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Archives
2002
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December 23, 2002 -
The
Next Big Thing. It
may be too late for Virginia to become a world
leader in biotech -- but leadership in the delivery
of medical services is still within our grasp. by
James A. Bacon
Governor
of Christmas Past. Comments
by the Governor of Christmas Past and a revelation
by a Cabinet Secretary of Christmas Present set into
motion an imaginative tale about standards of
learning. by Doug Koelemay
False
Choice. Many politicians assume the
state has only two choices to balance the budget:
raise taxes or cut programs. They ignore the
option of changing the way government does
business. by Patrick McSweeney
Go,
Go, G.O., says Goldman. The
do-nothing politicians say NO. But Virginia needs
a K-12 General Obligation Bond initiative to make
good on the reneged promise to its school
children. by Paul Goldman
Too
Little, Too Late. Governor
Warner's proposal to link transportation and land
use planning might have made a difference -- 30
years ago. Now, far more radical measures are
called for.
by E M Risse
Virginia
Pundit Watch. by Will Vehrs
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December 16, 2002 -
Look,
Ma, No Taxes. Rebounding
quickly from its November election disaster, the
Warner administration has crafted a credible
transportation strategy that doesn’t stiff
the taxpayers.
by James A. Bacon
Lott's
Look Back.
Since
Trent Lott insists on looking favorably at a 1948
Dixiecrat candidacy for president, Virginia's U.S.
Senators should help him get a new perspective from
the Republican back bench.
by Douglas Koelemay
The
Power of Symbols. Republicans appropriate state funds to paint Vance
Wilkins' portrait. The governor cuts the traditional
Capitol Christmas tree. Which one looks to you like
they're serious
about dealing with the budget? by Patrick
McSweeney
King
Kong Kilgore. Mild-mannered
Jerry
Kilgore may not roar and beat his chest, but he has become Virginia's most powerful
first-year attorney general in modern times. by
Paul Goldman
No
Tax Hike. That’s
fine for a bumper sticker slogan, but it’s no
substitute for governing. Republicans need to
figure out what they’re for.
by Fred Williamson and Joanna Hanks
Virginia
Pundit Watch. by Will Vehrs
Readers
Respond
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December 9, 2002 -
Sinking
Expectations. Mark Warner may still have the
vision thing. But shorn of resources, his new
strategic plan for economic development sets modest
goals. by James A. Bacon
Workforce
Redux. How
long does it take to grasp that smart, skilled
workers are the key resource in a knowledge economy
-- and to invest public resources accordingly? by
Douglas Koelemay
Does
Anyone Want to Lead? Neither the
Republicans nor Democrats in Virginia offer a
compelling vision for the future. by
Patrick McSweeney
Legislator,
Heal Thyself. If
the General Assembly wants to balance the state
budget, it should start with its own bloated
finances. by Paul Goldman
Disorder
in the Court. Judicial
spending is out of control, increasing 1,000
percent faster than the rate of Virginia's
population growth over the past two decades. by
Paul Goldman
Making
Chicken Salad. You
really can convert nasty brownfields into delectable
urban development. It just takes regulators willing
to bend and entrepreneurs willing to take a chance. by
Cynthia Bailey
Wrong
Solution, Wrong Problem. Since the sales
tax referendum went down to defeat, government
officials have started lobbying for more federal
transportation funds. But more money will only
make matters worse. by E M Risse
Book
Review: Building
Corporate Value. review by Douglas
Koelemay
Virginia
Pundit Watch. by Will Vehrs
Readers
Respond
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December 2, 2002 -
Only
One Way Out. Patrick
County is in a world of hurt. Jerry Baliles is
betting that boosting educational achievement across
the board, from students to adults, can attract
investment. by James A. Bacon
Give
Thanks, Give Back.
Reflections
in the holiday season suggest that "giving
back" is a good model for business, too. by
Doug Koelemay
Hey,
Look Over There! You
can't blame Mark Warner for distracting voters with
talk about two-term governors. But the idea is a bad
one,
and we've got more immediate problems to worry
about. by Patrick McSweeney
Show
Some Backbone.
