The Policy Report


The Policy Report is published by Adam Haverstock and Igor Kagan.  It was started on September 8, 2008 when the two discussed the need for an outlet to express their opinions on California Politics in a state where very few people understand the makeup of the government, let alone debate how to make it effective.

As the project progressed, it became clear that their mission should be to develop a site where regular people can receive information about what is happening in their state in terms they can understand and without the political spin and rhetoric.

We are based in the San Fernando Valley, CA and most of our discussions focus on Los Angeles, the State of California and, of course, the United States.

We always welcome comments. This blog is intended to be a place where voters and share their opinions about issues that affect them.

Mission Statement

The purpose of The Policy Report is to inject common sense debate and analysis on public policy issues into a world of spin and extreme partisanship. Our contributors come from opposite sides of the political spectrum, but agree that most difficult problems can only be solved by working together. In the end, we are all fighting for a better world. The Policy Report is a place to argue about the best ways to get there.

Can I repost The Policy Report articles on my site?

Yes, as long as you link back to The Policy Report. This site is licensed under a Creative Commons License.  This means it can be reproduced as long as you give credit to The Policy Report and link to the article.  Go to the Creative Commons website for more information about content distribution.Can I contribute content?

Sure!  We are always looking for concerned citizens who would like to write about local, state or federal politics.  There are a few conditions:

  • You must live in California or have a working knowledge of the California Government.
  • You must have good writing skills including grammar and spelling.  This is a part-time project and we don’t have time to proofread all of your writing.
  • You cannot be extremely partisan.  We pride ourselves on being moderates who encourage bipartisan solutions to problems.  If you are too liberal or conservative, you just won’t fit in.

If you feel you meet the qualifications above, email your article (including photos) to Adam for review.

Can my company/campaign advertise on your site?

The publishers of the site want to keep it from being a minefield of advertising.  That being said, a fewadvertisements placed in the sidebar would help offset the cost of the domain, hosting, etc.

If you are interested contact Adam for details.

Contributors

Adam Haverstock

Adam is a 24-year-old registered Republican. He considers himself a center-right political orientation. A social moderate, he supports policies that allow individuals their human rights without paying for those allowances with other citizens’ tax dollars. He considers fiscal issues to be his area of interest and is a member of the Club For Growth, an anti-tax advocacy group.

He has spent several years visiting Sacramento and Washington DC lobbying in support of Higher Education and in support of various pieces of legislation.  He has worked on campaigns for candidates in and around the San Fernando Valley, California. He holds a BA in Psychology from California State University, Northridge. He currently works as a researcher in the recreation and hospitality industry.

Igor Kagan

Igor is a 23-year-old registered Democrat. Politically, he leans left, but argues that he is objective. In his perfect world everyone would have equal opportunity to reach their full potential. This goal informs and motivates his political beliefs.

When not debating politics, Igor enjoys sports, reading, and nature. An engaged citizen, Igor sits on the executive board of the San Fernando Valley Young Democrats and volunteers for Grid Alternatives, a non profit that installs solar panels for low income homeowners. During the day, he works as a clean air advocate for a large public health organization.

Igor holds a BA in Public Policy and Communication Studies from California State University Northridge. Born in Ukraine, Igor now proudly calls Los Angeles his home.

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Dear Reader,

Thank you for your interest in my website.  I take great pride in developing quality content that appeals to readers with both a sense of Fiscal Conservatism — a leaner California government with lower taxes and less involvement– and a belief in Social Centrism — that every individual can do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t affect the rights or wallet of anyone else.  Hopefully the same interest in California Politics that brought you to the site will inspire you to both comment on the site and to contribute your own work.

You will notice some changes coming to the site in the coming weeks. My hope is to make it more than “just a blog”, but rather a community where users can exchange opinions. Feel free to Register as a member and begin posting your own opinion on California public policy or comment on someone elses. Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks again for your interest in California Politics and The Policy Report.
Adam Haverstock  Editor

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Resource Page

The Political Resources Page is designed to serve as a resource for the political novice. It has links to government websites that can give you information on candidates, propositions, or analysis of both. It also includes anything that we thought might be useful to the political researcher who wants impartial information.

