Update: ethics complaints for travelin' PUC
You read it here first. PUC commissioners Ron Binz (chairman) and Matt Baker have made some ethically questionable trips during their tenure on the PUC: At least one trip appears particularly problematic. BENTEK Energy, an Evergreen-based energy company, paid nearly $1000 in travel expenses for Binz to attend and participate in the “Benposium” in Houston […]
Ben DeGrow’s Latest School Reform News Story Tackles Teacher Prep Report
On a busy Friday, the easy and preferred course of action is for me to point you to the latest School Reform News article by my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow. The title of the story is “Teacher Training Overhaul Would Leave Ed Schools in Charge”:
Following a blue-ribbon panel’s lead, the nation’s largest accreditation […]
The Case for Further Sentencing Reform in Colorado
The first and most basic duty of Colorado’s criminal justice system is to protect the innocent from force and fraud. And as a government service, the roughly $32,000 (average cost)1 taxpayers spend annually per state prisoner is a good bargain for the separation of violent and predatory criminals from the public.
Ritter's "New Energy Economy" Based on Old Fallacies
by Ari Armstrong If you think corporate welfare “creates jobs,” you might be an outgoing Colorado governor. As governor, Bill Ritter signed “an unprecedented 57 clean-energy bills into law,” a January 5 release from Colorado State University reviews. Now Ritter will join the university’s Center for the New Energy Economy, drawing a privately funded $300,000 […]
Colorado’s health “information exchanges” threaten your medical privacy
Colorado doctors will be participating in government sponsored “information exchanges,” that create electronic medical records from patient data. The Denver Post reviews past incidents when supposedly confidential information was not secure.
One More Nail
The Washington Post editorialized against spending any more tax dollars on California’s high-speed rail project, saying “California should have to fill in its project’s economic and logistical blanks” before more federal or even state dollars are spent. While no one is surprised to see fiscally conservative papers such as the Washington Examiner come out against […]
January 13: Landmark Day for Colorado K-12 Productivity and Innovation?
Today, January 13, 2011 … a significant day for innovation and productivity in Colorado K-12 education? It’s too early to say for sure. But a couple of Board decisions may mean as much. First, the Colorado State Board of Education — which yesterday broke in its new members by making their first decision on a […]
Superstreets Relieve Congestion
With many transportation planners have given up trying to relieve congestion or, worse, are trying to increase congestion in order to persuade people out of their automobiles. So it is refreshing to see some innovative ideas that will actually relieve congestion on the highways used for around 80 percent of our travel. One idea is […]
School Leaders, Officials Gather to Discuss Challenges Facing Online Education
On January 11, 2011, more than 30 of Colorado’s online educators, school leaders, experts and officials gathered at the Independence Institute for an important meeting focused on online and blended learning. Those in attendance were able to learn about national trends and the recommendations of the Digital Learning Council, to discuss obstacles to promoting innovation […]
New Calculator Tool Lets You Approach “Quality Counts” Claims with Care
If you’re stuck in the education bubble, the big news for this week is Education Week’s release of its annual “Quality Counts” report. The national publication uses a wide range of metrics to rate states on their K-12 performance and policies. Since I can guarantee you that some prominent official or media figure in 2011 […]
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative misleads again
It’s been illegal to drop coverage when someone gets sick since 1997. The 2010 health control bill did not change this, despite what Dede de Percin of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative says.
Virginia Light Rail Woes
The city manager for Norfolk, Virginia, has been forced to resign due to allegations that she knew about light rail cost overruns but failed to inform the city council. The senior vice president for development of Norfolk’s transit agency, Hampton Roads Transit, has also quit in response to allegations that her mismanagement led to the […]
