Media Contact: Jan Jennings, (619) 822-1684, jnjennings@ucsd.edu

Steven P. Erie, an associate professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, has been named to the governor’s recently appointed Commission on Building for the 21^st Century. The commission is charged with developing a comprehensive building plan that will assure the state’s infrastructure needs are met in the new millennium.

Erie is an authority on Southern California infrastructure, trade and regional development. His current research addresses the demographic, trade and infrastructure linkages between Southern California, Mexico and the Pacific Rim. As academic and researcher, Erie also is involved in Southern California public policy debates on minority empowerment, governance and public finance, in addition to trade, infrastructure and regional development.

The only other academic named to the 45-person commission is Richard Atkinson, UC president and former UCSD chancellor.

According to Gov. Gray Davis’ executive order, the commission’s task is to "identify existing critical infrastructure needs, and develop a comprehensive long-term capital investment plan for financing public building needs, including responsible financial approaches and efficiency improvements." It is to make an initial report and recommendations to the governor by May 1, 1999 and a final report by Dec. 1, 2000.

The Commission on Building for the 21^st Century is co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamente and Maria Contreras-Sweet, secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. In addition to academics Erie and Atkinson, the commission consists of business and public policy leaders and government officials.