State Democrats
should set their own priorities, like K-12
education, rather than follow the agenda set by
the GOP Senate Finance Chair. by Paul Goldman
Is
Sustainability an
Unnatural Act?
It’s
human nature for homo sapiens to expand. But the
species may push way past its ecological limits
unless it can make sustainable practices a way of
life. by Daniel K. Slone
Build
Rail to Dulles? We might as
well teach pigs to fly. The proposed Metrorail
extension is a fanciful, multibillion-dollar
extravagance that will carry a fraction of the projected
ridership. by Peter Samuel
Readers
Respond. What makes Europeans competitive?; Response
from one of the “petulant few” who promoted the sales tax
referendum; Telework a marginal contribution
to traffic congestion.
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November 25, 2002 -
No
More Nerdistans! To prosper in the global economy,
Virginia must adopt patterns of development that create wealth,
not destroy it, and facilitate the virtual economy, not inhibit
it. by James A. Bacon
Paint
by Numbers. Filling
in pre-numbered spaces with colors isn't really art. Managing
the Commonwealth's structural imbalances with endless budget
cuts isn't fiscal responsibility, just an ugly picture. by
Doug Koelemay
Confused
and Cynical. Voters
have every reason to be disenchanted with political
parties that articulate no consistent principles or
agendas. by Patrick McSweeney
Lies,
Damn Lies and Polls. How
a privately funded voter poll, which should have sent off alarm
bells to the local media, was used to manipulate the political
system and set in motion the Hampton Roads Tax debacle. by
Paul Goldman
What’s
Next?
The
defeat of the taxes-for-roads referenda was a triumph for common
sense. Now comes the hard part: deep reform of government, taxes
and land use. by E M Risse
Democracy
in the Internet Era. As
the defeat of the Nov. 5 tax referendum made
clear, the power brokers have lost their monopoly
on information and communications. New players
want a seat at the policy-making table. by Joel
Rubin
How
Do You Say "Service Exports" in Chinese?
The
economic impact of foreign students in Virginia colleges and
universities. by James A. Bacon
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November 18, 2002 -
The
Great Equalizer. The biggest story of
Election '02 wasn't the defeat of the tax
referenda. It was how a band of upstarts used the
Internet to thwart the designs of Virginia's power
brokers. by James A. Bacon
ROI.
Business
incentives have an excellent return on investment in job
creation and tax revenues. So why would Virginia reduce its
investments at a time there are bargains to be had? by
Douglas Koelemay
Moving
Ahead on Transportation. Deprived
of new tax revenues, government should invite the private sector
to help address Virginia's transportation challenges. by
Patrick McSweeney
Highway
to Hell. Transportation
has been a defining issue in Northern Virginia since
the late 1980s, when local elites revolted against
the Richmond establishment and protested
inequitable funding formulas. by Paul Goldman
First
Skirmish. The
pundits say Mark Earley's stand against the NoVa road-tax
referendum hurt him in his losing campaign against Mark Warner.
The evidence is less than convincing. by Paul Goldman
Simplify
the Budget. An
obscure budget process clouds policy decisions in the
Commonwealth. by Joshua N. Lief
Computing,
Not Commuting.
Telecommuting
is not a Buck Rogers fantasy anymore. A tax break
to promote working at home might relieve more
traffic congestion than building new roads and metro stations.
by Fred Williamson and Joanna Hanks
Readers
Respond
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November 11, 2002 -
Down
But Not Out. Mark Warner may have taken a
pounding at the polls last week for championing
the sales-tax referenda, but Virginians still want
solutions for congested roads. by James A.
