Saturday, December 20, 2008
Emeryville in the NY Times
Interesting read. Hitching your neighborhood too closely to one purpose-- say, brand-name retail at the expense of local business and housing-- doesn't hurt until there is a downturn, and then the virtues of diversification become apparent.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Republicans Running for Senate in 2010
Dear Assemblyman DeVore,
I see that the Republican Assemblymembers continue to follow their "break but don't bend" negotiating policy for the current state budget.
The SF Chronicle reports that your caucus doesn't support tax increases because you think it will "devastate the already stuggling economy."
Can you please tell me a single empirical case (or better yet, an econometric study) which proves that higher taxes on the exremely wealthy hurt business?
I'm not talking about anecdotal evidence, or about some theoretical belief of such an effect derived from Ayn Rand, the Chicago School, or the Cato Institute, but an acutal, scientific, economic, peer-reviewed case or group of cases?
Can you prove, with generally accepted, empirical, social science methodology that higher taxes on the rich hurts business? Remember: a theory does not constitute proof. Nor does a think-tank piece. Pick something that can stand up to peer review at the major economics journals.
Thank you, and I look forward to reading the article.
I see that the Republican Assemblymembers continue to follow their "break but don't bend" negotiating policy for the current state budget.
The SF Chronicle reports that your caucus doesn't support tax increases because you think it will "devastate the already stuggling economy."
Can you please tell me a single empirical case (or better yet, an econometric study) which proves that higher taxes on the exremely wealthy hurt business?
I'm not talking about anecdotal evidence, or about some theoretical belief of such an effect derived from Ayn Rand, the Chicago School, or the Cato Institute, but an acutal, scientific, economic, peer-reviewed case or group of cases?
Can you prove, with generally accepted, empirical, social science methodology that higher taxes on the rich hurts business? Remember: a theory does not constitute proof. Nor does a think-tank piece. Pick something that can stand up to peer review at the major economics journals.
Thank you, and I look forward to reading the article.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Gwen Ifill is a terrible American...
...and she may be the feeblest interviewer I've ever seen. Pattycake on the News Hour today, pattycake for the RNC coverage tonight. Find new work: you are hurting the Republic.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Case for Cameras
I'm in the process of writing an OpEd for the Trib that suggests a technological solution to the crime epidemic: high-resolution surveillance cameras on the most dangerous streets, and in other shopping areas. In the highest crime areas, they would provide a reliable and incoercible witness to crime committed nearby, carves out a safe area for investment in amenities necessary for functioning communities (ie. groceries, cleaners).
The two main objections are civil liberties, and efficacy.
On efficacy, the academic and public policy literature is highly ambiguous. Unclear whether crime is affected at all, or pushed to a new block. On the other hand, other cities swear by them, like London, Chicago, and New York. There is a report coming out soon about a trial effort in SF. Preliminary reports indicate cameras move the most violent crime down the block-- but that's sort of what we want, no? Raise the costs of crime a bit, and create a safe public space for the community and business to gather/invest. In any event, Oakland needs 'bold, persistent experimentation.'
On civil liberties, I think it is morally appalling that we nonchalantly let businesses use cameras to protect their property, and law enforcement to use cameras to catch traffic violators, but not to respond to or deter violent crime. It seems like we have our priorities completely backwards. We can set the system up so that the cameras are only accessed after a murder has happened in the vicinity. The cameras can be maintained by a citizen panel, if that helps.
As a big lefty, cameras are a sub-optimal solution, but I think, having done the review of the literature over the past several years for my own research, cameras can be one part of an integrated strategy aimed at retaking the central pedestrian shopping areas in our highest crime areas, and providing a safe space for the community to rebuild and resocialize.
Any thoughts? It's a work in progress.
The two main objections are civil liberties, and efficacy.
On efficacy, the academic and public policy literature is highly ambiguous. Unclear whether crime is affected at all, or pushed to a new block. On the other hand, other cities swear by them, like London, Chicago, and New York. There is a report coming out soon about a trial effort in SF. Preliminary reports indicate cameras move the most violent crime down the block-- but that's sort of what we want, no? Raise the costs of crime a bit, and create a safe public space for the community and business to gather/invest. In any event, Oakland needs 'bold, persistent experimentation.'
On civil liberties, I think it is morally appalling that we nonchalantly let businesses use cameras to protect their property, and law enforcement to use cameras to catch traffic violators, but not to respond to or deter violent crime. It seems like we have our priorities completely backwards. We can set the system up so that the cameras are only accessed after a murder has happened in the vicinity. The cameras can be maintained by a citizen panel, if that helps.
As a big lefty, cameras are a sub-optimal solution, but I think, having done the review of the literature over the past several years for my own research, cameras can be one part of an integrated strategy aimed at retaking the central pedestrian shopping areas in our highest crime areas, and providing a safe space for the community to rebuild and resocialize.
Any thoughts? It's a work in progress.
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