The Jefferson Journal

Commentary

Jefferson Forum
March 18, 2015

State lawmakers—particularly those in states that would be affected by a Supreme Court ruling against the Obama Administration in the King case—should take steps to encourage Congress to put forth a legislative response to the case, specifically by exempting affected states from the costly Obamacare rules, regulations, and mandates.[1] Reject...

Jefferson Forum
March 18, 2015

(Editor’s note: Virginia has the largest percentage of federal government employees than any other state. Don Devine was the Director of the Office of Personnel Management under President Reagan.) It is official. Total Federal civilian government personnel have increased from 1.74 million in 2001 to 2.1 million today. President Barack...

Christine Chmura
March 18, 2015

The national unemployment rate continues to improve, but don’t tell that to people who are jobless and looking for work. Many of today’s unemployed, particularly those who are younger, have a more negative view of the labor market. Who’s right? The official jobless rate in the nation peaked at 10...

Jefferson Forum
March 18, 2015

Roanokers know they have a challenge stemming the drain of educated young people, just like every other small metropolitan area in the United States. At least they’re asking the right questions: What does it take to recruit and retain young professionals? The Roanoke Regional Chamber is hosting an event later this...

Mike Thompson
March 6, 2015

Virginia consistently ranks as one of the most business-friendly states in America. But are the courts in Newport News threatening that ranking? They’re not a “hell-hole” yet, but they’re certainly on the “watch list.”

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Mike Thompson
March 4, 2015

Virginia consistently ranks as one of the most business-friendly states in America, although lately we have been slipping. According to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, since 2001, manufacturing companies have invested $14.5 billion and created more than 72,000 new jobs in Virginia and nearly $4 billion in capital investment. That...

Jefferson Forum
March 4, 2015

Food deserts are back in the news here in Richmond with the premier of a documentary, “Living in a Food Desert,” at the Richmond International Film Festival. First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, who has made food security her signature cause, attended the screening and addressed the audience. More than 300,000 Virginia children...

Jefferson Forum
March 4, 2015

Most discussions of the pros and cons of P3 concessions cite as benefits the availability of investment from new sources (e.g., pension funds and developer equity), shifting various risks (such as construction cost overruns) from taxpayers to investors, and ensuring proper maintenance over the life of the project, thanks to...

Jefferson Forum
March 4, 2015

Soring of horses is a terrible practice! Soring is the use of chemicals to cause pain in a horse’s feet when they touch the ground, resulting in the horse picking its feet up quickly. Even so, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on February 19, 2015, in Contender Farms...

Jefferson Forum
March 4, 2015

After years of claiming the science is settled and unprecedented manmade catastrophes are occurring right now, Climate Crisis, Inc. is increasingly desperate. Polls put climate change at the bottom of every list of public concerns. China and India refuse to cut energy production or emissions. Real-world weather and climate totally...