Bacon
That
Was Plan B. The
defeat of the regional sales tax referenda sends the
Commonwealth back to Plan A on transportation -- statewide
taxes, bonds and public-private partnerships. by Douglas
Koelemay
Ambiguous
Message. The
defeat of the sales tax referenda in Northern Virginia and
Hampton Roads could mean a number of things. It may be too early
to draw firm conclusions. by Patrick McSweeney
From
HBO's new Series, "The Mind of a Political Man" by
Paul Goldman
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November 4, 2002 -
Car(pool)
Crash. State transportation policy has
run off the road. Proposed remedies for congestion
are not
only
expensive but rendered obsolete by changes in
the way we live and work. by James A. Bacon
Cup
Half Fuller. George
Mason University's Steven Fuller documents a
powerful trend that stretches back three decades --
Northern Virginia is becoming the center of the
universe.
by Douglas Koelemay
Shedding
Heat, not Light. A
"Jews unhappy with Moran" article in a
Northern Virginia paper presumes a proper
"Jewish" response to issues. A person's
faith should not be a tagline, not a headline. by
Paul Goldman
Untouchable?
Proponents
of the Hampton Roads sales tax referendum swear the
revenues will be used for the transportation
projects they say it will. But there's no
constitutional basis for such a claim. by Patrick
McSweeney
Transit
Travesty. The
Northern Virginia sales tax referendum would pour
40 percent of its proceeds into mass
transit -- even though transit's
market share is 7.6 percent and falling. by
Ronald U. Utt, Ph.D.
Pipe
is Cheap. Virginia
could accelerate the deployment of broadband if
people got in the
habit of laying cable conduits every time they
widened a road or dug a ditch. by James A. Bacon
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October 28, 2002 -
Handicapping
the Referendum. Assuming
residents vote their narrow self interests,
approval of the sales tax referendum in Northern
Virginia looks like a better bet than the one in
Hampton Roads. by James A. Bacon
Broadbrush
Broadband.The
Warner administration has articulated broad goals for the
deployment of broadband across Virginia. But experience,
research and a stronger economy may mean more than state policy.
by Doug Koelemay
Time
for a Serious Budget Debate. With
painful budget cuts still to be made, Virginia faces an
opportunity to shape state government for years to come. by
Patrick McSweeney
Chichester
vs. Callahan. "Maximum"
John beats "My Cousin Vinny" in the first 2003 budget
battle. by Paul Goldman
Judging
the Judges. The
selection of a new state Supreme Court justice next year will
reveal whether Virginia has been corrupted by the politicization
of the judicial-approval process in Washington. by Ashley
Taylor
Roasting
Dr. Dial-a-Quote. by Doug Koelemay
Save
the Pigs: Life Imitates Bacon's Rebellion by James A.
Bacon
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October 21, 2002 -
The
Anti-dot.com. As a start-up company in the
old-economy aluminum industry, Service
Center Metals hopes to build its competitive
advantage through quality, service and lean
operations. by James A. Bacon
Incoming. NASA
and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
demonstrate the kind of development that a
sustained commitment to education and quality of
life can bring to Virginia. by Doug Koelemay
Flawed
Assumptions. Governor
Warner is dealing forthrightly with a budget
crisis he didn't create. Next, he needs to address
the underlying cause: bad budget forecasts. by
Patrick McSweeney
No
Way to Run a Paved Road.
The Commonwealth's road-building program is
probably even more expensive than it appears. Why
can't VDOT apply the same engineering advances
found everywhere else? by Fred Williamson and
Joanna Hanks
Our
Hidden Shame. The
slaughter of feral pigs, the noblest of all
non-primate creatures, continues unabated. It's
time that Virginians end this barbarity! by
James A. Bacon
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October 14, 2002 -
Broadband
Everywhere. Virginia
localities gotta have it. But telcom companies
give up crucial mapping data only when someone
pries it out of their cold, dead fibers. by
James A. Bacon
Hold
Your Head Up.
From
the anguished remembrance of a son came words Virginia can heed
as it struggles to make ends meet. by Doug Koelemay
As
Good As Gold? North
Carolina lost its AAA bond rating. If Virginia isn't careful, it
could suffer the same fate. by Patrick McSweeney
Help
Wanted Many
people have a hand in Virginia's rural development but only a
handful have good ideas. by Charles Batchelor
Scholars
Per Dollar. Hats
off to tiny Poquoson, which delivers more
educational bang for the buck than any other
Virginia locality. Others have a lot to
learn. by John Butcher
Educational
Bang for the Buck (expenditures and performance broken down
by Virginia
locality) by John Butcher
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October 7, 2002 -
Innovation
Factories. Should Virginia back its
traditional R&D powerhouses or fund
universities in its major metro areas? Bob Sharak
asks the tough questions. by James A. Bacon
Gonna
Win. Northern
Virginia's half-cent sales tax referendum for
transportation is running in the mainstream.
