The Policy Nexus: Analytics & Equity

The conversation often focuses on efficiency as we rush to adopt agentic AI tools like Google’s Project Astra, which not only answer questions but also take independent actions. We talk about AI partners that can schedule our lives and manage our professional logistics. But in the public sector, we have to ask a harder question: When an AI agent takes an action, who is exercising discretion?   Recently, my colleague Annie Bui (DPA-C) shared a fascinating look at the future of these universal AI assistants. Her post sparked a vital question about how these tools fit into our daily professional lives as public administrators and researchers.                                       View the original discussion on LinkedIn  As a DPA student and public commissioner, I look at these tools through the lens of Administrative Chrononormativity . Institutional timelines are already rigid; they ...

Today, millions are making their voices heard to advocate for a more equitable and secure future. The decisions made in the halls of power impact us all, and active participation is the most effective tool we have to ensure our leadership remains accountable to the people. We are incredibly proud of the Field Team 6 partners hosting events today. With over 30 in-person registration drives underway, we are working to ensure every individual has the opportunity to claim their seat at the table. Participation doesn’t end at the rally; it culminates at the ballot box. By registering and voting this November, we can shape a legislature that prioritizes transparency and reflects our shared values. Your voice is essential to holding our systems of governance to the highest standard. We wanted to share some resources to help you stay safe. ACLU: Know your rights as a protestor TPN: Digital safety guide Human Rights Campaign: Prepare for a peaceful protest   We all believe in the power of p...

Administrative Artifact Sigma Beta Xi (SBX) is a community-anchored organization in the Inland Empire, founded in 1998 by Dr. Corey Jackson to provide professional mentoring and advocacy for youth and families of color. SBX serves as the primary model for relational bureaucracy, moving public service away from "Power Over" (surveillance and policing) toward "Power With" (partnership and support). I say this because SBX is currently executing a $7.5M state-funded pilot program to reform mandated reporting laws.  This initiative ensures that families are not penalized for the "sludge" of poverty but are supported through community-led intervention. Let me explain: This project addresses temporal sovereignty. Instead of forcing families to comply with rigid, punitive "institutional clocks" that often lead to child removal, SBX builds the capacity of the family to thrive on its own terms. Temporal Tension In May 2024, 22 fathers in Riverside County ...

In the world of real estate speculation, speed is the ultimate metric. The "fix-and-flip" model relies on a compressed timeline: buy, renovate, and exit within 18 months. But as I explore in my research on Administrative Chrononormativity , these high-velocity market timelines are fundamentally at odds with the "slow equity" required for marginalized communities to thrive. The Amsterdam News recently highlighted a push to tax "Toxic Flipping" in New York. The logic is simple: if you move too fast, you pay more. This is a direct challenge to the idea that the "normative" life cycle of a home is a liquid asset. The IE Perspective In the Inland Empire, we are seeing "The Great Reset." Inventory is hitting 5-year highs, yet affordability remains out of reach for 76% of Riverside County households. When a corporate entity flips a home in San Jacinto, they aren't just making a profit; they are disrupting a community’s timeline. They a...

  The "Fast" vs. The "Firm" The Amsterdam News recently highlighted a push for the End Toxic Home Flipping Act , a tax targeting investors who buy and sell homes within a two-year window. From a public administration lens, this isn't just about money; it’s about administrative chrononormativity. Our current housing policies often favor the "normative" speed of capital, the 12-to-24-month turnaround that generates maximum ROI for corporate entities. But what about the life cycles that don't fit that pace? The senior who has lived in their home for 40 years. The LGBTQ+ family is building stability in a historically safe neighborhood. The person with a disability whose housing needs require permanent, slow-build modifications. When we allow the "quick flip" to set the market pace, we are administratively excluding anyone who requires a long-term life cycle . The "End Toxic Home Flipping Act" isn't just a tax; it’s a policy int...

