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Funding the future
Associate Professor of Health Education Ramon Castellblanch, in a Nov. 22 opinion piece in The Korea Herald, advocated increased federal funding of higher education to reduce student debt burden. "We need our colleges to thrive. An affordable college education has been a key to the rising standard of living that our country enjoyed for many decades. It provided us with educated workers who made our industries successful," Castellblanch said. "Making college affordable is the best investment in our country’s economic and political future. And it’s the honorable thing to do for strapped students and families."
Invest to save
A Nov. 28 Medical Xpress report featured the research of Professor and Chair of Economics Sudip Chattopadhyay and colleagues on the spending for tobacco control programs compared with revenue from tobacco sales tax and the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. Their study found that state tobacco control programs have a "sustained and steadily increasing long-run impact" on demand for cigarettes, said Chattopadhyay. "Almost all states are facing financial crisis, and they are really diverting their funds, possibly moving funds from productive use. … (by fully funding tobacco control programs) they would save money in terms of reduced Medicaid, and reduced medical and productivity costs. Those kinds of costs are only going to go up."
Balancing act
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jason McDaniel predicted in a Nov. 29 San Francisco Chronicle report that the next important political test for Mayor Ed Lee will be choosing a replacement for the open Board of Supervisors seat held by progressive supervisor Ross Mirkarimi who will become sheriff in January 2012. "It's an important choice, a difficult decision. An astute politician will know how to thread the needle," McDaniel said. "This one seat can affect crucial decisions either way."
For more media coverage of faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs, see SF State in the News.
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