The Heartlander: January-February 2010 (executive summary)

New Web Sites Launched

Heartland has launched a series of new Web sites to bring real-time information to larger audiences, boost the interactive features that already exist on our other Web sites, and take advantage of new social media tools.

Health Care

• Heartland is conducting weekly mailings of key health policy research to “influentials” in 11 target states.

• Heartland spokespersons appeared in Investor’s Business Daily and newspapers in Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia, and on talk radio in Chicago, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Toledo, and Washington.

• The December 2009 issue of Health Care News covers the federal health care overhaul plus Medicaid and Medicare, the Canadian health care system, and more.

Risk, Regulation, and Markets

• In December, Heartland agreed to acquire the Center on Risk, Regulation, and Markets (RRM) from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Alan B. Smith joined Heartland as a senior fellow, and 10 people joined Heartland’s Board of Policy Advisors in support of the center’s work.

• Research & Commentaries were released on the FDIC, transaction taxes, property mitigation, and the Federal Housing Administration.

• Heartland spokespersons appeared in two trade journals, the Boston Globe, newspapers in Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and Washington, DC, and several influential online sites--including the liberal Daily Kos.

• The December 2009 issue of Fire, Insurance & Real Estate News reports on property mitigation, a proposed federal Consumer Financial Protection Agency, “swipe” fee limits, and more.

Budget & Tax

• Research & Commentary collections were released on corporate taxes and high-speed rail.

• Heartland spokespersons appeared in The Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune and newspapers in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Texas. They appeared on OneNewsNow, the online news syndicate; talk radio in Alabama and Texas; and several influential Web sites, including BigGovernment.com and Slate.com.

• The December 2009 issue of Budget & Tax News covers the tea party movement, Amazon tax, video gambling, bailouts for trial lawyers, and more.

Education

• Heartland Senior Fellow Robert Holland was published by newspapers in California, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, and Texas.

• The December 2009 issue of School Reform News reports on Arizona’s school choice programs, Milwaukee’s public schools, polls, online higher education, and charter schools.

Environment

• Heartland policy experts played a key role in the media as Climategate unfolded in November and December.

• Heartland Science Director Jay Lehr wowed audiences in Mississippi, Ohio, and Texas. Special Correspondent Paul Chesser, Senior Fellow James M. Taylor, and Policy Advisor John Dale Dunn were also on the road.

• Heartland sponsored a Chicago luncheon with scientist Craig Loehle.

• Heartland spokespersons appeared in the Stanford Review and newspapers in Canada, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington, DC. They took to the airwaves in Chicago and San Antonio and appeared on influential Web sites including Sky News in Australia and John Stossel’s blog.

InfoTech & Telecom

• Research & Commentaries were distributed on municipal wi-fi and Internet sales taxes.

• Jim Lakely, codirector of Heartland’s Center on the Digital Economy and managing editor of InfoTech & Telecom News, was published by a trade journal, several newspapers in the McClatchy chain, and the Chicago Sun-Times.

• The December issue of InfoTech & Telecom News reports on network neutrality, Google Books, broadband stimulus funds, privacy regulation, and more. The issue features an exclusive interview with Larry Downes, author of The Laws of Disruption: Harnessing the New Forces That Govern Business and Life in the Digital Age.