The Policy Research Shop is a unique opportunity for students at Dartmouth College. The goals of the Policy Research Shop are to provide students with real life experience in public policy research and to deliver high-quality, objective research on critical policy issues of interest to elected policymakers in New Hampshire and Vermont. The Research Shop builds on a long tradition at the Rockefeller Center of bridging the gap between public policy research and civic engagement. Below are listed the PRS reports written by students as part of their PRS experience.
Caitlin Cunningham '09; Emily Jones '08. (July 21, 2008). Poverty Reduction Strategies for New Orleans, Louisiana. PRS Policy Brief 0708-14
Executive Summary: Poverty is a persistent problem in New Orleans. Pre-Katrina figures reveal that a large percentage of the city's population lived below the poverty line. The storm has only exacerbated the conditions as well as the racial pattern of who experiences poverty. Many policy makers are looking to implement changes to alleviate the destitute conditions of post-Katrina New Orleans.
Poverty is a complex issue affected by many variables. Poverty rate is dependent upon access to affordable and quality education, healthcare, housing, childcare, transportation, financial services, and food and consumer products. New policies that consider these variables should be implemented in New Orleans to effectively reduce the number of impoverished people.
New Orleans is not the only city in the U.S. that is faced with poverty issues. Many other Southern cities, such as Houston and Savannah, are actively trying to reduce their poverty rates. Based on our evaluation of these poverty alleviation programs as well as efforts elsewhere, we have arrived at some policy recommendations. The best policy options for New Orleans seek to provide financial incentives, increase access to various resources, and include innovative elements within a large comprehensive city program.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Dartmouth College; Rockefeller Center; Poverty; New Orleans, LA; Katrina; Hurricane
Alex Becker '10; Patrick Dooley '08; Shaun Stewart '10. (July 18, 2008) New Hampshire Transportation Funding Plan: An Empirical Analysis of Potential Revenue Sources. PRS Policy Brief 0708-14
Executive Summary: Over the next ten years, New Hampshire faces a $1.74 billion deficit in its plan to build and repair state highways and bridges according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. In order to avoid delays in construction and potentially hazardous transportation infrastructure conditions, New Hampshire must improve its returns on existing revenue sources or seek out additional sources. A properly maintained transportation system is critical to the safety and prosperity of New Hampshire's residents.
This paper analyzes in detail nine potential revenue sources that New Hampshire could draw upon to pay for the $1.74 billion deficit. Among our major findings:
At this time, it is uncertain how much the state should rely upon a particular revenue source or combination of sources to cover the transportation deficit. In order to determine the most politically viable combination of sources, the Rockefeller Center surveyed New Hampshire residents regarding their attitudes toward each policy option or combination of options. Once these data are analyzed, a more precise conclusion might be drawn regarding which revenue sources New Hampshire might consider pursuing.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Dartmouth College; Rockefeller Center; Policy Research Shop; New Hampshire; Transportation; Analysis; Revenue
Allyson Bennett '10; Louisa Pollard '10. (July 15, 2008) Lead Poisoning in New Hampshire: Policy Options for Primary Prevention. PRS Policy Brief 0708-13
Executive Summary: Lead poisoning has been linked to numerous behavioral problems and health conditions among children with elevated lead blood levels. This report first focuses on methods that have been used for primary prevention and then gives several policy recommendations that can be implemented in New Hampshire.
Methods for primary prevention include:
Any measures to prevent lead poisoning will require significant amounts of funding. This report examines three main sources of funding:
Taking a holistic approach to combating lead poisoning allows the state to draw on resources not specifically allocated for primary prevention. Initiatives designed to improve energy efficiency and further community development often also help reduce the incidence of lead poisoning by encouraging the replacement of windows and renovation of old buildings.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Dartmouth College; Rockefeller Center; Lead Poisoning; New Hampshire
Jessica Peet '08; Elise Braunschweig '08; Rembert Browne '09; Roopa Chari '09; Ian Tapu '08. (June 30, 2008) Mental Health in New Hampshire Correctional Facilities: Costs and Quality of Care. PRS Policy Brief 0708-11
Executive Summary: In response to increased awareness, both nationally and in New Hampshire, of the mental health needs of prison inmates this report aims to provide New Hampshire policymakers with a better understanding of the status, challenges, and policy options New Hampshire faces with regard to mental health care.
The information presented here follows two tracks: cost and quality. With regard to cost, this report covers the current costs, potential areas of improvement, and available policy options particularly regarding opportunities for cost reduction.
The current costs of providing mental health care to inmates are high due to recidivism, the loss of Medicaid for inmates while in prison, expensive psychotropic drugs, an expensive contract with Dartmouth Medical School (DMS), and a growing elderly population in prisons.
Policy options to help reduce costs of mental health care for inmates include:
With regard to quality, this report addresses the less empirical - though equally and possibly more important - aspect of services to the patient upon entering prison, care and treatment while within the correctional system, and transitional services upon the community.
Policy options to improve the quality of mental health care for inmates include:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Dartmouth College;Mental Health; New Hampshire; Correctional Facilities; Quality of Care
Louisa Pollard '10; Kahlie Dufresne '09. (May 28, 2008) Norwich and Pandemic Influenza Planning: Fitting into the Larger Pandemic Planning Context. PRS Policy Brief 0708-10
Executive Summary: Planning for a potential pandemic influenza event is a process being undertaken at all levels of government in states and international agencies throughout the world. Current concern about a potential pandemic stems from the "existence of an influenza virus of pandemic potential," namely a strand of Avian Influenza known as the H5N1 virus. Although the H5N1 virus has yet to spread rapidly from person-to-person, which would likely cause a pandemic, health experts believe that H5N1 could evolve and develop this ability. Furthermore, health experts warn that the emergence of a new strain of influenza to which the human population has little natural immunity could occur at any point. For these reasons, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report entitled "WHO: Global Influenza Preparedness Plan" which recommends that every state around the globe implement pandemic influenza preparedness plans. Additionally, the WHO report contains detailed recommendations as to how and in what sectors such planning should occur. Countries around the world have followed the advice of the WHO and are currently formulating or have already instituted pandemic influenza plans. The United States has heeded the WHO recommendations with vigor as federal agencies, state governments, local governments, and many private sector entities have all developed pandemic influenza plans.
When developing its own influenza preparedness plan, the town of Norwich should implement mechanisms put in place by previous plans made by the Vermont state government. Specifically, Norwich should use the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) plan entitled "Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan," which takes the guidelines presented in the WHO influenza report and alters them so they fit Vermont.
Norwich pandemic influenza preparation should fall into three main areas: 1) communication, 2) combative measures to be used during a pandemic, and 3) coordination with the private sector. First, Norwich must implement a communications strategy that focuses on delivering one clear message about pandemic conditions to Norwich residents during a pandemic. Norwich town officials should coordinate with the VDH and other state agencies to plan a system through which state updates and additional information could be easily passed to Norwich officials, who could then disseminate this information at the local level using various communication media. Additionally, Norwich must make preliminary plans to prepare the town to operate temporary clinics, quarantines, isolation facilities, and similar combative services if local health care facilities are overrun as a result of the pandemic. Such planning should cover basic logistics, such as where a clinic could be held and finding potential staffers. Lastly, Norwich should bring local businesses into the planning process both to help the town in its own response and to help individual businesses formulate pandemic influenza response plans of their own. Overall, any and all planning for a potential pandemic influenza event should aim to limit the population affected by the virus, reduce mortality, reduce the spread of the virus, and reduce the economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic within Norwich.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Norwich, VT; Pandemic; Influenza
Morgan Becker '10; Benjamin Beckerman '10; Allyson Bennett '10; Rembert Browne '09; Roopa Chari '09; Steven Cheng '10; Corey Chu '08; Michael Coburn '10; Patrick Dooley '08; Melissa Fan 08, et al. (June 18, 2008) Healthy New Hampshire 2010: 2008 Update and Summary. PRS Policy Brief 0708-09. Edited by; Carolyn J. Gibson '09
Executive Summary: Healthy New Hampshire 2010 was published in 2001 by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services in order to establish baselines and set goals for health indicators in the state. Eleven broad public health focus areas related to disease prevention and health promotion were chosen by the authors of the original report based on impact and amenability to intervention. These focus areas are as follows:
Within each focus area, several objectives were chosen to guide interventions and policy development to improve the overall health of New Hampshire's residents.