What happens when a federal landmark is demolished to make way for a $400 million privately funded ballroom, all within a single four-year political cycle? We see more than just a construction project; we see administrative chrononormativity in action. The current construction of the Great Ballroom (the East Wing Modernization Project) is being rushed to completion by January 2029. By prioritizing this fast time of political legacies and corporate donors, the administration has bypassed the slow time required for legal oversight by evading the National Capital Planning Commission’s usual review. Accepting funds from Big Tech and defense giants like Alphabet and Lockheed Martin without a cooling-off period. I am proposing a 10-year integrity block. If we cannot stop the influence of money in politics overnight, we can at least decouple it from the immediate political cycle. By barring donors from entering the room they funded for a decade, we disrupt the chrononormative expectation of i...

I am choosing Joy.  Beyond the trauma, there is a deep, beautiful resilience in Black queer life. Celebrating our artists, scholars, and creators is an act of resistance. 🏳️‍🌈🙌🏾 True equality requires fighting for ALL Black people, regardless of orientation or gender identity. Our freedoms are connected. Black queer history IS Black history. ✊🏾🏳️‍🌈

  Reclaiming our power means bringing figures like Bayard Rustin and Audre Lorde into the center of the narrative. Their work wasn’t just extra —it was foundational to the fight for justice. 📚✨

Happy Black History Month, y'all! ✊🏾 This year, I’m focusing on the power of intersectionality . We can’t talk about Black history without talking about the Black queer and trans people who have been on the frontlines since day one. 🧵

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but in an era of backlash, where Black history is censored and LGBTQ+ existence is legislated against, passive remembrance is not enough. The fight to defend history is intensifying. As the African American Policy Forum notes, our institutions are under attack under the false banner of "eliminating DEI." Let us remember that Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community was radically inclusive. You cannot support Black liberation while ignoring the violence facing Black trans people. You cannot honor civil rights history while banning books that teach it. We are taking inspiration from the 2026 Liberation Calendar to commit to an intersectional daily practice. We must connect the dots between racial justice, queer liberation, and the concrete policies needed to secure them both.

Moving forward with purpose at CBU. As I continue my work in Public Administration, my commitment remains the same: developing equitable and sustainable policies that enhance community health and serve our underserved populations. 🦁✨

  Cheers to the New Year! As we step into a brand-new year, I'm wishing you fresh beginnings, exciting opportunities, and plenty of reasons to celebrate. Thank you for being part of our community. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead!

Metanoia, Maps, and the Courage to Save 2,200 Homes in San Jacinto. We often speak of the housing crisis as if it is a weather event—something that just happens to us, driven by market forces we cannot control. We see the encampments in the San Jacinto riverbed, we cheer for the $12 million grants to clear them, and we think we are solving the problem. But while we are looking at the riverbed, we are missing the map. In my work as a Doctor of Public Administration student, I study the gap  between digital governance (the paperwork) and on-the-ground reality (the people). Recently, I found a gap so wide it threatens to swallow the future of our city. It is called the Stoneridge Commerce Center .  The Fear Equation: Why We Freeze. Before I explain the project, I want to talk about why we usually ignore these things. Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati argues that fear = uncertainty + loss of control. When developers drop a 500-page Environmental Impact Report o...

  As 2025 draws to a close, I express my deepest gratitude for your partnership and trust. You are an invaluable part of this community, and your support is the engine that drives our work to protect, educate, and advocate for California’s most underserved populations—including older adults, diverse communities, and those navigating economic challenges or limited English proficiency. While 2025 brought its share of uncertainty, it also proved the power of collective resilience. As we look toward 2026, we know significant challenges remain in the fight for equity. I invite you to stay engaged in the coming year as we work to turn policy into progress. Together, we can meet these challenges with expertise, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Thank you for believing in this mission. With gratitude and appreciation,  Eric

 From $13 Billion to One Senior: Unmasking the 'Submerged State' in Housing Policy photo by Don Leach This isn't a shelter, it's a permanent home for people like Robert Taylor—a small business owner who paid taxes for 40 years before getting sick. The funding we are voting on today (TEFRA/Bonds) is what allows 'Robert' to move out of his truck and back into our community. If we vote 'No' on this bond, we aren't stopping 'homelessness'—we are keeping Robert in his truck. We often speak of housing policy in the abstract language of liquidity, collateralized advances, and z-scores. A new report from the Urban Institute estimates that the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) system generates between $13.2 and $21.4 billion in economic stability annually. But what does $21 billion actually look like? It seems like Robert Taylor. A former motorcycle shop owner in Huntington Beach, Robert spent years sleeping in his truck until a complex web of invisib...

