American Idea Foundation

Measuring Results, Expanding Opportunity, Improving Lives.

Mike

Improving Evidence in Policing

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By: AIF Staff

The recent protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks are the latest and most visible reminders that policing power is one of the most critical responsibilities we give the State in our free society. Its importance cannot be overstated –citizens are unable to go about their daily lives if they are living in fear of violence. And more often than not, police officers are leaders in our communities, who selflessly undertake the vital role of keeping citizens safe from crime and illicit activity. 

The challenges that police officers face while doing their jobs are large, and they are given powers that are commensurate with those challenges. However, with that power comes the expectation that the police will use their power responsibly. 

As the last few weeks have shown, there are many ideas on how to improve policing and how to preserve the trust between the police and the communities they serve. House Democrats have introduced the Justice in Policing Act, Senator Tim Scott and his Republican colleagues have offered the JUSTICE Act, and the President has offered solutions via an Executive Order. These are all positive contributions to a long overdue, and much needed, conversation about how we ensure that our laws are enforced equally and that proper oversight is given to the law enforcement officials in whom we entrust these important responsibilities. Our country has put off having this difficult, but necessary conversation for too long and as a result, countless lives have been lost and meaningful progress has been delayed. 

A critical piece that should not be overlooked in our current discussion about policing reform is the importance of allowing evidence and data to drive improvements in policing strategies. As policymakers look to improve policing operations and reduce preventable abuses of authority, they will need a roadmap to understand what actually works in this space. In order to develop this roadmap, both the Administration and the Congress should build on other programs that have developed a body of evidence around what works, and then, on a bipartisan basis, determine the optimal level and allocation of funding for those programs.

As Congressman Will Hurd said in a recent op-ed: “The way we solve these broader issues isn’t by defunding the police but by ensuring they do better.” The best way to determine if departments are in fact doing better, is by increasing and strengthening the amount of evidence and data related to their work. 

Increasing the utilization of reporting, evidence, and data is not a new concept, and the federal government has successfully done this before. One example to look towards is the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Visitation program. This program, created under President Bush, codified under President Obama, and reauthorized under President Trump, provides for a tiered-evidence funding model where new interventions are tested, promising interventions are scaled up, and proven interventions are funded at higher levels. This model has led to the successful funding of nurse-family partnerships and it gives policymakers a template to follow in the pursuit of evidence-based policing strategies.   

As Congress works toward improving policing outcomes, they should create a tiered-funding model at the National Institutes of Justice to identify and fund policing practices that reduce violence and improve officer safety. All levels of government are going to be rolling out new public safety practices or incorporating reforms that have been pushed for years, as governments do so, they should ensure police departments are actually achieving the goals that are being pursued.

To help advance the conversation about compiling better data and evidence in policing, former Speaker Paul Ryan, the President of the American Idea Foundation, sent the following letter to Attorney General William Barr. As Ryan said in the letter: 

“Our nation’s law enforcement officials have one of the most difficult occupations in our society. They are given immense powers to complete those tasks and have a responsibility to uphold the public’s trust by equally applying our laws. In light of this power and responsibility and to improve its efforts, we urge the DOJ to prioritize learning how best to continue guaranteeing the safety of our citizens and law enforcement personnel.”

Without question, we need to act decisively to prevent police officers from abusing their authority and from harming the very citizens that they swore an oath to protect. But as we do this, lawmakers should also push to increase the amount of data and reporting around techniques and strategies and create a repository of good ideas that have proven to work in communities around the country. 

Given the immense responsibility that we place in our law enforcement officers, increasing the amount of evidence and data collected with their efforts will ultimately help the police and their fellow citizens, who they serve and protect, achieve a more equitable system of justice.  

One Community at a Time, Opportunity Zones begin to Germinate

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June 16, 2020

By: AIF Staff

In his “farewell address,” American Idea Foundation President and former Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan noted:

“You all know that finding solutions to help people lift themselves out of poverty is a personal mission for me. I think we have made real progress here in a relatively short time…. We have begun to break this monolith. New opportunity zones, part of tax reform, will bring more investment to distressed communities….

“I believe firmly that solving our poverty challenges once and for all will require not just a great undertaking, but a great rethinking of how we help the most vulnerable among us. It begins with realizing that the best results come from within communities, where solutions are tailored and targeted for people’s needs. This battle will be won soul-to-soul and eye-to-eye.”

