Puerto rico is in serious financial crisis, and because the island is a U.S. territory, this is a matter of concern to taxpayers in Virginia and throughout the country. Today it owes some $74 billion in current debts, with long term liabilities exceeding $160 billion. But should U.S. taxpayers underwrite...
Puerto Rico is in serious financial crisis, and because the island is a U.S. territory, this is a matter of concern to taxpayers in Virginia and throughout the country. As a territory, this government cannot declare bankruptcy under current Chapter 9 law, but it wants to do just that. No...
(Editor’s note: The mass collection of phone data by the NSA is very controversial. Congress votes on the continuation of this activity this weekend. This analysis by one of the nation’s leading experts is important to our understanding of what is happening and why, in the opinion of this expert,...
If prostitution is the “oldest profession,” farming is likely the second oldest. Humans have been farming for thousands of years and, if they want to continue to eat, they’ll be farming for thousands of years more. Young people don’t see much future in farming (unless it’s locally grown organic food),...
The ongoing drama of U.S infrastructure, including highways and bridges, concerns a supposed funding gap. Hence, the endless battles over whether to increase federal and state fuel taxes. Far too little notice is given to the fact that over the last 15 years or so, global infrastructure investment funds have...
In the last issue of Jefferson Policy Journal (May 14, 2015) I referenced a 2011 World Health Organization (WHO) paper titled Nitrate and Nitrite in Drinking Water. The paper has interesting conclusions regarding nitrates, conclusions which disagree with EPA. Let’s compare what WHO claims as fact, to what EPA and others say are facts about...
The second of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy’s televised debate series was conducted on May 21, broadcast on Richmond’s "Community Idea Station", WCVE-TV. The debate featured constitutional lawyer Miller Baker, of McDermott Will & Emery, and Daniel Weiner, Council for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for...
Once again the federal government is about to harm the competitiveness of small and mid-sized businesses in Virginia. And once again, it is because of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare as it is known. A lack of any business expertise has haunted Obamacare from the beginning. Here’s what’s happening...
On May 14, the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy sponsored the first in a televised series of public policy debate on Richmond’s "Community Idea Station", WCVE-TV. The debate featured Dr. Davis Schnare, director of the Jefferson Institute’s Center for energy and Environmental Stewardship and director of the Energy &...
Once again the lack of business understanding by the federal government is going to harm the competitiveness of our small and mid-sized businesses. And again it is because of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare as it is known. The lack of business expertise by those who crafted this system...
