The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS), in cooperation with the United Nations, has issued a UN report on nutrient threats and benefits involving production agriculture. The 128-page report prepared by 50 experts is entitled “Our Nutrient World – The Challenge to Produce More Food and Energy with Less Pollution.”...
(This column first ran in the Richmond Times Dispatch on April 8, 2013) Looking back over my years of forecasting, it’s clear that macroeconomic shifts that impact the national economy for lengthy periods lead to winners and losers among the states. Computers and information technology, for example, have driven national...
Virginia approved nearly 3,400 economic development incentive grants totaling $718 million over the past 10 years, according to a new report, “Review of State Economic Development Incentive Grants,” published by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. The projects benefiting from those grants created more than 68,000 jobs. “Incentive grants...
Journalists and commentators are misleading the public to believe that a large portion of Americans are going hungry. Following in the footsteps of Paul Kurtz of CBS News, Bob Beckel of Fox News, and Paul Krugman of the New York Times, Stoyan Zaimov of the Christian Post recently made it...
Now that the nagging issue of our transportation needs has been settled for the foreseeable future, it is time to turn to serious tax reform that can grow our economy, provide more spending money for our citizens, and relieve businesses of some truly job-killing taxes. This can be done in...
Nearly ten months after the president of the state’s flagship university was fired due to a vaguely explained conflict of visions with its board and a somewhat clearer conflict of management styles, the standoff remains unresolved. Rector Helen Dragas and president Teresa Sullivan, who was reinstated by the nervous trustees...
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation generated $40 million from the lease of air rights over state transportation assets in FY 2011. Earlier this month, the state built upon that revenue stream by designating AG Scotia II as developer of air rights over two parcels above and along Interstate 90 in...
We recognize Mr. Poole (“Amtrak’s Future in Congress’s Hands,” March 21, 2013 Jefferson Policy Journal – click here ) as a preeminent spokesperson for the unrelenting anti-Amtrak faction, rivaling Randy O’Toole. But what Mr. Poole wants readers to believe are myths about Amtrak, are in fact reality. For example: Myth#1:...
(Editor’s note: Dairy operations in Virginia strive hard to make ends meet and to be good citizens in their community. This article by a noted Virginia environmental attorney shows a growing threat to this important industry.) According to Capital Press, several Washington State dairies have been sued for violation of...
Following General Assembly approval of Governor McDonnell’s transportation plan and its accompanying tax changes, the Thomas Jefferson Institute released an updated version of the it’s paper Tax Restructuring in Virginia: A Revenue Neutral Path for Improving Our Economy containing new numbers based on the tax changes taking place on July...