Though results were mixed in all focus areas, targets for most objectives have been successfully surpassed, met, or approached in the categories: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs; Cancer and Chronic Conditions; Environmental Health; Immunization and Infectious Diseases; and Reproductive and Sexual Health. Results were mixed for three focus areas: Injury and Violence Prevention, Mental Health, and Nutrition and Physical Activity. Health indicators have predominantly declined in the focus areas Access to Quality Health Services and Maternal, Infant, and Child Health. Changes in New Hampshire's data tended to follow national trends, though New Hampshire generally outperforms the national average on indicators of health.
This report discusses the eleven focus areas of Healthy New Hampshire 2010 in more detail, comparing baseline data to the most currently available updated information for each objective. This report also provides potential explanations for the observed changes.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Health and Human Services; 2008; 2010; Update
Rembert Browne '09; Marissa Knodel '09. (May 15, 2008) Sustainability in Hanover. PRS Policy Brief 0708-08
Executive Summary: The manifestations of global warming and climate change can be seen in cities, towns, and villages all over the world, although their specific effects depend on a number of local geographical, political, social, and economic factors. Local governments are in a unique position to address the main contributors of greenhouse gas emissions that drive global climate change: energy use, transportation, waste, and land use. Land use, zoning, building codes, waste disposal, service delivery, and management of schools, parks, and recreational areas all affect a municipality's energy inputs and outputs. Local governments can also influence the culture of sustainability in a municipality through education and outreach that influence citizen energy use, consumption patterns, and consumer choices.
This project has two main goals. The first is to raise awareness about actions that governments, businesses, and individuals can take to reduce the threat of global warming through reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to guide decision makers, business owners, and homeowners in Hanover toward policies, strategies, and actions that can make Hanover more sustainable. The second is to create a resource manual that improves the town's sustainability, helps manage current sustainability practices, and provides feedback on policies not currently pursued. This resource manual will have three main focuses: 1) assessing Hanover's current practices, 2) assessing outside practices that could be implemented in Hanover, and 3) providing policy recommendations based on the assessments.
The development of community-specific policies and programs that seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster sustainability tend to involve one or more of the following elements: an emissions inventory to identify the major sources of greenhouse gas production and establish a baseline to measure future progress; a solutions plan that is community specific and meets the specified target for greenhouse gas reduction and other sustainability goals; a commitment from the local government to create a reduction target in greenhouse gas emissions; and the formation of citizen activist groups focused on educating and working with citizens, the local government, businesses, schools, and other municipalities on issues related to sustainability. Lastly, a method to implement and monitor progress toward reaching the set goals is necessary.
Small towns and big cities alike have started to incorporate sustainability initiatives into local policies. Some of these initiatives are specific to the community, and others have been put into place in many communities across the United States and abroad. Sustainability measures that we consider to be "smart practices" not only benefit the environment, but are cost-effective and enforceable, encourage citizen involvement, and have proven successful in their communities. Communities that currently implement smart practices include Burlington, Vermont; the Chequamegon Bay Region, Wisconsin; the Duluth Superior Area, Minnesota; Lawrence Township, New Jersey; Keene, New Hampshire; and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Hanover is making strides with regard to sustainability, but more can be done. Hanover can learn from smart practices in similar communities, encourage more community participation and education, and strengthen the relationship between the Town and Dartmouth College.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Hanover, NH; Sustainability; Global Warming
Roopa Chari '09; Ian Tapu '08. (May 30, 2008) Affordable Housing in Hanover, New Hampshire. PRS Policy Brief 0708-07
Executive Summary: This policy brief explores problems and policy solutions regarding affordable housing in both Hanover and New Hampshire as a whole. The current standard for affordable living, set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is that a family or individual should pay no more than 30 percent of their total income on housing in order to best afford other basic necessities such as food, transportation, and health care. While Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) remain the largest businesses in the Upper Valley area, most employees cannot afford the cost of living in Hanover and are forced to live in neighboring towns that are shouldering the "affordable housing burden."
While the Town of Hanover and Dartmouth College are working to address this growing need, as seen with proposals at Rivercrest and Grasse Road, there are other options that may complement and strengthen already existing efforts. Inclusionary zoning and Employer Assisted Housing (EAH) may serve to make Hanover a more affordable place to live for lower to middle-income households.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Hanover, NH; Housing;Income; Urban Development
Ruth Hupart '08; Joshua L. Hurd '08. (May 29, 2008) Hanover's Rural Study Group: A Process Analysis with Recommendations. PRS Policy Brief 0708-06
Executive Summary: With continuing population growth and changing land use patterns, rural character has become an important topic of interest for the Town of Hanover. Hanover residents have overwhelmingly responded that preserving the rural character of the town is important, and since 1974 the town has released reports to define just what rural character is. Land use and development patterns, and their effects on rural character, are therefore of interest to many Hanover residents.
In May 2007 the Hanover Planning Board launched the Rural Study Group "to focus on the natural resource underpinnings of future land use and regulation in rural Hanover within the context of the 2003 Master Plan."1 While many groups had existed previously to study rural character in Hanover, this was the first group to study it specifically in context of the new master plan.
Composed of interested citizens and Planning Board staff, the Rural Study Group met regularly through January 2008. A public workshop held on January 15, 2008 revealed discord within the larger community over both the process and implications of reviewing rural zoning. Further activity on the part of the Rural Study Group was postponed until at least after the 13 May 2008 Town Meeting.
This Rockefeller Center Policy Research Shop report seeks to provide recommendations for how the process of review for formal mechanisms to protect rural character can best operate and address the needs of relevant stakeholders. We conducted a series of phone interviews using a standard questionnaire to examine the issues of stakeholder representation and general clarity of procedure in the Rural Study Group. The respondents have been kept anonymous.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Hanover, NH; Rural Character; Analysis; Population
Allyson Bennett '10; Danielle Coutinho '08; Andrew Zabel '09. (May 12, 2008) Managing Municipal Waste in New Hampshire. PRS Policy Brief 0708-05
Executive Summary: Current in-state landfill capacity is adequate for the next 25 years, when New Hampshire will have to begin the potentially expensive endeavor of exporting waste, according to New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services. To extend the lifetime of in-state solid waste disposal capacity, New Hampshire must more effectively reduce the volume of solid waste disposed of in landfills or incinerators. Reducing the amount of solid waste generated (source reduction), augmenting the state's disposal capacity through the construction of new landfills, or increasing the recycling rate on a district-by-district basis are three approaches that can address solid waste management problems in New Hampshire. This report focuses primarily on the third of the aforementioned options.