In keeping with its mission to advance data-driven solutions that expand economic opportunities, the American Idea Foundation has pushed for the proper development of opportunity zones, which were created as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

As articulated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, opportunity zones, which can be found in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, are economically distressed census tracts that are eligible for preferential tax treatment. As tax experts, Cesar Conda and Ryan Ellis wrote: There are “42,000 such communities in the United States today…. They are both urban and rural, home to Americans of all races. Poor whites in Appalachia will be beneficiaries of the same Opportunity Zone law as poor blacks in Chicago or poor Indians in South Dakota.”

Opportunity Zones, as designed by the author of the provision, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, “incentivize long-term investment in low-income and distressed communities by offering a deferral of capital gains taxes for investors.”

In 2018, Speaker Ryan described the incentives of Opportunity Zones succinctly, saying: “With these opportunity zones, we are essentially offering private investors a set of incentives. The longer you maintain your investment in these areas, the more tax benefits you receive. Right now, we have $6 trillion of unrealized capital that can be deployed to help alleviate poverty in distressed communities and improve people’s lives.”

As Conda and Ellis noted:

“Investors get three big tax benefits by rolling their gains into Opportunity Funds. First, they get tax deferral on the gains they roll in. Currently, that deferral is available through 2026, but if Opportunity Zones are successful there is every reason to believe Congress will extend this. Second, investors can “step up” their basis in their deferred capital gain by up to 15 percent provided they keep the money in an Opportunity Fund for at least seven years. Finally, an investor in an Opportunity Fund asset who holds the investment for at least 10 years pays a 0 percent capital gains tax upon sale, to the extent the gains are derived from the Opportunity Zone asset.

The promise of opportunity zones is that they will draw investment to areas around the country that need it most, and that investment will lead to rejuvenation and revitalization. At their best, opportunity zones will be locally-driven and serve as tools of reclamation rather than gentrification.

As the Economic Innovation Group noted: “Capital alone is not a strategy…. Going forward, state and local leaders are responsible for devising the strategies that will take these few new lines of the tax code and turn them into something that unlocks opportunity for local residents and entrepreneurs.”

The roll-out of opportunity zones has been deliberate, as these projects require relationships with local, state, and federal actors, but all across America, there is reason for hope that these zones will help communities rise up in unique ways. Forbes, in conjunction with the Sorensen Impact Center, highlighted a collection of the most promising projects underway across the United States.

Some other examples of how Opportunity Zones are improving communities around the country and allowing people to recognize their version of the American Dream include:

–          Paterson, New Jersey: As columnist Chris Slevin said, “New Jersey has 169 Opportunity Zones, which carry an average poverty rate of 25 percent and a median family income of $48,000, on average. About 738,000 New Jerseyans live in these zones. In many of these communities, the ongoing challenge of redeveloping brownfield sites has made it harder to attract capital in recent decades.”

But the incentives provided by Opportunity Zones are attracting investors who are able to clean up the brownfields and environmentally-damaged land, allowing for further community development to take hold. As Democrat Senator Cory Booker said: “I see really the perspective from New Jersey and I’m seeing a lot of different groups: impact investors, people that have a social mission. There are some businesses that have a charitable foundation and (are) looking for ways to create a multiplier effect with their investment, which is exciting.”

New Jersey’s business and government leaders have made sure to take a step-by-step approach to developing opportunity zones, remembering that they are designed to thoughtfully rejuvenate communities with sustained investment and care.

–          Provo, Utah: In announcing the state’s initial Opportunity Zones, Governor Gary Herbert described the program’s goals as “economic prosperity for all Utahns. Opportunity Zones will go a long way in helping to support growth in economically-distressed areas throughout the state. By working with these communities, the zones will attract more businesses and new investment.”

HUD Secretary Ben Carson said recently that Utah’s Opportunity Zones, “look like the 22nd century.”  A local business owner in Provo noted, “the opportunity zone designation did serve as a sort of accelerant when it came to finding outside investors for the companies, most of which simply move to different buildings on the same large campus that Hall Labs exists on, so they continue to benefit Provo’s economy.” 

As the Provo Daily Herald said: “If you are a small business owner, you are someone who … could take advantage of this … we’re trying to build this platform to not only provide temporal assistance to those who need it, but really match them with potential investors should they have a project that they feel warrants it.”

–          Baltimore, Maryland: In the Charm City, the opportunity zones were selected based on need and around anchor projects that could serve as hubs for revitalization. One project, features a concert hall amid “a stretch of industrial buildings and vacant lots on Russell Street that the city wants to transform into an entertainment district.” As former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh detailed at a Kemp Forum on Opportunity Zones, the city is more ready than any other to begin developing these promising parts of the city.

