The New Rules Journal - Summer 2000

Features

Seeding Power: The Other Problem with GM Crops
No one knows what effect genetically modified foods will eventually have on the environment or on human bodies, but one thing is certain: the benefits of using GM seed will accrue mainly to a handful of corporations. The top-down ownership structure of biotechnology is in stark contrast to the burgeoning organic foods movement, which embraces independent farms and supports local economies. By Brian Levy

Low Power Suffers a Low Blow
Microradio supporters who cheered the FCC's January decision to license up to 1,000 low-watt stations watched in disbelief as the House caved to pressure from the NAB and passed the shamefully misnamed Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act. By Simona Fuma Shapiro

Jack and the Giant School
Higher graduation rates, less violence, a sense of belonging instead of alienation: the case for small schools is supported by mountains of evidence and a growing number of innovative models. But many state and local governments persist in consolidation efforts, fueled by a misguided belief in the effectiveness of giant schools. By Stacy Mitchell

Think Locally, Tax Globally
In the U.S., local businesses are at a 5-7 percent price disadvantage because web retailers are exempt from collecting state and local sales taxes. Some look to the European Union for a more equitable model: there remote sellers are taxed using a system that looks at economic influence rather than physical presence. By Simona Fuma Shapiro

place rules
Iowa's ATM law endangered. Large trucks banned from local Jersey roads. State meat inspection programs revived. Missouri gives cooperatives incentive.