Several policy options are available to help New Hampshire municipalities recycle more effectively. The standardization of data collection and implementation of a measurable policy goal could improve the accuracy of data collected by the state and allow state agencies to more effectively identify and assist the areas in need. One way to begin this process would be to mandate that all private haulers report tonnage processed directly to the state. This could help create a more complete data set, which could better identify problem areas and target resources more effectively. A second policy option is to continue to encourage and assist municipalities in implementing "pay as you throw" (PAYT) programs, which are proven to increase the recycling rate by reducing waste disposal costs as individuals are forced to pay for the trash they generate. Towns that have implemented PAYT (e.g., Littleton) have recycling rates that are 10 percent higher than the state average. Instead of requiring communities to pay for solid waste generation, PAYT programs encourage individual responsibility for waste generation.
One way to raise the rapidity and effectiveness with which municipalities implement PAYT programs is to increase state funding for waste management programs and personnel. Additional statewide waste management initiatives cannot be undertaken without personnel increases, which can properly manage increased responsibilities that such actions would require. Finally, the state should explore the imposition of a statewide surcharge on tipping fees to provide funds for the necessary efforts and to discourage the wholesale disposal of recyclable items in landfills.
These four policy options, while challenging and potentially costly, could allow New Hampshire's waste management programs to make viable efforts to extend the state's solid waste disposal capacity and forestall the necessity of resorting to waste exportation. While it is not certain which particular policy option is best suited for New Hampshire at this time, we recommend a combination of the four options mentioned above. Alternatively, a strong focus on one option may extend the lifetime of in-state landfill capacity and New Hampshire's ability to determine independently how it deals with solid waste.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; New Hampshire; Solid Waste; Recycling
Michael Coburn '10; Evan J. Meyerson '08; Tara K. Wohlgemuth '09; Ruth Hupart '08; Louisa Pollard '10. (March 9, 2008) Cellulosic Ethanol: The Potential for Biofuel Production in Vermont. PRS Policy Brief 0708-04
Executive Summary: Cellulosic ethanol is a renewable liquid biofuel that has emerged as a prospective alternative transportation fuel source with significant environmental implications. Sources of cellulosic biomass from which ethanol can be made include, but are not limited to: agricultural wastes such as corn stover, cereal straws, and sugarcane bagasse; grasses; woods; and plant wastes from industrial processes, such as sawdust and paper pulp.
Ethanol can be blended with gasoline to power cars. The two most common blends are E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline) and E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline). Increased use of cellulosic ethanol has the potential to reduce the state's dependence on foreign oil and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.
No cellulosic ethanol is currently being produced in the United States, but ethanol is being made from corn. The production of cellulosic ethanol releases less greenhouse gases than does the production of corn-based ethanol. It also does not put a strain on the nation's food supply. Ethanol from cellulose is not yet cost competitive with corn-based ethanol, and it will likely be three to ten years before the industry could be economically viable in Vermont.
There is little to no cellulosic ethanol research and development in the state of Vermont. Both the state and the federal government have programs that could help fund a cellulosic ethanol plant, but none are currently being utilized. If cellulosic ethanol becomes economically viable in Vermont, there is the potential to produce approximately 140 million gallons annually.
In Georgia, Range Fuels, Inc. will build the country's first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant. Woodchips will be used as the feedstock. The company is receiving significant sales tax breaks from the state. In Tennessee, the government has given $51 million to support the University of Tennessee's Biofuels Initiative. The university conducts research into switchgrass production and has partnered with the Mascoma Corporation to build a pilot plant that utilizes switchgrass.
Six policy options to encourage cellulosic ethanol production in Vermont are:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Cellulosic Ethanol; Biofuel; Vermont
Benjamin Beckerman '10; Corey Chu '08; Dewey Hoffman '08. (March 14, 2008) New Hampshire Broadband Access: Policy Options to Provide Broadband to Underserved Areas. PRS Policy Brief 0708-03
Executive Summary: In spite of the many uses and likely economic benefits of broadband Internet access, several geographic and demographic factors suggest that New Hampshire's broadband Internet accessibility is not as prevalent as more populated and urban states throughout the country. In particular, New Hampshire's more rural areas remain underserved as roughly 30 percent of New Hampshire citizens do not have access to broadband internet service.
This report first introduces the reader to broadband Internet access' capabilities and then evaluates other states' projects that were designed to overcome similar barriers when promoting broadband access.
Findings were divided into four overall classifications:
The report concludes with five policy recommendations of best practices found among the different models for broadband Internet access.
These recommendations support:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Broadband; Internet Service
Peter Chau '08; Steven Cheng '10; Samuel Fisher '08; Jessica Peet '08. (April 24, 2008) Establishing an Office of Personal Financial Education: Policy Options Related to New Hampshire House Bill 1462. PRS Policy Brief 0708-02
Executive Summary: House Bill 1462 would establish an Office of Personal Financial Education in New Hampshire's Treasury Department. If passed, the bill would provide financial literacy resources to New Hampshire's citizens and equip the State Treasurer with the authority to coordinate current efforts to improve financial literacy within state. This policy brief aims to explain the issues surrounding financial literacy and the policy options currently available to address them.
Although the definition of financial literacy remains somewhat ambiguous, authorities generally agree that a financially literate individual is one who can:
The primary questions addressed in this report are:
Over the past fifteen years, American consumers have found it increasingly complicated to manage their personal finances. Predatory lending, sophisticated marketing, and technological advances have created a fast-paced, overcrowded environment that many consumers struggle to navigate. As a result, more and more Americans find themselves fighting to stay out of debt. These trends are found in New Hampshire and throughout the United States.
In response to these changes, a growing movement has emerged to help tackle these problems by improving financial literacy through education. National, state, corporate and non-profit entities have implemented financial literacy education programs in an effort to teach individuals about money management with the expectation that increased education will result in wiser choices about spending and savings.
If the New Hampshire Legislature establishes an Office of Personal Financial Education, certain performance benchmarks may help to ensure adequate progress. A range of "best practices" may aid the New Hampshire Legislature in creating important accountability standards. They include:
Although the definition of financial literacy remains somewhat ambiguous, authorities generally agree that a financially literate individual is one who can:
The primary questions addressed in this report are:
Over the past fifteen years, American consumers have found it increasingly complicated to manage their personal finances. Predatory lending, sophisticated marketing, and technological advances have created a fast-paced, overcrowded environment that many consumers struggle to navigate. As a result, more and more Americans find themselves fighting to stay out of debt. These trends are found in New Hampshire and throughout the United States.
In response to these changes, a growing movement has emerged to help tackle these problems by improving financial literacy through education. National, state, corporate and non-profit entities have implemented financial literacy education programs in an effort to teach individuals about money management with the expectation that increased education will result in wiser choices about spending and savings.
If the New Hampshire Legislature establishes an Office of Personal Financial Education, certain performance benchmarks may help to ensure adequate progress. A range of "best practices" may aid the New Hampshire Legislature in creating important accountability standards. They include:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Treasury Department; Financial literacy; Education
Allyson Bennett '10; Joshua L. Hurd '08; Louisa Pollard '10. (January 23, 2008) Riparian Zone Protection in Vermont: Assessment of Current Regulations and Models for Future Action. PRS Policy Brief 0708-01
Executive Summary: Riparian zones play a crucial role in improving water quality by filtering pollution from surface runoff before it can enter lakes, streams, and other bodies of water. These areas are becoming increasingly degraded by human activities, such as construction and the clearing of vegetation. While many individual towns in Vermont do have regulations protecting riparian zones, the protections at the state level only apply to large-scale developments, leaving out the majority of residential and business construction. This report examines the current state of riparian zone protection in Vermont and presents several policy options that Vermont could implement to further this protection.
