Education

Stephen D. Haner
November 8, 2021

Dominion Energy Virginia’s announcement Friday that its proposed offshore wind project has jumped almost 25% in cost to $10 billion, with years to go before construction even starts, has put Virginia’s energy policy and its response to claims of climate disaster on the front burner for 2022. Below are my...

Stephen D. Haner
October 26, 2021

It’s official now:  Even the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC)  has documented and highlighted how poorly Virginia’s economy is performing, how far our state is lagging national growth averages. The admission comes in the most recent summary on state spending trends, an annual report (detailed version here) which was submitted to...

Stephen D. Haner
October 21, 2021

Any claim that Virginia cannot reduce taxes on its citizens without damaging state programs has been further eroded by two recent announcements. The explosion of revenue from recent state tax increases is continuing, pointing to a potential repeat of last year’s $2.6 billion general fund surplus, which the state’s leadership is...

F. Vincent Vernuccio
October 18, 2021

Allowing collective bargaining will put yet another special interest ahead of the parents who simply want a say in what is best for their children. Virginia parents soon could lose even more control over their children’s education. Parents frustrated with school curriculum and other education issues throughout the state have earned national attention. But as that frustration boils over into school board recall petitions and the race...

Stephen D. Haner
October 4, 2021
Here’s the evidence why Ralph Northam is wrong when he says Virginia’s economy is great. It’s not....
Stephen D. Haner
September 30, 2021

At the September 28 debate Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe dismissed the 2021 $2.6 billion general fund revenue surplus as entirely due to extra federal COVID relief funds, which is absurd on its face. By definition, every dollar is General Fund state tax revenue. It came from some form of state tax....

Jefferson Forum
September 26, 2021

Counties, cities towns, and school boards in Virginia now have the ability to allow government unions to collectively bargain on behalf of all public employees. While there is no obligation to allow such monopoly union contracts, local governments and School Boards who wish to consider public sector bargaining should go...

Stephen D. Haner
September 20, 2021

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the (Richmond) Council hereby commits to working with the City’s Administration on an equitable plan to phase out reliance on gas and shift to accelerated investment in City-owned renewable energy and hereby recognizes that the continued operation of the City’s gas utility is an obstacle...

Jefferson Forum
September 14, 2021

THURSDAY, SEP. 16,  9:30 AM – 11:30 AM EDT. *If you don’t see the video stream yet, refresh this page after 9:30 am on Thurs, Sept. 16.

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Stephen D. Haner
September 2, 2021

Republican nominee for governor Glenn Youngkin is proposing to reduce Virginia taxes in much the same way Governor Ralph Northam has raised them:  Several individual proposals, some not all that large, which accumulate into a significant change. As Northam ends his term, his attitude seems to be, what tax increases? ...