–          Erie, Pennsylvania: As the Wall Street Journal noted, “Erie was one of the first cities to jump on the federal-opportunity zone program, creating a 58-page prospectus and identifying a dozen “shovel ready” projects, including the renovation of a 133-unit downtown hotel. Redevelopment would have happened with or without the opportunity-zone program, city leaders say, but the tax breaks will speed the process.” Erie’s promise is receiving further recognition, as it received one of the Forbes’ Opportunity Zone awards.

–          Brooklyn Center, Minnesota: The Brooklyns Building is owned by the city’s Economic Development Authority and the incubator is going to focus on helping minority- and immigrant-owned startup companies. The project is designed to grow with the community’s involvement, and it was recently recognized by the Minnesota Opportunity Collective for its potential.

The rollout of Opportunity Zones has been accompanied by passionate debate, which is a good thing. It ensures that policymakers at the local, state, and federal level will work to design projects as the law intended. Because evidence and data should help drive decisions, it was encouraging to see a bipartisan group of Senators introduce legislation strengthening the reporting requirements for opportunity zones. As Senator Todd Young of Indiana said upon its introduction, “Our bill will help strengthen Opportunity Zones by increasing transparency within the program and creating metrics to measure and improve on its success.”

The promise of Opportunity Zones is directly connected to local entrepreneurs working within their communities and developing synergistic relationships with elected officials. As communities build themselves up one project at a time, lives can be improved and dreams can be realized in a sustainable and bottom-up way. As opportunity zones continue to germinate, the American Idea Foundation will ensure they comport with the original spirit and intent of the law. 

Catching up on “Comeback” Stories from across America

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By: AIF Staff

Following the 2012 Presidential Election, American Idea Foundation President and former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan set out to listen and learn from individuals who are fighting for change in communities around the country. Rather than relying on experts in Washington for answers, Speaker Ryan thought it was better to go straight to the source and he spent years meeting with local leaders and groups who are making a positive difference one person at a time. 

The premise was simple: Speaker Ryan believed that there were bright spots in communities throughout the country: Organizations flying under the radar achieving success and taking on the tough issues, individuals embodying the best of America and helping their fellow neighbors, and communities improving themselves from the ground-up. His hope was to hear how these individuals were making positive contributions, see their work in action, and then touch more people’s lives by advancing public policies that incorporated these models of success. After listening and learning, Ryan collaborated with his fellow policy-makers to develop legislative solutions to enhance these organizations’ efforts to accomplish their mission and scale their models of success. It is a blueprint that the American Idea Foundation has continued to build on since Speaker Ryan left Congress. 

One month after the 2012 election, Ryan laid out his reasons for this approach at the Jack Kemp Leadership Award Dinner: 

“We must carry on and keep fighting for the American Idea – the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to rise … to escape from poverty…. and to achieve whatever your God-given talents and hard work enable you to achieve. That is the promise of American life. And for too many Americans, it isn’t being kept….

“We need a vision for bringing opportunity into every life – one that promotes strong families, secure livelihoods, and an equal chance for every American to fulfill their highest aspirations for themselves and their children.

“This vision leaves behind the failures of the past. It seeks instead to build on those reforms that have worked. It calls on government to encourage, not displace, the efforts of free people to help one another. It calls for a stronger safety net – one that protects the most vulnerable and promotes self-reliance. It calls for an end to the chronic inequalities in our education system.

“And finally, it promotes economic growth through free enterprise – because nothing has done more to lift people everywhere out of poverty.”

Working with his mentor and noted community organizer Bob Woodson, Ryan set about identifying those entities and organizations that were helping individuals achieve their version of the American dream and that were tackling the key challenges facing our communities. 

Subsequently, some of the organizations that Speaker Ryan visited and developed relationships with were featured prominently in a video series entitled: “Comeback,” which told powerful stories of transformation, redemption, and rejuvenation occurring across the country. 

The American Idea Foundation wanted to check-in on some of the groups that Ryan met, many of whom were featured in the “Comeback,” to see how they are still laboring to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Here is a quick update: 

Beyond the Walls: Operating in Elyria, Ohio, Beyond the Walls Church was founded by Pastors Paul and Cindy Grodell after they turned their lives around through faith and hard-work. The Grodells then felt called to help others do the same and their outreach-based approach to ministry has since helped countless individuals overcome addiction and rise out of poverty. Beyond the Walls Church meets people where they are. They showing people compassion and respect, offering a helping hand when it is needed most. Speaker Ryan got to know the Grodells after learning about their ministry in 2012 and returned in 2016 to see how their efforts were progressing. 

