Comment on Jill Khadduri's “should the housing voucher program become a state‐administered block grant?”

Abstract

The stated goal of the Housing Act of 1949 is “a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.” It is time that we delivered on that commitment. Contrary to popular opinion, this does not require spending more money on housing assistance. It can be achieved without additional funds by shifting all funds from less cost‐effective methods for delivering housing assistance to choice‐based vouchers as soon as current contractual commitments permit and by gradually reducing the large subsidies to current voucher recipients. The proposal to replace the Housing Choice Voucher Program with a block grant to states can contribute to this goal by precluding the use of the block grant funds for project‐based assistance, increasing the targeting of assistance to the poorest families, and including the fraction of recipients with extremely low incomes in the formula for determining the performance rating of state programs.     

Comment on Chester Hartman and David Robinson's “evictions: The hidden housing problem"—protection or protraction?

Abstract

Since the 1960s, judges and legislatures have made it increasingly difficult for landlords to evict tenants even in those instances where tenants have breached their leases. Sometimes, the growth of tenant protections has actually harmed law‐abiding tenants by raising costs to landlords and allowing rule‐breakers to remain in their apartments. Most landlords and tenants should want a system of laws that provides for both fair and efficient eviction procedures. Tenants should be entitled to legal representation when they are threatened with eviction, but their attorneys should not use the legal system to obtain free accommodations for their clients.

In the end, efforts to improve the housing of low‐ and moderate‐income households should rely not on setting up impediments to eviction, but rather on increasing tenants’ ability to afford housing and reducing the cost of housing development and operation.     

Section 8 and Movement to Job Opportunity: Experience after Welfare Reform in Kansas City

Abstract

This research addresses the extent to which tenant‐based rental assistance, before and after welfare reform, helps households move to areas with greater opportunities for employment. It was thought that the threat of losing their welfare benefits would encourage participants in the Section 8 program to use the mobility it offers to move to neighborhoods with greater opportunities for employment.

Two samples of Section 8 program participants, one taken before welfare reform and the other taken after it was enacted, have been examined. With the strong economy after welfare reform, more Section 8 households are employed and fewer are on welfare. However, the analysis finds that, independent of welfare reform, households did not use their housing subsidy to move to areas with greater opportunities for employment. Program participants typically remained in racially concentrated areas of the central city, away from those neighborhoods with job growth or large numbers of jobs.     

我国执行救助制度的构建

执行救助是在民事执行过程中,确因客观原因,申请执行人的债权尚未实现,且其生活又特别困难时,由法院提供一定物质帮助的救济行为。它受到中央和最高人民法院的热切关注。但是,国家层面的统一制度尚未形成。目前的执行救助主要是各地各级地方法院试点实践的产物,可谓五彩缤纷,形态各异。为了切实保障申请执行人生存权,实现社会和谐,长治久安,亟需构建统一、明确的执行救助国家制度。近年以来的司法实践,为该项制度的构建,廓清了理论基础和价值目标。在此基点上,分析目前执行救助存在的问题,归纳共通的救助范围、对象、程序和具体措施,乃是构建我国统一执行救助制度的理想途径。     

从“东突”问题看我国反恐立法的完善路径

“东突”恐怖主义势力近年来不断制造各类暴力恐怖活动,严重危害我国国家安全、公共安全以及人民群众的生命财产安全。目前,我国反恐立法存在明显不足,没有专门的《反恐怖法》。完善我国的反恐法律体系迫在眉睫。在《反恐怖法》出台之前,可以通过修改刑事实体法、刑事程序法以及制定相关地方性法规的方式完善打击暴力恐怖犯罪的法律运行机制,为反恐工作提供法律保障。     

制定我国《药品再评价管理办法》的法律依据及有关问题分析

本文通过介绍我国开展药品再评价的法律依据,探讨制定我国《药品再评价管理办法》的必要性和急迫性,并 就有关实际工作中存在的问题提出了解决建议。     

政府信息公开行政诉讼案件疑难问题研究——以浙江法院审理的行政案件为实证样本

《政府信息公开条例》实施以来,由于《条例》本身需要明确的问题很多,相关规定的可操作性不强,导致其实施效果不佳。当大量的信息公开行政诉讼案件涌入法院后,法院对受案范围、原告资格、裁判方式等问题的把握缺乏相关的界定标准,导致对裁判标准的尺度掌握不一,影响了法院裁判的公信力和信息公开工作的有序推进。以具体案件审理中出现的疑难问题为实证样本探求立法本意,明确审理此类行政诉讼案件的思路与裁判标准意义重大。     

美国中小学校园枪击案管窥

本文例举了美国中小学近年来发生的枪击案,分析其特点、背景,指出其危害,引发对我国中小学教育的思考。     

浅议具体行政执法行为中存在的突出问题及其原因和改进措施

宁波市行政机关在具体执法行为中不同程度地存在事实认定不清、超越职权、违反法定程序、适用法律错误、滥用职权等问题 ,其产生原因较为复杂。为从根本上解决上述问题 ,建设法治政府 ,应当做好以下工作 :转变政府职能 ,加快政府管理方式改革 ;强化政务公开 ,推进民主决策 ,完善监督制度 ;提高公务员的思想认识和业务水平 ,增强依法行政能力。     

对当前公安基层工作不落实问题的思考

当前公安基层工作中存在不落实的问题。要抓好公安基层的落实工作,就必须端正工作指导思想,在求真务实上下功夫;就必须转变工作作风,在真抓实干上下功夫;就必须解决突出问题,在破解难题上下功夫。