October 26, 2009
Politico ran an op-ed by SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about Speaker Nancy Pelosi's struggle to keep all political factions happy, even if that means bucking her own party's president. "Today, there's a lot more attention paid to what congressional leaders do and say. Smoke-filled rooms have been replaced by the 24-hour news cycle, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. That makes compromise harder and leadership (on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue) an often helter-skelter proposition," Jeffe wrote. "There is irony in all of this tumult. Pelosi may be playing to her crowd -- independent of Obama's wants -- to solidify her base. But in the end, everything Pelosi wants to accomplish depends, to a large extent, on the president. For her to be successful, Obama needs to be successful."
October 8, 2009
The San Jose Mercury-News quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about a recent poll showing that California Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell is running neck and neck with billionaire Meg Whitman. "It's really interesting that Campbell is so close with no money and not much name recognition," Jeffe said. "But it's also clear that the campaign really hasn't begun to catch the broad attention of Californians."
October 2, 2009
Variety quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe in an article on the fundraising efforts of Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown, who are seen as the gubernatorial frontrunners for the California Democratic Party. "We are talking about California," Jeffe said, referring to the use of filmmaker Roman Polanski's case in the governor's race. "I think it is going to be a minor issue for anyone who is running. The people who are going to be totally up in arms aren't going to vote for a Democrat, anyway."
September 29, 2009
The Fresno Bee quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, a Republican challenger for Sen. Barbara Boxer's U.S. Senate seat. Fiorina didn't attend the Republican convention in Indian Wells this past weekend, citing ongoing cancer treatments. The story included speculation that Fiorina, considered a moderate Republican, didn't attend because she wanted to avoid conservative Republicans. "Whatever the reason [Fiorina] didn't go, I think she was better off not being there," Jeffe said. "The Republican convention was certainly not the most friendly crowd for Fiorina."
September 23, 2009
The Sacramento Bee quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe on how gubernatorial candidates are responding to the problem of prison overcrowding in California. With voters reminded of the alleged crimes of parolee Phillip Garrido in the Jaycee Lee Dugard case, the tendency for candidates is to tack right for fear being labeled soft on crime, Jeffe said. "The candidates are only worried about the fallout," Jeffe said. "All candidates are somewhat boxed in on the center-right when it comes to public safety."
September 16, 2009
The USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development hosted members of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce this summer in the first stop of the Texas delegation's three-day Los Angeles tour aimed at exchanging information with local civic leaders and experts.
September 15, 2009
NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV interviewed SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe in a story about former President Bill Clinton endorsing San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom for governor of California. "It does mean something, because the buzz has been that Newsom hasn't gotten traction, and he needed to get some traction," Jeffe said. "Bill Clinton will give Newsom media attention. He will allow Newsom to raise some money. Newsom hasn't been very good at that. But I'm not sure, as one pollster put it today, it upends the Democratic gubernatorial primary." The Los Angeles Wave also covered the story.
August 30, 2009
The Los Angeles Times quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe in a story on the relative voter appeal of young candidates and older, more experienced ones. "When voters perceive change as too much risk, they pull back, unless they are so fed up they don't care," Jeffe said.
August 24, 2009
The Columbus Dispatch quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about the White House indicating that it would accept a health care bill without a public option. This has infuriated liberal Democrats who supported Barack Obama's campaign in 2008, the story stated. "These guys on the left invested an awful lot in Barack Obama, and I think they feel as if they own a piece of him," Jeffe said. "He's not delivering from their perspective."
August 7, 2009
The Orange County Register quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about a proposed ballot measure that would call a California constitutional convention. Given the starting estimate of $60 million to cover convention costs, voters may balk at approving the convention, even though that would be a small part of the state's $84 billion general fund budget, Jeffe said.
August 3, 2009
In his new role as assistant secretary for policy development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, USC's Raphael Bostic will face a huge task: helping policymakers come up with ways to bring stability back to the nation's housing market. Bostic, a professor at the School of Policy, Planning, and Development, was sworn into his new government position on July 16.
August 1, 2009
The San Francisco Chronicle quoted Professor Dowell Myers about demographic changes in California. No state has changed as much since the late 1970s as California has, Myers said. The state's electorate is becoming less and less representative of its diverse population, which isn't good for democracy, he added.
July 25, 2009
NBC Nightly News interviewed Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development about California's budget deal. "This budget deal is, to some extent, created with chicken wire and chewing gum -- one-time fixes, accounting gimmicks." Jeffe said.
July 9, 2009
Congressional Quarterly quoted Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch about Sen. Barbara Boxer, who has adopted a conciliatory approach in order to push a climate change initiative. "She cannot do it alone," Jeffe said. "Rightly or wrongly - and there may be some sexism in this - Boxer doesn't always radiate the image of a team player. To be an iconic figure of the left and to be perceived as not being flexible enough to be a team player is not a good thing."
