The greatest ideological division in the United States today separates those who support policies geared to creating equal opportunities for all and those who support policies geared to creating equal outcomes. Each orientation reflects contending views of human nature and prescriptions for making the world a better place. I believe...
Reason Foundation recently released its 25th Annual Highway Report, a yearly evaluation of the conditions and cost-effectiveness of state highway systems. The report uses data reported by states to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a condition of receiving their federal highway funding. The FHWA data are supplemented with bridge...
Congress has passed, and the President has signed, the $900 billion stimulus package. There’s a lot of pork in the bill, and it includes USDA. What is your tax dollar going to support? About $10 million will be made available for gender programs in Pakistan. There will also be a...
The 2021 General Assembly is now six weeks away, with the holidays in between. We know no more about the coming Northam Administration proposal to impose a carbon tax and rationing scheme on our motor fuels than we did months ago. Keeping you uninformed may be part of the plan...
Would you like to keep Virginia from drawing legislative districts skewed in favor of the Democrats — that is, prevent liberal gerrymandering? One way to fight such gerrymandering is to apply to be a citizen member of the Virginia Redistricting Commission, which will draw the boundaries of Virginia’s Congressional and...
During the 1788 New York ratification convention, anti-federalists opposed the new Constitution “for lack of a Bill of Rights”. Alexander Hamilton replied, “The Constitution is itself in every rational sense, and to every useful purpose, A BILL OF RIGHTS” (Federalist #84). Indeed, it was written to safeguard liberty against the...
President-Elect Joe Biden has announced his EPA review team, many of whom are lawyers from some of the nation’s largest legal firms. Agriculture is in for an interesting ride. Patrice Lumumba Simms is designated as the team leader to review EPA’s actions and presumably personnel. Mr. Simms is listed as...
Few issues were more important during my time in the General Assembly than transportation funding. Representing a district filled with long-distance commuters and congested highways, it always was a struggle to balance the need for funds against public reluctance to raise taxes. One compromise in 2013 raised transportation revenue during...
The battle is now rejoined to kill the Electoral College and elect a U.S. President in 2024 based purely on the national vote total. The stubborn refusal of President Donald J. Trump and many other Republicans to accept the November 3 outcome is likely to become a new talking point...
In Virginia, nearly 30% of students who enroll in community college or four-year college fail to complete their degrees within six years. There is widespread agreement across the political spectrum that it would be a good thing if more students completed their degrees and fewer dropped out of college after...
