JON H. GOLDSTEIN

GOLDSTEIN JON HELLER GOLDSTEIN Jon Heller Goldstein, an economist who worked for 35 years for the federal government to reduce poverty and improve the environment, died on November 13, 2014 after a long battle with lung disease. He lived in the Washington DC metropolitan area for nearly 50 years. Dr. Goldstein was an intense man, about his work on protecting the environment, and his love of family, and his devotion to the Boston Red Sox. From longtime friend and colleague Nancy Kaufman: "His admiration for his wife was something Jon wore on his sleeve. Blues was his music, the piano his instrument, conservation his mission, travel his pleasure, and intelligence his style. The world was improved by his life." Born in Boston, Massachusetts on April 22, 1937, Dr. Goldstein graduated from Oberlin College and earned a PhD in Economics at the University of Minnesota in 1964. After teaching at the Claremont Graduate School, he moved to Washington, DC in 1968 and joined the Long Range Planning Branch of the Social Security Administration, where he developed and published a model of lifetime investment in human capital. Between 1971 and 1974, Dr. Goldstein played a key role as staff economist on the Congressional Joint Economic Committee's project that culminated in the series, Studies in Public Welfare, the first comprehensive assessment of U.S. safety net programs. As part of the series, he authored a widely-cited review of all the government-sponsored employment and training programs, including: the Job Corps, Neighborhood Youth Corps, and the Manpower Demonstration Training Act (MDTA). Robert Lerman, a long-time friend and fellow economist on the committee staff, marveled at how nothing escaped Jon's careful reading of the evidence. "If something in a journal article did not make sense, Jon would call the author and demand an explanation." Dr. Goldstein was most known for his professional and personal commitment to the environment, long before Global Warming became a popular concept. He served as staff economist at the Department of the Interior, and as Professional Director of the Endangered Species Committee, advising the Cabinet-level committee on exemptions to the Endangered Species Act - more commonly known as the "God Squad". Jon authored The Impact of Federal Programs on Wetlands, Volumes I and II, the seminal work on wetlands conservation. He redefined benefit/cost analysis when considering development and operation of hydroelectric generation facilities. He published numerous articles on scholarly and practical subjects dealing with the impacts of federal programs on wetlands, on regulatory takings and wetlands, and most recently on the economics of river flows. Richard Sandor, one of Dr. Goldstein's long time friends, a Minnesota classmate, and founder of the Chicago Climate Exchange, recalled the magnitude of Jon's concern for the world, his sense of clarity when challenging conventional thinking, and his refreshing sense of humor about those who opposed his ideas. Sandor said about Dr. Goldstein, "Whatever skepticism he had about an idea always came with an inimitable humor and laughter." Robert Berman, a former colleague at the Department of Interior, saw Dr. Goldstein as always curious, immediately gravitating to anyone from whom he could learn. "Jon's assessments were always candid; he did not mince words in his critiques. He had a gift for holding up a mirror to help you see reality - not always a pleasant picture, but necessary and always helpful." Dr. Goldstein is survived by his wife, Andra Patterson, his daughter Julia Gaebler, his son-in-law Christopher Gaebler, and his two grandchildren Willa and Zoey Gaebler. Private services for Dr. Goldstein will be conducted in December.Dr. Goldstein is survived by his wife, Andra Patterson, his daughter Julia Gaebler, his son-in-law Christopher Gaebler, and his two grandchildren Willa and Zoey Gaebler. Private services for Dr. Goldstein will be conducted in December.