Lowering the Heat Around Raising Retirement Age Commentary from C. Eugene Steuerle Posted: August 27, 2010In commentary for the San Francisco Chronicle, Gene Steuerle asserts that all of the following myths about Social Security retirement ages are wrong: (1) increasing the retirement age will reduce benefits; (2) increasing the retirement age discriminates against lower-income workers with shorter life expectancies; (3) increasing the retirement age makes Social Security reform regressive; (4) Social Security Old Age Insurance goes to the old; and (5) the elderly need to fear such Social Security reforms as increasing the retirement age.
Why Housing Choice and Mobility Matter Commentary from Margery Austin Turner,
Susan J. Popkin Posted: August 17, 2010HUD's proposal for transforming federal rental assistance expands subsidy recipients' freedom to choose where to live. This essay summarizes research evidence showing that: 1) project-based housing programs limit families' choices about where to live; 2) families benefit when they move with vouchers; 3) assisted mobility programs further expand families' options; and 4) "opportunity moves" can improve families' life chances. Although many families living in federally subsidized housing projects will choose to stay (especially if new investments improve the quality and safety of these communities), expanding opportunities for families to move strengthens federal housing policy by improving the well-being of assisted households.
Thumbs Off the Scale: Evidence-Based Studies of the Impacts of Immigration Commentary from Juan Pedroza,
Robert Santos,
Molly M. Scott Posted: August 05, 2010Immigration policy and reform debates test our ability to think about what's at stake when we open (and close) our doors to a diverse range of newcomers, and how ongoing immigration affects our future. As the debate on how immigrant workers and families continue to reshape the country gathers steam, the public is often misled about the challenges and opportunities stemming from policies about who can come to (and stay in) the US.
Drug Courts and Pre-Trial Diversion Testimony from John Roman Posted: July 22, 2010Expanding drug courts to all 1.5 million drug-involved offenders would cost more than $13 billion annually, but would return more than $40 billion in benefits, John Roman told a House of Representatives subcommittee. The criminal justice system can maximize the use of drug courts without adding billions in new costs by calling on less expensive strategies, such as Hawaii's Project HOPE, to identify defendants who can be encouraged to desist from offending, allowing drug courts to focus on those who cannot.
If We Put Students First, Bad Teachers Are First to Go Commentary from Jane Hannaway Posted: August 05, 2010With state and local budgets under the gun and teacher layoffs on the table, old ways of making personnel decisions should give way to procedures based on a truer understanding of what actually happens in today's classrooms, says Jane Hannaway in a USA Today commentary.
What Does It Take to Help Families Move to Better Neighborhoods? Commentary from Mary K. Cunningham Posted: August 01, 2010This commentary describes the need for a research demonstration that examines the impact and cost of housing mobility services.
Female D.C. Code Felons: Unique Challenges in Prison and at Home Testimony from Nancy G. La Vigne Posted: July 27, 2010Female prisoners returning home face reentry challenges with fewer skills and more deficits than men, and those differences are manifested in higher rates of relapse and recidivism. Nancy La Vigne encouraged a House subcommittee to consider measures to ensure that female D.C. Code violators are housed in prisons close to their homes. Doing so will enhance the women's ability to maintain contact with their children, a critical factor in successful reintegration, and help them link to substance abuse treatment and mental health services.
The Future of Individual Tax Rates: Effects on Growth and Distribution Testimony from Donald Marron Posted: July 14, 2010Donald Marron's testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance on the individual tax system.
The Future of Individual Tax Rates: Effects of Economic Growth and Distribution Testimony from Leonard E. Burman Posted: July 14, 2010Leonard Burman's testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance on whether and how to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.
Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differentials in Employer-Sponsored Pensions Testimony from Barbara Butrica,
Richard W. Johnson Posted: June 30, 2010The best approaches to narrowing racial, ethnic, and gender differentials in retirement wealth are outside the current employer-sponsored pension system, Barbara Butrica and Richard Johnson told the U.S. Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council. These tactics include automatic IRAs for employees, efforts to raise wages earned by blacks and Hispanics, more federal funding for training and workforce development, better educational opportunities for future workers, and more financial education for workers and students. Protecting Social Security for low-income seniors is also crucial. Their testimony presents detailed information about differences in pension coverage and wealth.
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