Riparian zones serve a variety of ecological functions, such as regulating stream flow; providing habitat for birds, fish, and other species; and encouraging ecotourism. Most important for this report, riparian zones can act as filters of diffuse sources of pollution, often referred to as non-point sources, such as agricultural runoff and lawn fertilizers, which many states consider the greatest cause of water contamination.
In Vermont, no statewide standards exist to prevent small-scale developments from damaging riparian zones. Instead, protection is left to the discretion of individual towns and is primarily found in the form of zoning. While 80 percent of towns in Vermont have zoning systems in place, only 64 out of the 237 towns have zoning bylaws to protect river corridors and lake shorelines from unplanned development.
The United States Code references riparian buffers 14 times, but there is no comprehensive federal law to protect riparian zones. The Clean Water Act of 1972 recommends the maintenance riparian zones to reduce pollution and establishes grant programs to encourage the protection of these areas, but does not require action. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency provides both recommendations and funding for riparian zone protection as part of its Comprehensive Nutrient Management plans, but states have sole responsibility for program design and implementation.
Many states, such as Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, have enacted statewide protection of riparian zones. Other states, such as Arkansas, have state-level programs or regulations to protect riparian zones that are less extensive than uniform standards.
Vermont has a variety of possible policy options for riparian zone protection. Taking into account federal regulations and programs, the models of other states, and Vermont's history and governmental structure, this report will present three primary options: Vermont can develop uniform statewide standards, it can take a watershed approach or it can continue with the status quo.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Pollution; Riparian Zone; Environmental Protection
Elise Braunschweig '08; Jarrett Cato '07; Sean Garren '07. (September 4, 2007) Next Generation Initiative: Career Education in Vermont, A Policy Brief for the Next Generation Commission. PRS Policy Brief 0607-10
Executive Summary: In Vermont, decreasing numbers of students are deciding to attend college in their home state, and extremely low numbers of students remain in Vermont for their adult lives. This so-called "brain drain" of young Vermonters has particularly detrimental effects on the state's economy, as a young workforce is vital to economic growth. In his 2006 State of the State Address, Vermont Governor Jim Douglas sought to address this issue by proposing the 15-year, $175 million Promise Scholarship program. The initiative was designed to provide college scholarships to Vermont students in an effort to encourage them to remain in Vermont upon graduation. With the expectation that recipients will either remain in the state to begin their adult lives or pay back the scholarship as a loan, the program was intended to encourage more young people to start their lives in Vermont and engage as active citizens in the state well into the future.
However, the Vermont General Assembly sought an alternative to the Governor's plan and in 2006 created the Next Generation Commission to develop the Next Generation Initiative, "a plan to encourage Vermonters to live and work in Vermont."4 In creating the Initiative, the Commission has interpreted its charge very broadly, as its goal is to develop an extensive economic development plan. A major component of this plan will be broadening the scope of academic and technical training in Vermont to improve the likelihood of job acquisition and career success for Vermont residents. This includes a significant element devoted to secondary, post-secondary, and technical career education options. In addition, the Commission recognized that it may also be necessary to initiate career education programs with elementary school students. Citing the need for students to become engaged in and excited about potential careers from an early age, the Commission has requested this report on innovative elementary career counseling initiatives being implemented in other locales. Therefore, the report's purpose is to provide the Commission with background information and policy options for implementing career education programs for elementary and middle-school aged students.
This report identifies the potential benefit of career education, highlights the current state of career education programs in Vermont, and identifies programs in other states that could be used as models for developing a Vermont career education plan. Furthermore, this report explores various funding options available for these programs. Finally, the report proposes a collection of best practices for the Commission and the state to use in more effectively implementing career education for elementary and middle-school aged children.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; College; Vermont; Education; Career; Generation
Michael Coburn '10; Zach Mason '10. (April 27, 2007) Small Town Traffic Congestion: Policies for Alleviating Traffic Congestion in Downtown Hanover and Norwich. PRS Policy Brief 0708-12
Executive Summary: While rural areas might not be known for their traffic, congestion is a significant problem in the downtown districts of many small New England towns. The towns of Norwich, VT and Hanover, NH have had to deal with traffic congestion in their downtowns. In Hanover, downtown congestion appears to have stabilized, and traffic levels have actually decreased in the last few years as gas prices have increased. In Norwich, on the other hand, the problem seems to be getting worse with a projected increase in traffic of 40 percent.
The nature of the traffic problem is not exactly the same between the two towns, but there are several policy options that can be used in either town to alleviate downtown congestion. These include:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Traffic congestion; Hanover; Norwich; Vermont; Small town
Marie Choi '06; Kevin Hudak '07; Danielle Penabad '06. (July 31, 2007) Scrap Tire Management: A Case Study of Vermont. PRS Policy Brief 0607-09
Executive Summary: In 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that there were nearly one billion scrap tires in stockpiles across the nation. The most recent data of Vermont, reported by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2001, indicates that as many as 200,000 scrap tires are stored in stockpiles. Such stockpiles pose serious environmental and health threats which could have severe long term effects if not properly addressed. To confront those threats appropriately, the state should consider developing more effective strategies for the collection and use of scrap tires. The rubber from scrap tires has a variety of constructive uses, such as a physical resource in civil engineering, thus stockpiling scrap tires is a problem not only due to the pollution it represents, but also because of the productivity waste it involves.
This brief summarizes the threat posed by scrap tire stock piles, describes the status quo for scrap tires processing, and discusses policy options the state may wish to consider in order to improve the current status of scrap tire management in Vermont. The information presented in this report is synthesized from reports on scrap tires and drawn from conversations with professionals involved in different stages of scrap tire processing in both the private and the public sector.
Currently in Vermont, scrap tires that are legally stockpiled are collected at public drop-off centers or at private tire and auto dealerships. In both cases, the fees are charged to consumers for disposing their tires, which serves as a disincentive for people to properly dispose of their tires. Despite readily available scrap tire disposal methods, illegal stockpiling continues to be a problem. The long term ramifications can be serious, thus improvements in scrap tire management can potentially help alleviate illegal stockpile dumping.
After the collection process, scrap tires are commonly converted to Tire-Derived Fuel, and, less frequently, used in civil engineering projects. In evaluating the potential uses of scrap tires, policy makers could consider the costs, public health and safety concerns, environmental implications, and labor issues associated with each application. With attention focused on those concerns, this paper discusses the costs and benefits of Tire Derived Fuel and various civil engineering uses of scrap tires.
Ultimately, three policies the state could institute to attempt to collect a greater percentage of the scrap tires produced are:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Environmental Protection; Vermont; Tires; Scrap
Andrew Zabel '09. (July 25, 2007) Street Trees: A New Hampshire Primer, Benefits and Implementation Considerations. PRS Policy Brief 0607-08
Executive Summary: The benefits provided to communities by urban forestry programs, specifically street tree planting and maintenance, appear to outweigh the costs in all cases studied. As such, street tree planting and management programs may be viable options for communities to consider incorporating if they are currently seeking to revitalize downtown village business districts and residential neighborhoods, encourage pedestrian traffic and walkable neighborhoods, or create green infrastructure. Depending upon the site and scope of the street tree program, as well as physical design, street trees can provide functions consistent with the aims of safe, healthy, pedestrian friendly and aesthetically pleasing communities.
