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Alaska Center for Public Policy Newsletter #4 |  |
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Dear Reader... I am very pleased to report that the Alaska Center for Public Policy has experienced substantial progress this summer in a number of important areas. The interest Alaskans have shown in a progressive think tank has exceeded our expectations, and has exceeded our abilities to keep apace. We are running to catch up...
If you have a proposal or project involving policy analysis or development, contact us. Perhaps we can partner in the effort. If you are writing a proposal and require program evaluation assistance, give us a call. Perhaps we can lend a hand. We have an extraordinary pool of experienced analysts at the Alaska Center for Public Policy. Finally, please send us your comments and suggestions for future ACPP newsletters. And one last comment... if we have sent you this newsletter in error, or you would rather not receive it in the future for any reason, just click on "Safe Unsubscribe" at the end of this newsletter. On the other hand, if you would like to forward it to a friend or colleague, click on that link near the bottom of this page. We have made a number of new friends and acquaintances that way. Lawrence D. Weiss Ph.D., M.S., President of the Board
The call went out in May of 2004, sent by Robin Bronen, Alaska State Refugee Coordinator with Catholic social Services... "I am writing to invite you to a meeting on June 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the offices of Mayor Begich to discuss and plan for the resettlement of Hmong refugees who are expected to arrive in Alaska by the end of June. 14,000 Hmong refugees have been living in a refugee camp in Thailand for the last ten years. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees and the US Department of State decided that these refugees should be allowed to resettle in the United States and reunite with family members already residing in the US. In Alaska we are estimating that approximately 60 - 100 children and adult refugees will arrive during the summer. They will arrive with signifiant needs, including food, clothing, housing, medical, interpreter and literacy/ESL services. The goal of the June 7 meeting is to create a coordinated community response to address these needs and support the refugees and their Alaskan family members so that the resettlement experience is positive." Immigration & Refugee Services of Catholic Social Services has served the refugee community in Alaska since 1987. Last year the organization received a federal grant of nearly $400,000 to expand those services. Unlike California's Refugee Programs Bureau, for example, the State of Alaska has no comparable unit devoted to refugee issues, so private non-profits play a dominant role. See the excellent collection of documents relating to immigrants in Alaska at the Noncitizens and Immigration website of the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center. Immigrants in Alaska and the rest of the United States have certain restrictions in terms of access to services that can severely impact their quality of life. See, for example, two studies by the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities: 1) The Impact of the Seven-Year Limit on Refugees' Eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, and, 2) Immigrant, Persons With Limited Proficiency in English, and the TANF Program: What Do We Know? You may also find of interest the superb Hmong Studies Internet Resource, and the excellent Urban Institute Immigration Studies Program.
The Anchorage Assembly voted eight to one on Tuesday, July 6, to adopt the proposed amendments to the pesticide ordinance. ACPP provided technical assistance, testimony, and supportive documents at an Assembly work session and public hearings in support of the proposed changes. The new version is good policy because it improves community safety by increasing public notification time to 48 hours before and after spraying, and it increases the area to be notified to include residences and commercial establishments within 150 feet of pesticide spraying. You can read a copy of the ordinance on the Anchorage Assembly website.
The Status of Alaska Natives Report 2004 is now available both online and in hard copy. It is a major new report on the social and economic conditions among Alaska Natives. It was researched and written by Scott Goldsmith, Jane Angvik, Lance Howe, Alexandra Hill, and Linda Leask, with assistance from Brian Saylor and David Marshall. The report is in three volumes. Volume I is the main report; Volumes II and III are tables of detailed information on Alaska Natives from the 2000 U.S. census. The executive summary of this extraordinary resource is available on line, and it may be a good place to start your review of this document. While you are visiting the website of the Institute for Social and Economic Research to download the Status of Alaska Natives report, do not fail to see some of the other documents ISER has produced this year that may influence public policy. See, for example, Effective Local Institutions for Collective Action in Arctic Communities, a summary of a recent UAA workshop with community leaders and researchers. This document was prepared by Sharman Haley and others. Also review The Effects of State Revenue Options on Alaska Households, by Sharman Haley.
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