State Policy Network

Soon premiering in New Mexico, "Mine Your Own Business," a one-hour documentary highlighting environmentalism's dark side. The film highlights how western environmentalists are campaigning to keep some of the world's poorest people in poverty because the environmentalists think their impoverished way of life is quaint. May 20 in Albuquerque; May 21, Roswell; and May 22, Farmington. All showings begin at 5:30 pm. For details, write info@riograndefoundation.org.

The American Lung Association's State of the Air report ranks Pittsburgh area as having the sootiest air in the nation. However, this report, and thus the rankings, is flawed. To begin, the Pittsburgh ranking is based on only one of 16 air monitors in the region - the Liberty Borough monitor that sits in a valley near the nation's largest coke plant and the only monitor in the region to show readings above the national standard.

In keeping with transparent government, Sunshine on Schools is an easily searchable website containing North Dakota K-12 school budget data. The website was designed to be a tool for school board members and administrators, policymakers and taxpayers. In addition to basic school district information, the website contains historical data, and teacher and administrative salaries. Further, it tracks categorized revenue and spending back to 1985.

This report examines the economics of the MCCAP and methodology employed to assess the plan's costs and benefits. Three significant conclusions: costs and benefits are not quantified in a way that allows them to be compared; when estimating economic impacts, costs are sometimes misinterpreted as benefits; and cost estimates leave out important factors, including program expenses, alternative scenarios, and demand-based consumer responses.

Every 10 years, tuition doubles at Indiana's four-year public universities. On Mondays for five weeks, a new article will be posted that details the effects on Indiana students and what can be done to bring costs down. Upcoming articles: "Financial Aid: Benefits and Unintended Consequences"; "Debt Service Takes Money from Instruction"; "Surcharges and Overcharges Create Additional Burden for Students"; and "Bringing Accountability to Higher Education Pricing".