Seat in a Changing Health Care System. By the National Association of Community Centers. Special Topics Issue Brief. No. 7.(The Centers, Betheseda, Maryland) August 2004. 28 p.

Full Text at: www.nachc.org/press/pdf/NationsHealthIISTIB7.pdf

["Patients lacking health insurance are flooding U.S. emergency rooms, many seeking routine care they should get elsewhere, says a report.... It found the number of uninsured patients getting care at the centers ... grew by 11 percent during 2003 alone.... An estimated 43 million Americans lack health insurance and either go without health care or rely on nonprofit, community centers. Or they visit emergency rooms, which by law, must provide basic, needed care." Reuters (August 9, 2004)1.]

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HUMAN SERVICES

FAMILIES

Implementing Programs to Strengthen Unwed Parents' Relationships: Lessons from Family Connections in Alabama. By M. Robin Dion and Debra A. Strong, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Prepared for Administration of Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Mathematica, Princeton, New Jersey) 2004. 50 p.

Full Text at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/imppro.pdf

["Family Connections in Alabama (FCA), a 12-month project conducted in 2003, provided family life education to low-income unmarried parents of young children. This report describes and develops lessons learned from FCA that are relevant for designing and implementing programs to serve low-income unmarried couples having a child together."]

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Holes in the Safety-net: Study of Funding Cutbacks and Safety-net Nonprofits in California. By Florence L. Green, California Association of Nonprofits, and Thomas E. Backer, Human Interaction Research Institute. (The Association, Los Angeles, California) 2004.

["In February and March 2004, California Association of Nonprofits and the nonprofit Human Interaction Research Institute – with support from the California Endowment – conducted a statewide study to determine the impacts of the economy and the state budget crisis on safety-net nonprofits and the communities they serve. The aims of the study were (1) to learn more about the extent and consequences of recent cutbacks in funding for safety-net nonprofits in California and (2) to identify some creative strategies by which nonprofits are coping with these cutbacks."]

Executive Summary. 7 p.:
http://www.canonprofits.org/safety-net/CAN-HIRI-Executive-Summary.pdf

Safety-net Study. 74 p.:
http://www.canonprofits.org/safety-net/CAN-HIRI-Safety-netStudy.pdf

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Guides for the Journey: Supporting High-Risk Youth with Paid Mentors and Counselors. By Thomas J. Smith, Public Private Ventures. (Public Private Ventures, New York, New York) 2004. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/173_publication.pdf

["This paper explores the potential of a novel and emerging approach to increasing the level and quality of adult involvement with high-risk youth: extended contact with a paid mentor-counselor work in practice, and how they effectively complement both the professional cadre and the unpaid volunteers who work with young people. It presents a rationale for the paid mentor-counselor, discusses how such programs can be implemented and suggests why they should attract the interest of policy-makers and founders."]

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TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL FUNDS

Transportation Issues and Updates. By Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS Issue Brief. 04-31. (FFIS, Washington, DC) August 12, 2004. 2 p.

Full Text at: www.ncsl.org/ffis/subs/ib/2004/IB04-31.pdf

["Efforts to enact a multiyear extension of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the authorizing legislation for the federal-aid highway and mass transit programs, have been unsuccessful, as major differences about both funding levels and the distribution of funds remain between the House and the Senate. A fifth short-term extension had been enacted, but it leaves unresolved issues at the end of federal fiscal year 2004."]

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Fixing It First: Targeting Infrastructure Investments to Improve State Economies and Invigorate Existing Communities. By Matt Lambert, Center for Best Practices, National Governor's Association, and others. (The Association, Washington, DC) August 2004.

["By prioritizing investments in roads, schools, utilities, housing and other infrastructure in a way that leverages and enhances existing assets before building new [assets], states are enjoying substantial benefits.... This brief reviews the differing strategies of seven states and reveals that they pursue fix-it-first to achieve three primary goals."]

Issue brief. 10 p.:
http://www.nga.org/cda/files/0408FIXINGFIRST.pdf

State Overview. 2 p.:
http://www.nga.org/cda/files/0408FIXFIRSTCHART.pdf

[Request #S3842]

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Surface Transportation: Many Factors Affect Investment Decisions. By the U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO-04-744. (The Office, Washington, DC) June 2004. 54 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d04744.pdf

["This report provides information about the processes that state and regional transportation decisionmakers use to analyze and select transportation infrastructure investments. GAO identified (1) key federal requirements for planning and deciding on such investments, (2) how benefit-cost analysis facilitates sound decisionmaking, and (3) other factors that decision-makers consider in evaluating and deciding on investments."]

[Request #S3843]

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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.]

ECONOMY

U.S. ECONOMY

Performance 2004: Productivity, Employment and Income in the World's Economics. By Robert H. McGuckin and Bart van Ark, The Conference Board. Research Report R-1351-04-RR. (The Board, New York, New York) 2004. 26 p.

["This report highlights comparisons of productivity and per capita income levels, how they relate to each other and what the differences imply about business opportunities and the operation of markets."]

[Request #S3844]

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HEALTH

VACCINES

"Safety and Immunogenicity of a Recombinant Multivalent Group A Streptococcal Vaccine in Healthy Adults." By Karen L. Kotloff and others. IN: Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 292, no.6 (August 11,2004) pp. 709-715.

["Scientists say they are making headway in developing a vaccine against a common strep germ, the cause of millions of sore throats as well as a deadly but uncommon flesh-eating disease. A test of an experimental vaccine in just 28 people prompted an immune response with no serious side effects, but it's still not known if the shot would keep people from catching the strep germ." San Francisco Chronicle (August 11, 2004)A5.]

[Request #S3845]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHILD SUPPORT

"Understanding How Child-Support Arrears Reached $18 Billion in California." By Elaine Sorensen. IN: AEA Papers and Proceedings, vol. 94 no. 2 (2004) pp. 312-316.

["The rapid growth of arrears in California added to the concern that the child-support program was failing. Public outcry over the program's performance resulted in the California Legislature enacting massive changes in 1999. As part of this reform, a study was mandated to ascertain the collectibility of California's child support arrears. This paper draws and expands upon the findings of that study."]

[Request #S3846]

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