Do you know a resource that isn’t listed here that probably should be? We would love to hear about it. Please Email Adam and let him know about it!

Election Results Archive

  •  November 4, 2008 - California Propositions 1A thru 12
  • March 2, 2009 - City of Los Angeles Election

General Resources / Non-Profit Organizations

  • Register to Vote- The site is a page in the California Secretary of State’s Website that will mail you a voter registration form already filled out for you to sign and mail.
  • Project VoteSmart - This site is a great resource to see an elected official’s voting record. Rather than hearing what they say on an issue, view how they voted on that issue. Actions speak louder than words.
  • Govtrack.us - This site allows you to look up the voting record of members of congress and track bills as they go through committees in the US Senate or House of Representatives.
  • FactCheck.Org - This site is a non-partisan organization that does research on claims made in political ads, speeches and the like.
  • Public Policy Institute of California - Similar to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, except this one isn’t government run and is funded privately.  These guys provide inpartial analysis of State Public Policy.
  • The Rose Institute - A research center at Claremont College that focuses on California Public Policy.

Advocacy Organizations

  • California Forward - An advocacy organization that focuses on bipartisan government reforms including redistricting and the California budget process.
  • California Business Roundtable - A non-profit, nonpartisan organization composed of chief executive officers of leading California businesses.
  • California Clean Money Campaign - A non-profit organization that advocates for public campaign financing.
  • National Popular Vote - An advocacy organization that supports the elimination of the Electoral College and using the national popular vote to elect the President.

Blogs and Websites

  • BlogNetNews - A regionally based syndication of political and current event blogs.
  • Fullosseous Flap’s Dental Blog - A Ventura County based political blog.

Political Parties

  • California Republican Party Website
  • United States Republican Party Website
  • California Democratic Party Website
  • United States Democratic Party Website

City of Los Angeles Resources

  • City of Los Angeles Website - This site has links to Mayor Villaraigosa’s website, and links to the City Council’s Website. You can watch tapings of public hearings online and get information about your City Councilman.

State of California Resources

  • California Bill Lookup Service - This website allows you to see the actual text of a bill, from when the bill was introduced to the current incarnation of the bill. Amendments are stricken out so you can see what text was removed. The site quality is fair, but it is a great resource.
  • California Campaign Finances Website - This site lists the contributions to political candidates or campaigns as required by law.
  • California Secretary of State Website - The Secretary of State is charged with the facilitation of impartial and fair elections for the State of California. Here you can get the language of propositions and information about candidates. It also tells you when elections are and can register you to vote online.
  • Legislative Analyst’s Office Website - This office reviews all legislation that is proposed in California, including proposed bills in the Assembly and Senate and State Ballot Initiatives and provides impartial, independent analysis. A good resource to get the straight talk on legislation.
  • ElectionTrack.com - This site keeps track of campaign contributions that state candidates declare including how much the donation was and who contributed it.  You can see who contributes to specific campaigns.  It can even notify you of exceptionally large contributions by email.
  • California State Assembly Website - This is the website for the lower house of the California Legislature. It has assembly rosters, and agendas for committee and assembly hearings. Updated Daily.
  • California State Senate Website - This website is similar to the Assembly Website, but is for the State Senate of California.
  • California Governor’s Website - The site for the Governor of California.  Has features including links to government resources and an archive of signed and vetoed bills.  It also has the latest announcements issued by the Governor.

Federal Government Resources

  • The House of Representatives Website - This site has information on committee assignments, hearing dates and times, house bill lookup and other helpful features. It also helps you find your congressman and view their website.
  • Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives - Here you can look up information regarding the specific text of bills and laws, see how representatives voted in roll call votes and other similar information.
  • The US Senate Website - This is the official site of the Senate. It has similar functions to the House of Representatives website, including links to individual senator’s websites.
  • The President’s Website - The official site of the President of the United States.

 


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