July 5, 2009
The New York Times highlighted SPPD alum Hilda Solis and her unique road to becoming Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. After overcoming many obstacles, Solis, MPA '81, a former four-term congresswoman, has become the first Hispanic woman to serve as a cabinet member, the story noted.
June 19, 2009
Variety quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about Attorney General Jerry Brown's chances in the California gubernatorial race. "If you asked me four or five months ago, I would say it is a slam-dunk for Jerry Brown," Jeffe said. "I don't believe that anymore. When I talk to my graduate students, if they know anything at all about Jerry Brown, it is 'Gov. Moonbeam.'" CBS Radio San Francisco affiliate KCBS-AM also interviewed Jeffe on the subject.
June 14, 2009
BBC Radio's "Americana" interviewed SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about the economic and political crises in California. "I hate to use this little cliché, but it is the perfect storm," Jeffe said. "It is the state's economy going in the tubes, it is the national economy going in the tubes, it is what we call 'ballot box budget,' the absolute rigid partisanship, and the meanness that you see up in Sacramento."
May 27, 2009
The San Diego Union-Tribune quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe and Dan Schnur of the USC College and on whether California gay marriage supporters would prevail if they put a new proposition on the ballot next year. "The age breakdown on the vote suggests that public opinion is trending toward supporters of same-sex marriage. The question is how fast it's trending," Schnur said. Jeffe added: "I don't think it's too soon. It's a year and a half away. ... The more states that get in line behind it, the more credible the argument that everyone ought to be allowed to marry becomes, especially if there's no evidence that the world is going to end."
May 19, 2009
La Opinion quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about California's perennial budget woes. It's become apparent that the state has been ungovernable for a while now, Jeffe said. "When was the last time we had an effective governor?" she asked.
May 18, 2009
Congressional Quarterly quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi facing fire for her handling of the CIA harsh interrogation technique authorizations. Even though, barring any new disclosures, Pelosi is likely to surmount her difficulty, that doesn't mean she has been at her best, Jeffe said. By seeming to change her story and by parsing words, Pelosi hasn't handled the situation well, Jeffe added.
May 17, 2009
The Los Angeles Times quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about the close race for the congressional seat in the San Gabriel Valley. "[Gil] Cedillo has got to mobilize his base," Jeffe said. Rival Judy Chu needs to show voters she has support among Latinos, Jeffe added.
May 12, 2009
The Los Angeles Times quoted Professor Harry Pachon about the hotly contested congressional election taking place in the San Gabriel Valley. The top candidates are a Latino man and an Asian woman, the story noted. "Ethnicity is a factor," Pachon said. "But it's not the only factor." Pachon is president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at USC, the story noted.
May 11, 2009
The Los Angeles Times quoted Professor Dowell Myers about the increase in California's naturalized Asian and Latino population. The surge in new citizens will accelerate by several years the California electorate's shift from majority-white to nonwhite, Myers said. Although that shift won't be completed until 2026, Latinos, Asians and African Americans are already joining with progressive whites to elect ethnically diverse candidates, he noted.
May 11, 2009
The Xinhua News Agency (China) cited Professor Dowell Myers about racial demographics and politics in California. The surge in naturalized citizens will accelerate by several years the California electorate's shift from majority white to nonwhite, Myer said. Although that shift won't be completed until 2026, Latinos, Asians and African Americans are already joining with progressive whites to elect ethnically diverse candidates, Myers and other analysts predict.
May 6, 2009
Reuters noted that SPPD Senior Fellow Richard Little spoke at the Reuters Infrastructure Summit about a possible national infrastructure bond fund. Little's idea for such a fund seemed odd to officials in Washington a year ago, he said. Now they are giving it a second look, in light of the trillions of dollars in infrastructure work the U.S. may require in coming decades, Little added. "Why not create a vehicle where the federal government could issue infrastructure bonds?"
April 25, 2009
The National Journal quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about the California gubernatorial race. "Whoever becomes governor [in 2010] is going to be faced with an absolute mess," Jeffe said.
April 24, 2009
The Los Angeles Times quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about California's gubernatorial race. "It takes a lot of luck and money and intelligence and timing, and heaven knows what else," Jeffe said.
April 24, 2009
The National Journal quoted SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe about Judy Chu's campaign to represent California's 32nd Congressional district. If Chu wins the election, local observers say she will be the first Asian American to represent the Southland in Congress. "It will be a breakthrough for Asians in a district in which they are true minority," Jeffe said.