Beyond the Walls captured the visit in a moving video entitled: The Gift of Redemption, which provided details on how the organization is making a tangible difference in the lives of Ohioans. John Hart described the visit, saying:

“The sanctuary was simple and inviting, but more industrial than corporate. There was no air conditioning, just fans blowing in the back to contain the thin film of sweat forming on a handful of staff and over-dressed convention-goers.

Ryan arrived without fanfare and made no grand entrance. He took his seat at two folded tables set up as an inverted “v” panel and prepared to listen to extraordinary personal stories of victory and grief.”

Urban Specialists: Bishop Omar Jawhar and Antong Lucky, two of the leaders of Urban Specialists in Dallas, Texas, continue to transform lives by working to end generational poverty and reduce violence among younger Americans. Their approach of “change lives, save lives,” was recently featured in the Dallas Morning News as they keep making progress to end senseless acts of violence throughout Texas. Ryan talked with Bishop Jawhar, Antong Lucky, and other front-line organizations in 2016 about how federal policymakers can better address systemic issues of poverty and income inequality. Their unique relationship was highlighted in Forbes Magazine which noted that while progress was being made, more work still needed to be done.

Outcry in the Barrio: Led by senior pastor Jubal Garcia, the ministries of Outcry in the Barrio have saved thousands of lives in San Antonio, Texas. Garcia and his team continue to help those struggling with drug addiction and substance abuse in a way that preserves their dignity and provides them with avenues to get their lives back on track. The San Antonio Express News profiled Outcry in the Barrio and touched on the expansive reach of their ministry in recent years: 

“Those who come into Outcry in the Barrio as drug addicts and successfully complete the 90-day rehab program are eligible to enter the program’s leadership academy, which takes three and a half years. During that time, participants may be sent to minister in any of the other nearby Outcry in the Barrio locations across the state of Texas or elsewhere. Since 1970, locations have spread throughout Texas and Mexico, and into South America; in Peru alone, there are more 54 locations.” Garcia said.

Praising their faith-based approach in 2016, Speaker Ryan wrote in an op-ed: “There is a better way to fight poverty. I have seen it firsthand in San Antonio, at Outcry in the Barrio, a faith-based rehab program. There, they take drug addicts off the streets and get them on the right path. This isn’t a big government program. It is people helping people. It’s the approach we need to take around the country: see the person, not the problem.”

Local resident Steve Parkhurst visited Outcry a number of times and summed up their work succinctly:

“It was about a ministry, with a success rate better than any government recovery program can aspire to, doing what seems like impossible work. It was about neighborhood healers, first Freddie Garcia, then current leaders Roman and Alma Herrera, and every leader at Outcry who has ever stood or sat in front of a person who could be down to his or her last breath, his or her last moment, and simply said a prayer and led that lost soul first to acceptance and then to a safe place where healing begins. This is the stuff that leads to a renaissance.”

Rev. Dr. Deforest “Buster” Soaries: As part of his listening and learning, Speaker Ryan developed a relationship with Rev. Dr. Buster Soaries, who for decades was the head of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in New Jersey. With the help of Soaries, Franklin Township painstakingly worked to repair relations with the community and the local Police Department with the goal of increasing safety, protecting individual’s civil rights, and decreasing violence. 

In a 2016 interview, Ryan praised the effort as a template for other communities to potentially follow, saying in part: “Buster and other black leaders in Somerset, a low-income community, worked with local law enforcement to set up a group that has instantaneous communications whenever something wrong occurs. And they’ve got – they’ve basically fused and merged the minority community with the police department in a very effective way and they have a community policing system that works really, really well.” 

Soaries has continued to lead by example and following the killing of George Floyd, offered observations on how communities around the country could deal with issues of race, equal justice, and law enforcement. His comments are available here. 

These are just a few amazing stories of inspiration that are taking place in pockets of America each and every day.  At a time when cynicism and gridlock are pervasive parts of our political system, the American Idea Foundation will continue to hold up examples that show progress is possible. By looking to success stories in our communities, legislators can craft better and more effective public policies. 

As Ryan said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute: “We have an obligation to expand opportunity in America—to deliver real change, real solutions, and real results. And to do that, we need to stop listening to the loudest voices in the room—and start listening to the smartest voices in the room.” 

The American Idea Foundation is going to do precisely that.