Alaska Center for Public Policy Newsletter #16 )
public policy for the benefit of low and moderate income families 2007
In This Issue...
  • The New Rules Project
  • State Policy and Prescription Drug Prices
  • Election Protection 365

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    Greetings Colleague...

    The ACPP Board of Directors, the staff, and I wish you a new year that will meet your best expectations. I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome and a hearty thanks to John Bryant, our current graduate intern from UAA. John is doing some of everything that needs to be done to keep ACPP up and running. In the process, he is getting experience in the field of public policy that is otherwise hard to come by, and he is a huge help to us. A key part of our educational mission is to work with interns, and I have to say that it is very gratifying work.

    ACPP predictions for the new year...

    • We will publish our first book
    • We will get significant funding from a Lower-48 foundation
    • We will expand our capacity to conduct research and analysis
    • We will release two exciting new specialized search engines
    • We will expand and improve our working relationships with private and public sector organizations
    That should keep us busy. And please remember, your support through donations is critical to our ability to continue our work.


    Lawrence D. Weiss Ph.D., M.S.

    		The New Rules Project

    One of my colleagues recommended that I take a look at this site, and it turns out to be an extraordinary public policy resource. The subheading on the home page nicely summarizes the perspective: ?Designing rules as if community matters.? Here is how The New Rules Project describes itself:

    "Why New Rules? Because the old ones don?t work any longer. They undermine local economies, subvert democracy, weaken our sense of community, and ignore the costs of our decisions on the next generation."

    There are featured sections on agriculture, energy, finance, government, and more. Take a look to see how innovative public policy is being implemented across the nation.

    		State Policy and Prescription Drug Prices

    Are you interested in how the state of Alaska can help reduce the cost of prescription drugs to you and your family, fight misleading drug ads, and protect your medical records from commercial exploitation? Really, who would say ?no?? Visit the website of the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices (NLARX) for the details.

    Learn, for example, about new legislation in Maine which requires manufacturers and labelers of prescription drugs to report gifts and specific marketing costs to the Department of Health and Human Services in order to assist the State in its role as a purchaser of prescription drugs and as an administrator of prescription drug programs.

    In fact, see the comprehensive list of policy actions Alaska could take to lower the cost of drugs for all state residents, to enforce ethical and accurate drug advertising, to promote the availability of cheaper generic drugs, and more at the NLARX Policy Options web page.

    		Election Protection 365

    We have had an abundance of documented voting irregularities in Alaska in recent elections, and there have similar issues across the nation. As a result, organizations like Election Protection 365 play an increasingly critical role in protecting Democratic processes and the integrity of public policy.

    Election Protection 365 is a coalition led by People For the American Way Foundation, the NAACP, and the Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law. Election Protection 365 (EP) has operated in every election cycle since 2001, and is the nation?s most far-reaching nonpartisan effort to provide voter assistance and protect voter rights.

    The website features in-depth reviews and analysis of election issues such as restrictive registration, intimidation and deceptive practices, voter ID regulations, voting machines, voting list purges, and much more. The complete list of dozens of organizational coalition members is impressive.

    ACPP 2006 Blog Entries by Category...

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