 We often think of time as neutral. A waiting list is just a list; a deadline is just a standard; business hours are just a convention. But in my research as a Doctor of Public Administration student, I’ve come to a different conclusion: Administrative time is rarely neutral—it is often a weapon. I recently read Judith Dangerfield’s profound analysis of the 14th Amendment, 'The Fourteenth Amendment: Our Constitutional Promise Against Caste.' She argues that the Constitution imposes an affirmative duty on the government to dismantle systems that rank people as superior or inferior. This framework immediately struck a chord with my current research on a concept I call administrative chrononormativity. What is administrative chrononormativity? Sociologist Elizabeth Freeman describes chrononormativity  as the way society uses time to organize bodies for maximum productivity. There is a correct  timeline we are all expected to follow: School. Marriage. Mortgage. Kids....

As many of you know, alongside my community advocacy work, I am currently a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) student at the University of La Verne. My goal in this program is to research how our institutions actually work—and often, how they don't work for the communities facing the most significant hurdles. Here is a sneak peek into my latest research focus. It centers on a concept that sounds complicated but is something many of us have experienced: Administrative Chrononormativity . In simple terms, this is the idea that our institutions set rigid timelines (like the "9-to-5" standard) that prioritize their own convenience over the reality of people's lives. When a clinic has limited hours, forms take weeks to process, or appointments have indefinite waiting periods, "time" becomes an invisible barrier to healthcare access—especially for marginalized groups like the Queer community, gig workers, or parents with rigid schedules. Below is the abstract ...

Welcome to the newly rebranded home of Public Policy.  Long-time readers will notice a significant change in our visual identity. We have retired the previous branding to make way for a look that reflects the evolution of this platform. This is no longer just a space for casual observation; it is a space for critical analysis. As a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) student and an Equity Fellow, my work has shifted toward a deeper interrogation of the systems that govern us. I am interested in the gaps between legislative intent and lived reality—specifically, how administrative timelines and digital governance often exclude non-normative life cycles and underserved communities. Here, we will explore: The Digital Divide: How policies on the web differ from the realities of daily life. Health Equity: Analyzing the "administrative chrononormativity" that impacts queer health and marginalized groups. Governance: Insights from my work with the Graduate and Adult Student Gov...

In public service today, " equity " is a word we hear constantly. It finds its way into mission statements, strategic plans, and political speeches. But for a resident struggling to make ends meet in Riverside County, a word on a page does not pay the rent or keep the lights on. As a Community Action Partnership (CAP) Commissioner and, currently, a doctoral student in public administration, my focus isn't just on saying the word—it's on operationalizing it. We need to move beyond equity as a buzzword and toward equity as a measurable outcome. To do that, we must understand the crucial difference between equality and equity. The View Over the Fence The simplest way to understand this difference is the classic illustration of three people of different heights trying to watch a game over a fence. Equality is giving everyone the exact same size box to stand on. It sounds fair on the surface. But the tallest person didn't need the box, and the shortest person still c...

🔍 Policy Insight: November 2025 Electorate Data For those interested in public administration and policy analysis: Access the November 2025 Ballot Return Survey results, conducted by Open California / Capitol Weekly . The full report, which includes detailed charts and demographic information on participants, offers a valuable, non-partisan look at voter engagement and profile in California. Use this data to inform your understanding of administrative timelines, policy reception, and community representation. Review the detailed breakdown here: LINK