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Episode 68: What Policy Solutions Should We be Focused On in the Year Ahead?
Free to Offend Episode 68 | Guest: Geoff Lawrence, Director of Research, Nevada Policy At first glance, it seems like divided government should make it harder to get meaningful reforms passed into law … but the truth is, there are still plenty of opportunities. Geoffrey Lawrence, director of research for… Read More
Recent News
It is not a sin to cut a green tree
The health of the forests in the Lake Tahoe Basin is of paramount importance to not only local residents, but President Clinton. It is one of three major topics to be discussed at the Tahoe Forum on July 26 and 27. The natural beauty of Tahoe is the area’s greatest asset and revenue producer—it attracts tourists on which local economy depends.
Spiked "Donargate" Stories
Newspaper reporters continue to discover major revelations about the fundraising scandal swirling around the Clinton administration. Journalists at papers such as the Wall Street Journal and Boston Globe have uncovered many facts about "donorgate," but print reporters’ colleagues in television news have displayed a disturbing unwillingness to relay such information to their audiences. This lack of coverage of significant donorgate developments is particularly troubling in Nevada, a state where access to major newspapers is limited. The Media Research Center (MRC), a Washington-based media analysis organization, conducted studies in March and May that document the lack of television coverage granted to fundraising stories. Herewith, a list of items relevant to the fundraising scandal, but completely overlooked by network news programs.
Smoke Screen: "Benefits" from New Clean Air Regulations
Government-imposed environmental regulations must constantly weigh the cost to the nation—economic effect—against the benefits to the environment—environmental effect. The Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory mandates tend to tip the scale in favor of the environmental effect at a high cost to the taxpayers, often with unproven environmental benefits. Superfund Cleanup sites are one example. The proposed Clean Air Act mandates could be another. The EPA’s new air quality standards have caused an uproar since they were proposed last November. President Clinton must decide on July 17 whether or not he will sign the regulations into law. He must weigh the economic effect against the environmental and, in this case, health benefits some say will be achieved. Following is a look at what recent studies show about the cost of these regulations and the expected effects.