When Congress raised the minimum wage by more than two dollars an hour in 2007, it worsened employment among teenagers. It also furthered a troubling, long-term trend in which fewer teens hold jobs even in relatively good times. Working as a teen helps to build valuable skills that protect young...
(Originally published on CFACT.org.) A new small business near Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley is threatened with extinction at the hands of county officials who are determined to twist the law in order to snuff out a local agricultural enterprise. Located on a 70-acre farm near the village of Paris, Virginia,...
(This article first ran in the Richmond Times Dispatch). Could the potential impact of automatic federal spending cuts and the expiration of Bush tax cuts set to begin in January put the nation into a recession again? A May report by the Congressional Budget Office report believes so. How did...
(This response continues the dialogue from June 12, July 16, and August 9 issues of the Jefferson Policy Journal.) Yes, we fail to follow Mr. Roth’s arguments against the Dulles Rail Project. First, we are confounded that our bona fides as conservatives are questioned by Mr. Roth’s contention that [conservative]...
The Obamacare ruling from the Supreme Court in late June is best known for upholding the requirement that people buy health insurance. But it also gave cash-strapped states a significant break. They can no longer be forced to expand their Medicaid programs, as the health-care law sought beginning in 2014....
(This column first ran in the Richmond Times Dispatch on August 6, 2012). The unemployment rate in theRichmond metro area rose to 6.5 percent in June from 6.2 percent in the previous month after adjusting for seasonal factors. At first blush, that increase seems like bad news. But the underlying...
(This column first ran in Surface Transportation Innovations. Virginia has many bridges and many needed road projects. This column offers ideas for our policy leaders to consider.) From large to small, new or replacement toll bridge and tunnel projects are proliferating around the country, as state DOTs and city governments...
(This response from Gabe Roth is part of the articles that have been carried in the Jefferson Policy Journal on June 21 (here) and July 16, 2012 (here). I do not know what Glen Bottoms means by “conservative principles”. I thought such principles would require travellers to pay the costs...
Recently, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’s “Great Green Fleet” of ships and fighter jets performed well during military exercises off Hawaii, burning blends of 50% biofuels and 50% conventional fuels. But the price tag makes the fleet a poster child for wasteful government spending. The exercises cost the Navy nearly $27...
Governor Bob McDonnell recently announced significant progress in cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. We applaud his leadership and that of his appointees managing this effort. Among Virginia’s accomplishments is a massive reduction of nutrients going into the Bay from farms and fields. What is particularly pleasing to see is that...