However, many obstacles may impede the successful design or implementation of a street tree program. Foremost of these concerns is the budget required to create and maintain a successful program that produces results valued by the public. A secondary concern is often lack of public awareness of street trees and the benefits they can provide as well as a lack of public support. Communities investigating street tree programs may be best served by exploring the costs and benefits of these programs as measured by the degree to which they match community goals.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Trees; New Hampshire; Communities
Kevin C. Hudak '07; Maxwell Young '06. (July 23, 2007) First Responder Communications and Interoperability in Vermont. PRS Policy Brief 0607-07
Executive Summary: This report seeks to assess the status of first responder communications and interoperability in Vermont and describes the potential of interoperable equipment to assist in responding to natural and man-made disasters. We interviewed eight communications experts and local officials throughout the state and assessed the interoperability of equipment at three potential security threats:
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant
Vermont Yankee is located on the New Hampshire/Vermont border in southern Vermont. It has recently undergone a series of drills to test evacuation procedures in the case of an emergency at the plant. There were two major problems with the communications equipment in two separate drills. As a result, buses did not arrive at the appropriate place to evacuate schoolchildren and news reports were confusing and inaccurate. The plant has not participated in any statewide homeland security exercises, and the commissioner of public safety in Vermont has expressed concerns over the plant's safety.
United States - Canadian Border
It is important that police and border patrol agents in New York, Vermont, and Canada can communicate with one another regarding potential terrorist threats and illegal activities. Our report found that this would be extremely difficult today because different departments in different states use different types of radios - analog, digital, and sometimes both. Officials have conducted numerous exercises at the border involving the Vermont Department of Public Safety's Homeland Security Unit, local first responders, and Canadian agencies. The most recent exercise was in October 2005 and was almost entirely funded at the federal level.
Burlington International Airport
Burlington International Airport serves as an entryway into the United States from Canada, making it a security concern. Airport security is a division of Burlington's police department and can therefore communicate with the city's police department effectively. To our knowledge, the airport has no standardized procedures to inform surrounding communities if there is a terrorist attack on the airport or if a suspected criminal evades customs agents. However, the facility is part of a mutual-assistance agreement in case there is an accident or a natural disaster that requires more response than Burlington can provide.
Our study finds that, with the exception of two cities that have upgraded their communications infrastructures through millions of dollars in homeland security grants, Vermont's first responder agencies have not fully mobilized to improve their interoperable communications. There is a perception among agency officials that using multiple radios or frequencies is an effective example of an interoperable infrastructure, when, in fact, interoperability can be improved on many more levels:
Vermont is already on the way to addressing these interoperability issues with the implementation of the Vermont Communications (VCOMM) group, which enables community outreach and cooperation between different parts of the state.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Vermont; Vermont Yankee; Nuclear Power Plant; Public Safety
Jessica Todtman '07; Brian McMillan '08; Adria Buchanan '08. (May 4, 2007) Education Report: Vermont: Assessing Pre-Kindergarten Education in Vermont. PRS Policy Brief 0607-02
Executive Summary: In 2004, education expenditures constituted an average of 21.4 percent of state budgets nationwide. As the largest single expenditure for most state governments, public education programs come under scrutiny for their effectiveness and quality and are constantly adapting to fit the needs of constituents as well as federal standards. In order to provide the best possible education to their students, 40 states currently fund some form of pre-kindergarten education. Four of the ten remaining states have federal Head Start programs, while six have no pre-kindergarten program. Vermont currently implements preschool programming through the state-funded Early Education Initiative and Public Preschool Partnerships as well as through a number of federal grants and initiatives. This report compiles documented potential benefits and drawbacks of preschool educational programming and examines the current state of Vermont's pre-kindergarten programs. It also assesses policy options of maintaining the status quo versus expanding the current programs as well as the general benefits and drawbacks of means-tested and universal preschool education programs.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Vermont; Education; Funding; Pre-kindergarten
Patrick Pfeiffer '06; Andrew Zabel '09; Alex Belser '08. (May 2, 2007) The use of Bio Diesel in Vermont: An Introduction to an Alternative Fuel Source for the State of Vermont. PRS Policy Brief 0607-04
Executive Summary: For reasons ranging from environmental health to the stability and long-term viability of petroleum as a fuel source, exploring alternative energy has emerged as an important
issue for the state of Vermont. One aspect of this issue is the prospective wide scale use of biodiesel as a replacement for conventional petroleum diesel (petrodiesel). Although supply and cost constraints mean that biodiesel cannot currently be used to replace petrodiesel completely, it can be blended with petroleum diesel in order to reduce fossil fuel use.
This report investigates various environmental, economic, and feasibility issues pertaining to the use of biodiesel in the state of Vermont. It also identifies a number of policy options for the state of Vermont relating to the use of biodiesel.
Key findings in this report include:
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Environmental health; Biofuel; Biodesiel; Vermont; Alternative energy
Jessica Todtman '07; Andrew Zabel '09. (May 1, 2007) Medicaid Report: New Hampshire, Exploring Measures to Prevent and Detect Fraud. PRS Policy Brief 0607-06
Executive Summary: At present, more than 20 percent of total state spending nationally is dedicated to Medicaid, making it the second largest item in most state budgets after education. As funds become
limited and health care needs expand, states must search for ways to cut costs while still providing quality services. With funding avenues exhausted, states seek to rein in costs by restructuring their Medicaid programs to produce greater efficiency, which includes initiating preventative measures against Medicaid fraud. Reducing the amount of Medicaid funds that go to fraudulent claims will increase the amount of money available in state budgets for health care funding and other needs. This report examines measures to prevent and detect Medicaid fraud, such as the implementation of more stringent enrollment controls and increased use of Information Technology (IT) for data analysis, and identifies sources for the expansion of fraud prevention programs in New Hampshire.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Medicaid; New Hampshire; State Spending; Fraud
Maia Fedyszyn '07. (March 10, 2007) Medicaid in New Hampshire: Providing for Children in Foster Care. PRS Policy Brief 0607-05
Executive Summary: New Hampshire provides substantial Medicaid funding for children in foster care yet often still struggles with identifying and treating foster children's mental and physical health problems. This report highlights three areas of concern regarding the provision of Medicaid services to foster children in the Granite State: ensuring a comprehensive health assessment upon entering foster care, guaranteeing that foster children's mental health needs are met, and offering timely and satisfactory dental care. The report provides a number of policy options for improving and enhancing Medicaid benefits for foster children in New Hampshire, many of which are based on effective policies from other states.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Medicaid; Children; Foster Care; Health Care
Peter Chau '08; Kahlie Dufresne '09; Maia Fedyszyn '07. (January 31, 2007) Enhancing Retirement Saving in New Hampshire: A Final Report to the New Hampshire Voluntary Retirement Project. PRS Policy Brief 0607-03
Executive Summary: In New Hampshire and throughout the United States, a significant portion of the population is not actively saving for retirement. Almost half of New Hampshire workers ages 21 to 64 are not enrolled in an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. The overall effect of low retirement savings is dramatic: about half of working middle-class households are projected to run out of money at some point during their retirement years. This report highlights a variety of reasons why many people do not save enough for a comfortable retirement. Demographic factors that influence saving behavior include: education level, income level, age, and gender. Economic and non-economic explanations for Americans' lack of saving are also offered. For example, access to employer-sponsored plans, retirement plan design, and psychological factors all affect people's ability and decision to save for retirement.
This report presents federal, statewide, and employer-based "best practices" savings promotion efforts that have the potential to enhance retirement security in New Hampshire. Federally
sponsored measures include the Saver's Credit and the Pension Protection Act of 2006. On the state level, a handful of states, including Michigan, Washington, and Vermont, have proposed legislation to create statewide retirement savings account systems. The report also references New Hampshire's 529 college tuition savings plan as an example of an existing state-sponsored
savings plan. Employer practices that work to boost retirement plan participation and encourage saving include automatic plan enrollment and financial education through targeted seminars.
