A wise boss once told me: “Be careful of what you ask for. You might get it.”In the ongoing discussions over Virginia’s Standards of Learning exams, advocates of SOL reform may want to keep that adage in mind.Those who argue that, without exception, Virginia’s Standards of Learning program is not...
As I have endeavored to develop a conservative vision for Smart Growth, I have relied primarily upon conservative principles with a libertarian slant — limited government, fiscal conservatism, free markets and the like. But there is a vast realm of conservative thinking that I have neglected, which William S. Lind,...
Employment in the nation is finally starting to pick up. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 192,000 in March, which is 1.7% higher than a year ago. The Richmond metropolitan area is seeing similar growth. Employment rose 1.5% over the year ending with February, which is the latest data available at the...
EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, commenting on the new definition of what constitutes a water of the United States says, “To be clear: our proposal does not add to or expand the scope of waters historically protected under the Clean Water Act.”Well, as Ronald Reagan would say, let’s examine how EPA...
Nearly all major newspapers around the country on March 10th proclaimed this news: the use of public transit last year reached its highest level since 1956. The somewhat breathless New York Times story read like a news release from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), including the claim from APTA...
There are two policy issues involved in whether Virginia should expand Medicaid: first is whether the budget should be the vehicle through which a major new government entitlement program is determined; and second, whether expanding Medicaid is a sound policy overall. Here are some thoughts on both of those.
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There are two policy issues involved in whether Virginia should expand Medicaid: first, is whether the budget should be the vehicle through which a major new government entitlement program is determined; and second, whether expanding Medicaid is a sound policy overall. Holding the budget hostage to this debate is serious...
Surely Virginia Commonwealth University has an economics department. Surely, there is someone at the state’s largest institution of higher learning who is conversant with the law of supply and demand. But, then, maybe not… The VCU Board of Visitors will be asked to increase tuition 3.5% next academic year and...
I just returned from Germany and Poland and was startled to discover the regulatory control the European Union exercises over its farmers and agriculture. This should not be a surprise, however, when a farmer has the EU paying one-half the cost of his tractor and/or farm equipment.In eastern Germany, we...
The Interstate highway system is wearing out. Over the next two decades, nearly all of its 47,000 miles will have to be rebuilt, to make it serviceable for another 50+ years. In addition, several hundred major interchanges are horrible bottlenecks and need to be replaced with more modern designs, and...
