Connecting today’s news with the research & opinion you need.

On Fire

What to Know: California officials are blaming a “gender reveal” party for a wildfire now consuming thousands of acres of land.

The TPPF Take: The pyrotechnics may have provided the spark, but the fuel for the fire is the state’s years of mismanagement.

“In 1994, due to concerns over the Northern Spotted Owl population, a federal judge ruled that President Clinton’s Northwest Forest Plan will stand, dealing a blow to the Western timber industry, from which it never recovers. Forests begin accumulating more fuel than is harvested or burned,” explains TPPF’s Chuck DeVore, a former California assemblyman. “A few years later, requests for funds for powerline safety upgrades were denied as environmental groups fret that the higher energy costs would undermine public support for renewable energy. Preventable deaths due to wildfires followed.”

SUPER-intendent Salaries

What to Know: Austin ISD will pay its new superintendent $325,000 annually (the previous superintendent earned $310,958) plus a $750 monthly car allowance. It will also deposit $15,000 yearly into a retirement account. The new superintendent’s pay “is more than twice the governor’s salary of $153,570.”

The TPPF Take: Superintendent salaries in Austin and elsewhere are out of touch with reality. Today’s unemployed and underemployed cannot afford extreme public sector pay.

“Supersized superintendent salaries are pushing taxes higher and squeezing the working class. It’s outrageous to think that many are struggling to put food on the table while an elite few in government are living high on the hog,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Local governments must do better.”

Hope for Prisoners—and Communities

What to Know: A program in Nevada is getting attention for pairing prisoners with cops—in mentoring relationships.

The TPPF Take: The success of the “Hope for Prisoners” program, in which a third of the volunteer mentors helping those coming out of prison are police officers, is laudable.

“A UNLV study found only 6% of Hope for Prisoners participants were re-incarcerated over 18 months and nearly two-thirds found full-time employment,” says TPPF’s Marc Levin, who leads the Right on Crime project. “However, these results should not be so surprising. The two groups share many experiences and challenges. Not only should “Hope for Prisoners” be replicated, it can provide a template for similar innovations that bridge the gap between those who have broken the law and those charged with enforcing it.”