Additionally, high school financial education programs exist to teach teenagers the basics of personal finance.
Based on considerations from academic sources, case studies, and first-hand testimonies, this report offers retirement saving policy options that the New Hampshire state government can implement within both the public and private sectors as well as through a public-private partnership. In the public sector, New Hampshire can create a statewide retirement savings account system, facilitate saving among low-income residents by modifying the asset tests of means-tested benefit programs, and utilize the services of the federal Office of Financial Education. Private sector policy options include promoting effective retirement plan designs that encourage participation and savings, and educating employees about how and why to save for retirement. Under a public-private partnership, the state legislature can work with local Chambers of Commerce to encourage best practice plan designs and initiate relationships with private foundations, organize a media campaign to promote retirement plan participation, and encourage financial education programs in high schools and universities.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Retirement; Saving; Money; Financial
Elizabeth A. Hadzima '06. (December 5, 2006) MTBE Presence in Groundwater: Current Legal and Policy Implications for Prevention and Cleanup. PRS Policy Brief 0607-01
Executive Summary: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) has replaced lead as an on the United States to increase engine combustion efficiency and reduce tailpipe emissions. The use of MTBE was expanded after the 1990 Clean Air Acts Amendments (CAA Amendments) both banned the use of lead as a gas additive and established oxygenate requirements. These oxygen requirements mandated that oxygen must be added to gasoline in areas that do not reach National Ambient Air Quality Standards for both ozone and carbon monoxide.
The CAA Amendments do not specify what type of oxygenate must be used yet petroleum producers prefer to use MTBE because of its low cost and facile production compared to other potential additives such as ethanol. The two programs established to regulate oxygenate use are as follows: 1) the Oxygenated Fuels Program (OXY) in which gasoline must contain 2.7 percent oxygen by weight during the cold season in areas that fail to meet NAAQS for carbon monoxide, and 2) the Reformulated Gasoline Program (RFG) in which gasoline must contain 2.0 percent oxygen by weight year-round in areas which have the highest levels of tropospheric ozone. As a result, MTBE use is higher in colder and more densely populated regions like the Northeast.
However, increased use of MTBE has resulted in extensive groundwater contamination because of its soluble properties making it costly and difficult to remove from the groundwater. The largest source of MTBE contamination is thought to be from leaking underground storage tanks. The health impacts of MTBE contaminated groundwater are not fully understood but its presence causes poor taste and odor in drinking water which is a major concern for public water suppliers. As a result, a number of states, including New Hampshire, have opt-ed out of the Reformulated Gas Program and have banned the use of MTBE as a gas additive as of January 1, 2007. Other states, including Vermont, who are not required to use oxygenates have voluntarily used them in the past and are now banning their use as well as of January 1, 2007.
MTBE is likely to be phased out over the next decade as a gasoline additive through both federal and state legislation. However, its extent and pervasiveness as a groundwater contaminate pose a major problem for public water supplies in states like Vermont and New Hampshire who have existing MTBE groundwater contamination.
A review of the available MTBE case law suggests some degree of MTBE cleanup and remediation will be handed through litigation and settlement suits against responsible parties. A recent multi-district litigation case has set precedent indicating that the Clean Air Act Amendments do not preempt state tort over MTBE contamination. Furthermore, case law indicates that these parties include not only parties responsible for petroleum spills and leaks but also MTBE producers and refiners who can be held liable for producing a defective product that contaminates the groundwater without warning the public about its potential risks. As a provision that would have granted a liability waiver for the MTBE industry failed in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, the use of liability suits by states, municipalities and individuals to cover cleanup costs is likely to continue. Lastly, case law suggests that states have jurisdictional standing over municipalities in filing
suits against the same defendants.
Remediation and cleanup of MTBE groundwater contamination must focus on both cleanup of existing contamination in water supplies as well as addressing priority point source prevention. Public system wells in urban areas are the most vulnerable to contamination by MTBE and should be a priority for state and municipal governments in MTBE cleanup and remediation. Funding for MTBE cleanup in public water supplies is limited, but available through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund as well as other state-based funds such as New Hampshire's Gasoline Remediation and Elimination of Ethers Fund.
Monitoring and cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks is a priority for the prevention of future MTBE contamination. At both the state and federal level, adequate funding exists for petroleum spill prevention and cleanup. However, understaffing of cleanup programs in both New Hampshire and Vermont appear to be a barrier in completing cleanup at leaking underground storage tank sites. A reallocation of funding would likely increase site cleanup success ultimately reducing MTBE groundwater contamination in the future.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether; MTBE;Groundwater; Environmental Protection; Gasoline
Danielle Penabad '06. (September 29, 2006) Medicaid Report: New Hampshire and Vermont, Long-Term Care for the Elderly. PRS Policy Brief 0506-10
Executive Summary: The demand for long-term care in the United States is rapidly rising due to the high growth rate of the elderly population. Along with other states, New Hampshire and Vermont must develop financially viable strategies to ensure adequate and efficient programs for long-term care. Medicaid is the largest public source of funding long-term care but it is administered differently from state to state. This paper focuses on the contrast between New Hampshire and Vermont Medicaid programs for long-term care. It explains how New Hampshire may reduce its disproportionately high average Medicaid long-term care costs by adopting elements of the Vermont model and reducing its reliance on institutional care. It also explores other potential initiatives such as social insurance and the promotion of preventative care programs.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Vermont; Medicaid; Elderly; Health Care; Long-Term Care
Jaime Padgett '07; Oyebola Olabisi '06; Maxwell Young '06. (October 24, 2006) Medicaid Report: New Hampshire and Vermont, Prescription Drug Cost Containment. PRS Policy Brief 0506-09
Executive Summary: New Hampshire and Vermont, along with many other states, are currently struggling to contain the continually rising cost of Medicaid. In recent years, prescription drugs have been one of the largest and the fastest growing component of these costs in both states and across the nation. This report examines the impact of prescription drug costs on New Hampshire and Vermont Medicaid budgets. It presents the use of preferred drug lists (PDLs) and generic drugs, "fail first" requirements, and the extraction of supplemental rebates from drug manufacturers as possible options for reducing the strain placed on the states' limited budgets. It explains the existing use of these methods in each state (where present), identifies potential avenues for further savings and provides important caveats to bear in mind when using these methods.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Vermont; Medicaid; Prescription Drugs; Cost; Health Care
Stephanie Lawrence '06. (October 24, 2006) Medicaid Report: New Hampshire and Vermont, Preventative Care and Obesity. PRS Policy Brief 0506-11
Executive Summary: New Hampshire and Vermont, like many states, face the challenge of providing affordable, high-quality Medicaid programs while operating under budget constraints. One component of these medical expenses is the cost of caring for the steadily rising proportion of obese citizens. Medicaid costs attributable to obesity in New Hampshire and Vermont have been gradually increasing over the past 25 years. Reducing the growing numbers of obese and overweight citizens will eventually reduce the Medicaid expenses attributed to these problems. This report examines preventative care measures such as improved nutrition and physical fitness programs as possible methods of reducing obesity. It also identifies potential funding sources that are available to New Hampshire and Vermont to alleviate the costs of implementing obesity-preventative programs.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Vermont; Medicaid; Preventative Care; Obesity; Health Care
Chongwon J. Char '06; Kristin Ricci '08; Amie Sugarman '07. (October 25, 2006) Funding Brownfield Redevelopment: Interpreting and Making Sense of Multi-Level State Funding. PRS Policy Brief 0506-08
Executive Summary: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a brownfield as "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." In both Vermont and New Hampshire, the majority of these locations are polluted with petroleum products, but examples include many other types of sites, such as landfills, dry cleaners, and former industrial or manufacturing locations that may be contaminated with other hazardous substances in addition to petroleum products. Both Vermont and New Hampshire are placed in a more difficult position than more densely populated states in encouraging brownfield redevelopment because of the availability of land that is free of contamination. In more urbanized states, the high value for land reduces the relative cost of cleanup; the scarcity of land helps highlight the importance of redevelopment. The strong brownfield programs of Massachusetts and California reflect these effects. In rural states, the reuse of brownfields is less pressing due to the ample supply of greenfields (uncontaminated land), which are easier and less costly to develop. However, the redevelopment of these polluted sites is equally important to rural states for maintaining greenfields and for revitalizing the communities in which they occur. This report examines federal and state programs used to encourage and fund brownfield redevelopment and looks at the status of brownfields within both Vermont and New Hampshire in order to discuss potential actions that may facilitate future brownfield redevelopment.
