Posts published in “Uncategorized”

9/6/2011: This was billed as a major policy speech for his education plans. From Harry Esteve in the Oregonian: “The state does not run the schools. The state invests in schools,” Kitzhaber says. “As long as students are progressing and succeeding, why shouldn’t we let go of some of the…

9/6/2011: I’m no economist, but this is about as dumb as government policy gets: lay off teachers during a recession. Oh wait, it could get dumber: do the layoffs by seniority rather than merit. Let’s combine bad short run economic policy with bad long run educational outcomes. Bingo, that’s the…

Oregon has none. That’s according to the just released QS world ranking. Who knows what their methodology is, but I’m guessing football doesn’t get a lot of weight. Not a good sign for Oregon’s future economic growth. We know what Lariviere’s plan to address this problem is – what’s Pernsteiner’s?

9/6/2011: I’ve got no ideas about the EmX vs “more buses everywhere” vs bikes vs electric nuclear-friendly cars debate. But who could oppose people posting signs protesting the EmX expansion, on their own property? The city of Eugene, of course. Mark Baker of the RG has a great story on…

9/6/2011: Here’s a new carefully done study on the effects of matching the races of instructors and students. By three NBER economists with data from a CA community college. As paraphrased by Scott Jaschik at Insidehighered.com: Among all nonwhite groups, the study found a gain of 2.9 percentage points in…

9/5/2011: Back in the day, that was about what I paid for tuition in real dollars, if you forget about that year in the ivy league, which I mostly have. This was not because college was cheap, it was because of heavy subsidies from the taxpayers. Those subsidies are gone…

9/5/2011: That’s one college football coach’s summary of his experiences: “Why did you recruit the guy who shot his roommate with a .22?” he begins. “Well, if I hadn’t, he would have been playing at Notre Dame, Texas or Texas A&M. He was the No. 1 defensive back in the…

9/2/2011: Thanks to Margaret Soltan for the link: Chapel Hill – The chairman of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at UNC has resigned from the department’s top post amid a university investigation into academic irregularities, possibly involving two former football players. … McAdoo, who was kicked off the…

9/2/2011: is a much talked about book by Benjamin Ginsberg at Johns Hopkins on the growing power of administrators. He has a long summary in the Washington Monthly: Between 1975 and 2005, total spending by American higher educational institutions, stated in constant dollars, tripled, to more than $325 billion per…

9/2/2011: “To have an associate professor who is a member of the Devils Diciples and allegedly dealing methamphetamine is quite alarming. I mean, it’s unusual to say the least,” Sheriff Rod Hoops said.

9/1/2011: Word from some slightly jealous professors down at the UO faculty club is that Phil Knight has invited OSP trooper Ray Stallsworth and Baton Rouge Parish sergeant Don Stone to join him in the Nike skybox at Cowboys Stadium. The FAA refuses to verify whether or not Kilkenny has…

8/25/2011: That’s the worst, from poll responses at right. I’m sure UO would never do that. Worse than losing to LSU? Barely.

8/22/2011: If you don’t read Willamette Week, the Oregonian, or Bojack.org you probably haven’t been hearing about the recent corruption cases involving administrators from a variety of state agencies, PSU, and Portland City government. Here’s an article on the price the people who blow the whistle pay.

8/20/2011: I’m no economist, and the devil is in the details, but on the surface Andy Stahl’s plan for promoting old growth forests *and* timber jobs looks pretty damn sensible.