State & Local Corporate Welfare

State and local governments spend $80 billion a year trying to attract businesses away from each other, reports the New York Times. This is a giant zero-sum game, the paper suggests, and in fact may even slow growth in some areas by increasing the tax burden. The Times even admits that it has received $24 […]

Amy Oliver Show: Common Core Concerns Resurface in Colorado

Former assistant education secretary Bill Evers explains why he continues to resist the strong push for Common Core national education standards. The quality of standards and questions about federal influence of classroom curricula have fueled pushback in several states. Though the Common Core was adopted here two years ago, Colorado may be next, as the State Board of Education has sought input from national experts.

Liberty Common HS Principal Bob Schaffer Honored for State Board Service

Not many students can say their principal has served in Congress and chairs the State Board of Education, and has been a great champion for parental choice and positive educational transformation. The State Board this week honors the service of outgoing chair Bob Schaffer, who soon will be able to invest more of his energies as principal of the young but successful Liberty Common High School in Fort Collins.

Relieving Congestion with Adaptive Cruise Control

Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board listed mandatory adaptive cruise control and other collision-avoidance technologies as one of its ten most wanted safety improvements in 2013. Such a mandate, the NTSB estimates, could reduce highway fatalities by 50 percent. Honda’s illustration of how adaptive cruise control can reduce congestion. In normal traffic, when a […]

I Don’t Have Time to Tell You Why Longer School Days Aren’t Enough

The concept of time is the topic of 100 proverbs and cliches. In the world of education reform, it definitely doesn’t feel like time is on our side. Every year of delay in debating, approving and implementing important policy changes — including expanded parental choice — is a year many students will not get back. […]

Streetcars as an Intelligence Test

The Antiplanner spent much of last week in San Antonio releasing a review of the city’s plans for a downtown streetcar. The trip turned out to be a lot more hectic (and with a lot less Internet access) than I expected, which is why I made so few posts last week. Sometimes I wonder if […]

How Many Tiny Houses Are in Houston?

San Francisco has approved the construction of tiny apartments as small as 150 square feet. Previous zoning required a minimum of at least 290 square feet. New York City is considering a similar measure. Tiny houses for sale in Petaluma, CA. Flickr photo by Nicolas Boulosa. Meanwhile, construction of 200-square-foot single-family homes is growing popular […]