A Comparative Policy Analysis of Basic Skills Education in Peralta Community College District

Lillian Mano. MPP 2012 The Status of California Community Colleges Today: Critical to California’s Future Community colleges have long served as a beacon of democratized educational opportunity. Since 1901, community colleges have sought to provide accessible and quality education to anyone desiring upward mobility and personal educational achievement through post-secondary education. California community colleges (CCCs)…

The Soda Tax: Regressive But Effective

By Jacqueline Gleason Every year, the average soda consumption per person in the United States is almost 50 gallons.[1] At the same time we are seeing increasing rates of obesity and diabetes. In fact, one in three people in the United States are overweight or obese, including children, according to the American Heart Association.[2] People…

The ACA Contraceptive Mandate Denies Male Responsibility in Family Planning

By Jessica Blakemore Photo Source: Planned Parenthood While much of the debate surrounding the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive mandate is focused on the fight over religious exceptions, little attention has been brought to the fact that the mandate does not go far enough to protect women’s reproductive autonomy. While the ACA recognized the importance…

SNAP Funding Makes Economic Sense

By Jacqueline Gleason According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called FoodStamps), provides over 47 million low income people with the means to purchase food each month.  Nearly three quarters of households served include children, and roughly one quarter are the elderly or people with disabilities.…