EPA provides a major source of funding for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Between 2003 and 2006, Vermont received $5,410,000 and New Hampshire received $2,890,790 in EPA assessment and cleanup grants and revolving fund loans of the approximately $300 million in funding that EPA has distributed nationally. Several other federal agencies have programs that provide brownfield funding for specific uses, such as economic redevelopment, housing and transportation projects, or general funding which may be directed toward brownfield projects. Understanding which grants may be applied to a specific project is valuable when trying to secure the necessary funding for brownfield redevelopment.
At the state level, both Vermont and New Hampshire have a variety of programs ranging from liability protection to revolving fund loans. Both states have well developed programs for petroleum brownfields, financed by taxes on petroleum products. These programs' activities include the clean up of spilled underground storage tanks and funding for low-income individuals to replace below standard home heating tanks. New Hampshire does not offer any grants for non-petroleum brownfields, while Vermont has funding available for both assessment and remediation of non-petroleum sites. A number of steps may be taken in order to encourage additional brownfield redevelopment. Brownfields are often associated with low-income areas; therefore, approaching the sites as economic development problems rather than environmental ones can open projects to more funding sources. One resource that can provide both economic and environmental benefits is the brownfield job training rants program administered by EPA. Offered as training programs for low-income workers, the programs teach the skills needed in brownfield remediation. Encouraging private investment in brownfields sites can often help spark redevelopment and reate jobs in an area. Additionally, preventing new sites from occurring, by holding petroleum storage sites to higher standards, can help reduce brownfields in the future. Finally, encouraging local involvement can be valuable in identifying and addressing smaller sites important to a community.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Vermont; Environmental Protection Agency; EPA; Brownfield; Pollution
Tracey A. Fung '06; William O'Neal '07; Adam H. Sigelman '05. (September 21, 2006) Roles for the Private Sector in State Parks Systems: A Policy Brief for the State of New Hampshire. PRS Policy Brief 0506-07
Executive Summary: A current trend in the state parks systems of the United States is "privatization" of certain functions and services. Privatization, as defined by author and Director Emeritus of Florida State Parks, Ney C. Landrum, is the "transfer of responsibility for selected state park functions or activities from the state parks agency to a private party or entity by contract, lease, or other formal agreement."1 Such practices have been employed by state park operations since 1866, but there has been a clear increase in their use during the past two decades. This policy brief includes: 1) a description of privatization in the context of Landrum's definition, 2) a discussion of guidelines for determining the appropriateness of a privatization effort, 3) descriptions of private sector involvement in retail and custodial services provided by government agencies, and 4) a presentation of case studies that illustrate private sector involvement in other park systems.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; State Parks
Adam Goldfarb '08; Oyebola Olabisi '06; Stephanie Lawrence '06. (February 23, 2006) Career and Technical Education Participation in Vermont: A Policy Analysis of the Factors Affecting CTE Participation Rates. PRS Policy Brief 0506-03
Executive Summary: Vermont's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program works with high schools to provide students with technical education programs for at least one of their last two secondary years, with the goal of satisfying Vermont's job placement and business demands. CTE offers 64 career and technical education programs in 15 regional technical
centers and six comprehensive high schools2 in subjects like automotive technology, construction, video production, and cosmetology. Technical education centers accept applications from students in their junior and senior years; once accepted into a program, students spend an average of four hours a day per semester in classes for their career cluster of choice. Each technical center serves a specific set of high schools in a defined geographical area called a "service region." Within each service region, sending schools pay for the students' transportation costs and tuition to the technical center. Students also have the option of attending a technical center outside of their home service region, but they must provide their own transportation. According to our 2003-2004 data, participation in the regional technical education programs totaled 1,877 students, or 12.6 percent of the total eligible student population. Technical education is an aid to the economic development of Vermont: information from the Vermont Department of Education reveals that a wide range of public and private employers hires graduates of the CTE programs. Some of these organizations are the State Highway Department, Cody Chevrolet, J.C. Penney, Vermont Nurses Association Adult Daycare Centers, IBM, and Dubois & King Engineers. Therefore, CTE programs are viewed as a valuable resource for both employers and job seekers who want to learn skills applicable to immediate job placements. Our research addresses Vermont's legal obligation "to oversee technical education, to ensure that it is coordinated with academic education, to make it accessible to adult and high school students, and to coordinate it with workforce development efforts"5 under the federally mandated Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Public Law 105-332). Specifically, our research addresses the extent to which Vermont's regional technical centers are accessible to high school students across the state. We define accessibility in terms of a sending school's distance from a technical center and the number of programs offered by the technical center to the schools in its service region. We then measure the effects on student participation of the potential barriers to accessibility created by distance and program offerings. Finally, we offer policy options that may improve statewide access to technical education based on our findings.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Vermont; Career and Technology; CTE; Education
Chongwon J. Char '06; Scott Abramson '06. (March 13, 2006) Renewable Portfolio Standards in Energy Policy: A Policy Analysis for the State of New Hampshire. PRS Policy Brief 0506-04
Executive Summary: A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a policy mandate that a given proportion of power supplied by retail electricity providers be derived from approved renewable sources. While there is no uniform approach to the construction or implementation of an RPS policy, several common and important features are shared by states that have successfully established portfolio standards. Most states define the RPS in terms of the percentage of the electricity supply being generated from renewable sources. When defining eligible renewable sources, states often automatically include specific sources for which power-deriving technologies are universally accepted as renewable (e.g., wind and solar-photovoltaic production) and often exclude other energy sources (e.g., nuclear).
Three options by which electricity suppliers may comply with RPS requirements are available: 1) own an eligible renewable energy generator and its output electricity; 2) buy electricity generated by an eligible renewable energy generator; and 3) buy tradable Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Energy producers within the state of New Hampshire presently trade RECs through the NEPOOL-GIS system establish by ISO-New England, the not-for-profit corporation that regulates and manages the regional power grid.
The costs of RPS are difficult to estimate due to the natural volatility of energy markets. For eight states that have implemented RPS policies the EPA projected a great variance in cost impact to the consumer. The impact of these policies ranged from an average cost to the consumer of $3.50/year in Pennsylvania to a savings of $4.60/year in Minnesota. Furthermore, the Department of Energy (DoE) found that the retail electricity price impact of a federal 10% RPS culminating in 2020 and continuing through 2030 to be an approximately 0.4% increase, whereas the impact on natural gas prices would be a net 0.6% decline in prices over the same time period. Overall, the DoE report found that combined total end-use expenditures would increase by 0.1%. The design of a state's RPS is determined by three factors: electricity market characteristics, particular state policy objectives, and renewable resource potential. Because these factors influence states differently, there is a high level of variability between the states' RPS. The consideration of any state's experience as being relevant to New Hampshire should ultimately take into account the particular goals of the state.
