The Jefferson Journal

Commentary

Mike Thompson
April 29, 2015

The potential loss of at least $300 million in state transportation funds from the failed Route 460 Project (from Hampton Roads to Richmond) served as the catalyst for 2015 reforms to Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act (PPTA). Legislation (HB 1886) endorsed by both Governor McAuliffe and the leadership of the Virginia...

Jefferson Forum
April 29, 2015

Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis, authors of “Geographies of Opportunity,” provide a state-by-state and congressional district-by-congressional district measurement of “well-being” across the United States. Overall, Virginia fares reasonably well in the report, scoring 11th overall. Well-being is determined by a set of measures for life expectancy, education and median income. But...

Bob Poole
April 29, 2015

According to an article by Susan Buse in the annual Tolling Review produced by Thinking Highways, as of the end of 2014 there were 28 tolled managed lane projects in operation in 10 states plus Puerto Rico, with another 18 either under construction or nearing construction. The projects already in...

Gary Baise
April 29, 2015

(Editor’s Note: Virginia’s farmers could well be impacted by this law suit.) Des Moines, Iowa Water Works has filed a federal lawsuit against three Iowa counties, several drainage districts and Iowa’s farmers.  DMWW claims the drainage districts are point sources under the Clean Water Act. DMWW seems to forget about the CWA’s “agriculture storm...

Jefferson Forum
April 29, 2015

While the political season seems to never end, with presidential elections looming we are starting to hear again that “the rich aren’t paying their fair share.” We could spend a lot of time arguing over what is fair. I am not one who believes progressively higher taxation with higher income...

Mike Thompson
April 20, 2015

Although the expansion of Medicaid has been defeated in Virginia, advocates of Obamacare and for expansion of Medicaid under this program vow to keep the issue alive. One argument: That hospitals need the expansion to stay alive. But this new study shows otherwise.

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Jefferson Forum
April 15, 2015

Although the expansion of Medicaid has been defeated in the Virginia General Assembly, the advocates of Obamacare and for expansion of Medicaid under this program vow to keep this issue alive. It could well be an issue in this fall’s state elections. Last September the Thomas Jefferson Institute published a...

Jefferson Forum
April 15, 2015

Last December, Rolling Stone magazine published a lengthy article entitled “A Rape on Campus” that described in graphic detail a horrific 2012 gang-rape at a University of Virginia fraternity house. The story went viral globally, damaging the reputation of one of the most respected public universities in the nation. Almost...

Jefferson Forum
April 15, 2015

Slow wage growth is one of the side effects of a weak labor market. Even though the official unemployment rate has fallen to 5.5 percent in the nation in February, the rate that includes people working part time who would rather work full time and the marginally attached is 11.0...

Jefferson Forum
April 15, 2015

Edward D. Miller, former CEO of research powerhouse Johns Hopkins Medicine, will resign from the University of Virginia Board of Visitors effective June 30 — a year early. In an interview with the Daily Progress, he cited his frustration with rising tuition and falling research grants. “I just felt there...