Finally, the region will be able to jump start
road, rail and transit solutions. by Douglas
Koelemay
Warner
Crosses the Line. Contrary
to what the governor says, hiking the sales tax is
not the only option for dealing with traffic
congestion. by Patrick McSweeney
The
Leadership Hassle. Will
there be enough qualified leaders to meet
Virginia's future? The time to start planning your
organization's leadership succession is now. by
Fred Williamson and Joanna Hanks
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September 30, 2002 -
Cyber
House Rules.The
Potter's School has demonstrated that a
"virtual" high school can work in a
home-school environment. The question: Can the
model be applied elsewhere? by James A. Bacon
Government
Transformed. Welcome
to the Warner-Newstrom
vision of e-government and the new information technology
utility – a whole new way of defining problems, engineering
solutions and doing business.
by Doug Koelemay
That
Confederate Flag Again. Nearly
140 years after the Civil War, the old Stars and Bars still
inflames passions. But that's no reason to ban it from the
political realm. by Patrick McSweeney
A
Modest Proposal. Want
to solve traffic congestion? Bring in the class-action
attorneys. by Steve Toler
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September 23, 2002 -
A
State of Mind. A "yes" vote for
the statewide, education-and-parks bond referenda
this fall will speed Virginia's transition to the
Knowledge Economy. by James A. Bacon
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics.
In Virginia 2002, one can get numbers about almost
everything. But statistics are no substitute for judgment in
prognosticating the future. by Doug Koelemay
Time for Candor from Politicians. The General Assembly
giveth, and
the General Assembly taketh away. Voters should be more
skeptical of politicians' solemn promises. by Patrick
McSweeney
Asleep at the Wheel.
Virginia's congressional
delegation has tolerated an unfair distribution of federal
gasoline taxes for years. Before approving higher taxes for
roads this fall, voters should insist on a better deal. by
Ronald D. Utt, Ph.D.
The Intangible Economy. Virginia ranks well in the Milken
Institute's comparison of states' potential for technology-led growth. But the Old Dominion
still has weaknesses to overcome. by James A. Bacon
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September 16, 2002 -
Tunnel
Vision. Remedies
for addressing traffic congestion in Northern
Virginia and Hampton Roads are one-dimensional and
self defeating. Their authors need to start over. by
James A. Bacon
Advance
Look. What
are the Warner administration’s priorities for
allocating resources during the 2002 budget
crisis? The 2002 Southern Innovation Index may
hold some clues. by Doug Koelemay
Welcome
to Virginia. Virginia's
welcome centers are an embarrassment. Opening the
facilities to private investment would save money
and make a better impression on tourists. by
Joshua Lief
Preserving
a Basic Freedom. Freedom of
religion doesn't mean much if you can't educate
your children in a manner consistent with your
values. Virginians must preserve their
private-school and home-school options. by
Patrick McSweeney
What
Would Grandma Do?
Even without understanding the larger
issues involved, Grandma Slone was a model for
“sustainable development.” by Daniel K.
Slone
Lessons
from
Ireland.
The Irish economic
development miracle makes a tempting model for
rural Virginia. But Ireland in the 1990s is not
comparable to Virginia in 2002. by James A.
Bacon
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September 9, 2002 -
We
are the World. After pontificating
about overseas outsourcing, Bacon’s Rebellion is
giving it a try. Already, I’m getting
sentimental. Global trade is beautiful, man,
it’s really beautiful! by James A. Bacon
Standing
Pat. A
small group of delegates and senators are
discussing how to revise Virginia's tax code.
