Bob Loeffler

Want to practice balancing the state budget in a variety of ways? Want to see how a particular strategy might play out? At lunchtime on Tuesday, September 29, we will set up the Balancing-Alaska's-Budget game in the ISER conference room so anyone can try balancing what the state spends and how to pay for it. Alaska Common Ground and ISER unveiled the game at a recent forum on Alaska's fiscal and economic future. It explains our current state budget crisis in a hands-on and understandable way, with a spinning wheel, scales, and blocks. There won't be any formal talk, but Cliff Groh, chair of Alaska Common Ground, and Bob Loeffler, visiting professor of public policy at ISER, will be there to help the players. Please join us.

When: Tuesday, September 29, 12 to 1
Where: 1901 Bragaw Street, third floor, ISER conference room

1901 Bragaw Street is about two blocks from the intersection of Northern Lights Boulevard and Bragaw Street. Parking will be limited, because an area of the parking lot is blocked off for construction. Do not park in the adjacent parking lot for East High School; the school district can have your car towed. Call 907-786-7710 if you have questions.

A new paper by Bob Loeffler, visiting professor of public policy at ISER, examines whether valid assessments of the ecological risks posed by mining projects can be done at the pre-design stage—that is, before a mining company submits a detailed mine design to government regulators. The author draws conclusions by analyzing three existing ecological risk assessments for mining projects in Alaska: post-design assessments for the Kensington and Red Dog mines and a pre-design assessment for the proposed Pebble mine.

As part of the Alaska Miners Association convention, on Tuesday November 8th, Bob Loeffler is teaching a 1-day short course labelled "Mining 101: An Overview of the Mining Industry." It is designed to provide a basic overview of the industry — what a mine is, property rights, permitting, environmental issues, economics, etc.

If you are interested, check out the flyer announcing the course. You may sign up on the website indicated on the flyer. The cost is $150 (or $175 if you register after October 15th), or $25 for students. 

*Note: Look for "SHORT COURSE #3."