The Jefferson Journal

Commentary

Jefferson Forum
November 29, 2017
When Virginians contemplate their energy future, they have two broad options for accommodating a growing population and economy: generate more electricity (increase supply) and conserve electricity (reduce demand). The debate over the supply side of the equation gets most of the attention — what’s the best mix of nuclear, gas,...
Jefferson Forum
November 29, 2017

Let’s discuss the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and set the record straight regarding what really happened with its management fiasco, along with its historic reform by the Virginia General Assembly this year. At this point, a broad outline of the VEDP’s failures is well known to the public and...

Jefferson Forum
November 29, 2017

It’s pretty clear that since 2009, there has been a trend toward greater use of the availability-payment model for long-term P3 concessions in the highway sector. Nine such projects have been financed since 2009, including the Port of Miami Tunnel, the Goethals Bridge, and the East End Bridge. During this...

Jefferson Forum
November 29, 2017
The California office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) under what is called Proposition 65 “…must warn Californians about the presence of chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer.” In July, OEHHA issued an opinion declaring that glyphosate or Roundup was to be added to the list...
Jefferson Forum
November 15, 2017

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act currently being considered by the Congress, according to Martin Feldstein, Chairman of President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors and renowned Harvard Economics professor, “could increase the U.S. capital stock by $5 trillion and cause a $500 billion rise in annual income.” Yet, many special...

Jefferson Forum
November 15, 2017

Terry McAuliffe’s days as governor of Virginia are rapidly drawing to a close, but proposed carbon-dioxide regulations working through the administrative process could prove to be his most lasting legacy. If adopted, the rule would cap carbon emissions at large power plants in 2020 and then require 3% reductions annually...

Jefferson Forum
November 15, 2017
The median number of days of 65,167 job postings in Richmond was 27 days, meaning that 32,583 get filled in less than 27 days and the remainder take longer....
Jefferson Forum
November 15, 2017

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress. GAO evaluates federal programs and provides analyses to help Congress make informed funding decisions. Sens. Maria Cantwell (WA) and Susan Collins (ME) requested the GAO to evaluate how climate change impacts will increase costs for the...

Jefferson Forum
November 15, 2017

Like much of the transportation infrastructure community, I was stunned and dismayed when President Trump suddenly told several Democratic members of Congress that “P3s don’t work” and are “more trouble than they’re worth.” He even trashed the largely successful experience of Vice President Pence’s home state of Indiana, which is...

Jefferson Forum
November 10, 2017

The Thomas Jefferson Institute’s Third Annual Conference on Virginia’s Economic Future was held Friday, November 10, 2017 and featured presidential campaign economist Stephen Moore, NFIB economist Bill Dunkelberg, and Virginia’s top financial advisor Steve Cassaday. Here are the powerpoints of their presentations:

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