SPN Members Win Fisher Awards

Published on Sunday, June 01, 2008
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Two SPN members and an associate member were bestowed 2008 Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Awards, which honor think tanks that have made the greatest contributions to the public understanding of the free society. The Fisher Awards are presented by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Winners were recognized in April during Atlas' Liberty Forum in Atlanta.

The Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia was named a co-winner in the Young Institutes category for its book, Unleashing Capitalism: Why Prosperity Stops at the West Virginia Border and How to Fix It, edited by Russell S. Sobel, Ph.D., who also contributed to the publication. The 256-page book, which was the Foundation's first publication, has sold more that 5,000 copies. The West Virginia State Journal, a top business publication, commented, "This is likely to be the most important book of the next five years."

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy (Michigan) was presented an Award in the Innovative Projects category for its Students for Free Economy, "a nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of free markets, civil society and individual liberty over government coercion" at colleges and universities. In addition to providing resources, SFE helps create a network for students - and has fun. Last summer SFE hosted more than 25 events, including Competition Makes it Better, where it took 20 students to a baseball game to celebrate the late Milton Friedman's birthday and the value of competition.

In the Established Institutes category, the Independent Institute (California) was named a Fisher Award winner for Street Smart: Competition, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Roads, edited by Gabriel Roth. Atlas referred to Street Smart as a "truly path-breaking book" for its "numerous possible directions for private services, such as testing and licensing vehicles and drivers, management of government-owned road facilities, franchising, and outright private ownership." Planetizen, the Urban Planning and Development Network, named it one of 2007's Top 10 Books stating, "Street Smart provides a cogent challenge to the public sector's monopoly on roads. In this provocative and enlightening compilation, the leading thinkers on privatization put forth market-based solutions for providing roadways and dealing with traffic congestion."

Bluegrass Receives Fisher Venture Grant

The Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy in Kentucky was one of nine free-market organizations around the world to receive a $100,000 Dorian & Antony Fisher Venture Grant. Bluegrass was the sole recipient from the U.S. The Atlas Economic Research Foundation administers the grants.

Bluegrass president Chris Derry notes that the group will use its grant to fund a website, the centerpiece of a new institute project to make Kentucky government more transparent. The transparency project will collaborate with Kentuckians across the state to create a Wikipedia approach to help the institute shine a brighter light on how public institutions, including state government and school districts, are performing.

"This initiative completes our transparency hat trick," Derry said. "First we put the final roll call of the General Assembly on KentuckyVotes.org. Then we posted the performance metrics for all public schools on KentuckyAlliance org. Now, thanks to Atlas and concerned Kentuckians everywhere, our initiative will hold public-sector leaders accountable for the results their constituents deserve."

Atlas established the Fisher Venture Grants program in January 2008 to recognize and assist younger think tanks with a track record that suggests a strong potential for improving the climate of ideas among their target audience. Grants are distributed over three years; half of the grant is structured as a "matching program," providing an incentive for think tanks to attract new local supporters.

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