February 11, 2009
Builder Magazine quoted SPPD Distinguished Fellow Stan Ross about the U.S. Treasury's recently announced recovery plan. The plan isn't necessarily an improvement over what was already in place, Ross said. The government will eventually end up guaranteeing at least some of the losses incurred by buyers and sellers of banks' toxic assets. However, the new plan has critical components that address bank capitalization and consumer lending. "This frees up capital, the banks will survive, they get new capital, they make loans to companies, and the companies invest in capital improvements," leading to more jobs created, he explained. Ross is chairman of the Board at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.
February 4, 2009
Faculty and students at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development took part in a leadership training conference to help local government officials find solutions for public problems afflicting cities nationwide.
January 26, 2009
The USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development marked its 80th anniversary by hosting a special colloquium Jan. 16 at the Davidson Conference Center. During the conference, Dean Jack H. Knott noted that SPPD remains dedicated to advancing academic theory and making a vital impact in the world.
December 18, 2008
Taught by Professor Daniel Mazmanian, a new class at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development gave graduate students an introductory overview of key sustainability issues along with the chance to meet with environmental policymakers, chat with "green business" entrepreneurs, and measure their own carbon footprints.
October 29, 2008
During an Oct. 21 panel hosted by the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry said that the goal of downtown's revitalization effort is to restore "the excitement of an earlier time." The changing downtown landscape was the focus of the panel discussion, which took place inside City Hall. The event was part of the SPPD Dean's Speaker Series.
October 22, 2008
The Press-Enterprise cited a report by the Center for Economic Development at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development. The center developed the strategy for the Green Valley Initiative, a private-public group launched in June 2007 to foster the growth of green jobs in the Inland Empire, the story noted. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently approved the plan, which includes 18 programs to make the region a green business hub and combat job loss and low wages.
October 14, 2008
A panel of preeminent financial experts, including USC faculty, weighed in with their insights on how Wall Street plunged into a tailspin -- and also how to remedy the ailing markets. "Multi-party greed" drove the downturn, says Raphael Bostic, professor at the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development.
September 7, 2008
SPPD Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe was quoted about California's Proposition 8, which would amend the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage. "Republicans and conservatives tend to support it more," Jeffe said. "Hispanics are a potential group of supporters," she added. "Democrats tend not to. Moderates and liberals tend not to. Independents are more receptive to the idea of single-sex marriage."
August 12, 2008
Professor Dowell Myers was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle about California's budget and the state's need to plan for a demographic shift. "The state is trapped in this short-term cycle," Myers said. "If we didn't have term limits maybe we could keep Schwarzenegger around for another four or eight years and we could straighten it out," Myers added. "But we're trapped in a deadly spiral of short-term disaster."
August 5, 2008
SPPD Professor Dowell Myers was quoted in a New York Times story about demographic changes that may favor Democrats. A younger, native-born Latino generation that has a tendency to support Democrats is coming of age, Myers said.
July 31, 2008
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, senior fellow at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development, was quoted in the Congressional Quarterly about congressional efforts to permit offshore oil drilling. Relentless Republican attacks on Democrats regarding the issue have hurt Democrats, who have been slow to counter them, Jeffe said. "It's interesting to me that it's taken so long [for Democrats] to figure out how to come back on this without giving in on offshore drilling," she said.
July 3, 2008
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe was quoted in a Los Angeles Times story about backlash faced by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom over several young illegal immigrant drug dealers who escaped from an unguarded Inland Empire facility, to which they had been escorted by the city. If Newsom won the Democratic nomination for California governor in 2010, Inland California voters would be critical in the general election, said Jeffe, senior fellow at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development.
May 1, 2008
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe of was quoted in the Press Enterprise about Jerry Brown, California's former governor and current attorney general. Brown's possible run for governor in 2010 depends on whether he can crack down on problems at Indian casinos and simultaneously solicit tribes' political support, the story stated. "If questions are raised about the appropriateness of that relationship and they aren't responded to... it's dangerous for the candidate," Jeffe said. "In politics, perception is reality."
If anyone needs to get in touch with USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development graduate student Laura Peralta this summer, they can reach her at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C. Peralta, who is working toward her master of public administration degree, has earned the prestigious distinction of being one of 100 nationwide students selected to intern in the White House under President Barack Obama.
More than a decade ago, when sustainability issues were still a specialized curiosity, USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development professor Daniel Mazmanian turned his attention to the emergence of locally-based environmental policies in several communities and regions across the nation.
The USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development signed a memorandum of understanding with the South Korean government to provide graduate education and training for selected officials from Korea's Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
Raphael Bostic, a professor at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and Elizabeth Garrett, USC's vice president for academic planning and budget and a professor at the USC Gould School of Law, have been asked to join President Obama's administration in Washington, D.C.
February 24, 2009
February 20, 2009