by admin | Jan 26, 2017 | Activism, Climate, Disaster, Disaster policy, National security, Natural Hazards, Public policy
I was made aware yesterday of a new petition on the White House website concerning climate change. The White House website has long contained a mechanism by which citizens can initiate an online petition on an issue of concern and then seek support from others to...
by admin | Jan 15, 2017 | Activism, Chicago, Disability, Healthcare, Politics, Public health, Public policy
“Six weeks ago,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who is assistant minority leader in the U.S. Senate, “I got a call from Burlington, Vermont.” It was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who told him “we need to rally in cities across the U.S.” to preserve health care...
by admin | Dec 4, 2016 | Disaster policy, Geography, Government, Natural Hazards, Public policy, Public safety, Science, Urban Planning
Nearly nine years ago, when I was invited to accept a three-week visiting fellowship in New Zealand with the Centre for Advanced Engineering in New Zealand (CAENZ) at the University of Canterbury, people began to ask me why the New Zealanders were so interested in me...
by admin | Oct 30, 2016 | Government, Political philosophy, Politics, Public policy
Before I delve into the essence of this article, let me clarify one point for any potential Trump supporters reading this: No, I do not think Hillary Clinton is the perfect presidential candidate. But I also do not think she is “crooked Hillary,” whatever Donald Trump...
by admin | Sep 8, 2016 | Climate, Disaster policy, Floodplain management, Floodplain management, Government, Public policy, Public safety, Science, Technology, Urban Planning, Water
The American Planning Association has just posted today this article I wrote for its APA blog: https://www.planning.org/blog/blogpost/9111027/. Jim...
by admin | Aug 21, 2016 | Disaster, Disaster policy, Floodplain management, Public policy, Urban Planning
One of the ongoing, perhaps permanent, struggles in public policy in a democracy like ours involves finding a balance between enabling private sector opportunities and protecting both the public interest and the public purse. Depending on their philosophies and...