There are numerous lessons from other states' experiences that New Hampshire can use to evaluate RPS legislation. While it is premature to assess the overall impact of any particular state's effort, an evaluation of the early and immediate experiences that other states have had provides several important results. When forming an RPS it is important to implement a policy that allows producers to meet mandates in the most efficient way and at the lowest cost to the consumer while still maintaining strong incentives to produce clean energy. In order to help ensure these goals, three things are essential:
Additionally, eligible sources should be defined with the following criteria:
Finally, three options by which electricity suppliers may comply with RPS requirements are available:
Producers of electricity operating in New Hampshire currently trade RECs through ISO -New England's NEPOOL GIS which tracks RPS eligibility, generation attributes, and emissions factors from all electricity generation in the NE-ISO control area.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Energy; EPA; Environmental Protection Agency; Renewable Energy
Danielle Coutinho '08; Nikolas Nartowicz '07; Danielle Penabad '06. (April 19, 2006) Curriculum Shifts in Vermont Public Schools: A Survey of School Superintendents. PRS Policy Brief 0506-01
Executive Summary: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) legislated state accountability in "meeting annual measurable achievement objectives" for student competence in mathematics and reading. The imposition of high-stakes testing is intended to encourage schools to improve education in these areas. The new law also fundamentally altered the accountability structure from one solely driven by accountability to local voters to one driven by federally mandated sanctions for failure to meet state targets in math and reading.
While the objective of the act is to strengthen student competency in math, reading, and science, policymakers, educators and researchers have raised concerns that the new accountability system may also lead to a shift in school curriculum towards the tested subjects and away from other non-tested subjects such as social studies, arts, etc. A recent national study by the Center on Education Policy provides some evidence of curriculum shifts since the enactment of NCLB (CEP, 2005). Other studies have also suggested high-stakes testing leads to slower growth in achievement in low-stakes tested subjects such as social studies (Jacob, 2002; Korretz & Barron, 1998; Deere & Strayer, 2001). Our study seeks to determine if the curriculum has shifted in the state of Vermont.
In a survey of 19 of 60 (32%) Vermont superintendents, our results suggest that school curriculum is likely shifting since the introduction of high-stakes testing. Eighty-three percent of the nineteen Vermont superintendents surveyed indicated that a narrowing of teaching to tested subjects is either "increasingly common" or occurring "throughout the district."
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Education; Vermont; No Child Left Behind Act; NCLB; Public Schools; Curriculum
Kevin C. Hudak '07; Maxwell Young '06. (July 23, 2007) First Responder Communications and Interoperability in Vermont. PRS Policy Brief 0607-07
Executive Summary: This report seeks to assess the status of first responder communications and interoperability in Vermont and describes the potential of interoperable equipment to assist in responding to natural and man-made disasters. We interviewed eight communications experts and local officials throughout the state and assessed the interoperability of equipment at three potential security threats:
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant
Vermont Yankee is located on the New Hampshire/Vermont border in southern Vermont. It has recently undergone a series of drills to test evacuation procedures in the case of an emergency at the plant. There were two major problems with the communications equipment in two separate drills. As a result, buses did not arrive at the appropriate place to evacuate schoolchildren and news reports were confusing and inaccurate. The plant has not participated in any statewide homeland security exercises, and the commissioner of public safety in Vermont has expressed concerns over the plant's safety.
United States - Canadian Border
It is important that police and border patrol agents in New York, Vermont, and Canada can communicate with one another regarding potential terrorist threats and illegal activities. Our report found that this would be extremely difficult today because different departments in different states use different types of radios - analog, digital, and sometimes both. Officials have conducted numerous exercises at the border involving the Vermont Department of Public Safety's Homeland Security Unit, local first responders, and Canadian agencies. The most recent exercise was in October 2005 and was almost entirely funded at the federal level.
Burlington International Airport
Burlington International Airport serves as an entryway into the United States from Canada, making it a security concern. Airport security is a division of Burlington's police department and can therefore communicate with the city's police department effectively. To our knowledge, the airport has no standardized procedures to inform surrounding communities if there is a terrorist attack on the airport or if a suspected criminal evades customs agents. However, the facility is part of a mutual-assistance agreement in case there is an accident or a natural disaster that requires more response than Burlington can provide.
Our study finds that, with the exception of two cities that have upgraded their communications infrastructures through millions of dollars in homeland security grants, Vermont's first responder agencies have not fully mobilized to improve their interoperable communications. There is a perception among agency officials that using multiple radios or frequencies is an effective example of an interoperable infrastructure, when, in fact, interoperability can be improved on many more levels:
Vermont is already on the way to addressing these interoperability issues with the implementation of the Vermont Communications (VCOMM) group, which enables community outreach and cooperation between different parts of the state.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Vermont; Vermont Yankee; Nuclear Power Plant; Public Safety
Erin Demien '07; Brian Hanley '05; Rebecca Wehrly '06. (April 15, 2005) MEDICAID IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT.
Executive Summary: Like many states across the nation, New Hampshire and Vermont face the challenge of addressing the rising costs of health care within the constraints of their individual budgets. Both states' Medicaid programs are struggling to extend high-quality, accessible, timely, and effective care to needy individuals while also working within the long-term framework of limited resources. Because the factors that contribute to this situation differ across the states, dealing with the situation demands individualized cost control strategies that will have as small an impact as possible on the quality and breadth of health care available to low-income residents. At the same time, Medicaid is provided jointly by the federal and state governments, meaning that both states must work within federal guidelines (please see Appendix for further explanation). This report examines the factors contributing to the strain on Medicaid programs in New Hampshire and Vermont within this context and discusses potential policy options for addressing this issue.
Notes: This report was written by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College under the direction of professors in the Rockefeller Center. Support for the Policy Research Shop is provided by the Ford Foundation.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; New Hampshire; Vermont; Medicaid; Health Care; Cost
N.D. Addressing Energy Issues in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Executive Summary: In recent years, discussions about energy policy have become a focus in many state legislatures, as states attempt to find the right mix of energy sources for, and the best means of ensuring the adequate provision of energy to, their residents and businesses. State legislatures have grown concerned about rising prices, particularly for fossil fuels, the environmental impacts of some energy sources, and even about security issues in a post 9/11 era. In New Hampshire and Vermont, these discussions have included encouraging more efficient energy use across economic sectors, ensuring that low income residents can purchase home-heating oil in the winter, finding ways to encourage greater availability of renewable energy on the electricity market, both from indigenous and non-indigenous sources, and considering issues affecting the future of in-state nuclear power generation. Recognizing that energy policy was a key area of focus for ongoing legislative discussions, students in the Policy Research Shop worked during the fall of 2004 to develop a knowledgebase about, and skill set among students to address, key energy issues in these two states. With the beginning of the legislative session in 2005, this knowledge proved useful, as students responded quickly to requests for information about specific energy issues. This executive summary provides a brief overview of energy in the two states and summarizes the attached reports prepared by students to address the specific research requests we received.
Descriptors: Policy Research Shop; Rockefeller Center; Dartmouth College; Energy; Nuclear Power; New Hampshire; Vermont