Given the "taxes are worse than death"
climate of electoral politics, why bother? by Douglas
Koelemay
Where’s
Tim Kaine? The
looming budget deficit puts the liberal Lieutenant
Governor in a ticklish position as he maneuvers
for the showdown with Jerry Kilgore in 2005. by
Patrick McSweeney
What
Our Children Need to Know. We
Virginians should respond to 9-11 not with
self-flagellating moral relativism but an
assertion of values and universal principles. by
Chris Braunlich
Letters
to the Editor
Readers
to Bacon: Your Drought Column was All Wet!
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September 3, 2002 --
Dearth
of Water -- Or Ideas? H20
may be the most abundant molecule on earth, but
it's still subject to supply and demand. When
there's not enough, local governments should raise
the price. by James A. Bacon
All
the Knowledge -- or Just Some? It's
better to borrow money from bond investors and pay
it back than to borrow education and opportunity
from Virginia students, who may never get it back.
by Douglas Koelemay
Loosening
the Choke Hold. Virginia's
environmental regulators are giving businesses
more flexibility. Will the idea work, or will it
be doomed to total-quality, cheese-moving,
big-fish-eating history? by Cynthia Bailey
Letters
to the Editor. Former
transportation chief Ray Pethtel explains
what went wrong at VDOT.
-August
26, 2002 -
“Putting
People First”. It
made a great campaign slogan. Now Governor Warner
should make it the centerpiece of an economic
development policy based on human capital. by
James A. Bacon
Get
a Life (Science). Virginia
has the potential to achieve biotech greatness. But
it’s not clear that the state is willing to make the
necessary commitment. by Douglas Koelemay
Taylor's
Law. As
long as someone else is paying, the demand for
government services is limitless. To curb state spending
in Virginia, the beneficiaries should foot the bill. by
Ashley Taylor
Bacon
Bytes. A New CIT Mission Emerges.
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August 19, 2002 -
Two
Commissions in One. To guide the state
through its fiscal crisis, Virginia CEO Mark
Warner needs to find quick, short-term savings and
carry out long-term reforms. by James A. Bacon
Thunder
and Lightning. The
electric storm at last week's session of the
Wilder Commission was powered by clashing visions
of how to address Virginia's fiscal crisis. by
Doug Koelemay
Bacon
Bytes
Letters
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August 12, 2002 -
Cow
College Transformed. Virginia
Tech's proposed Institute for Food, Nutrition and
Health could be
rural Virginia's best bet for economic
revitalization. by James A. Bacon
Network
for Innovative Technology. CIT
may no longer need to be the "center" of
the tech network it helped build. It's just one
node -- and that should be reflected in its
mission. by Doug Koelemay
Desperately
Seeking CIT. The
reason it's so hard to define a mission for the
Center for Innovative Technology is that the
concept behind the Center is flawed. by Fred
Williamson
Means
of Last Resort. Virginia's
roads need help. But before raising taxes,
Virginians should wait for Gov. Warner to
straighten out VDOT and see what two important
study commissions have to say. by Joshua
N. Lief
Just
Another Protection Racket.
The
state still prohibits Virginians from purchasing
out-of-state wine over the Internet. The case
doesn't hold water. by Donald J. Boudreaux,
J.D., Ph.D.
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August 5 -
Strong-arming
Armstrong.
Scrambling to save the Center for Innovative
Technology from budget cutters, George Newstrom
muscled CIT President Anne Armstrong out the door.
by James A. Bacon
Stargate
on the Dan. Danville's
new Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
represents Southside's best hope yet for
participating in the cyber-economy. by Douglas
Koelemay
Our
Trash Stinks, Too.
Virginians
hate other peoples' garbage. But we ship hazardous
and nuclear waste to other states. Let's stop
tampering with interstate commerce. by Cynthia
Bailey
Oligarchy
in Action.
The
Coalition for Virginia's Future is a classic case
of the organized few working to raise taxes in
their own interests -- against the interests of
the poorly organized many. By Richard E.
Wagner, PH.D.
Letters
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July 29 -
Where's
the Beef? Virginia
doesn’t have much to show for its massive
investment in agricultural productivity. It’s time
to change priorities. by James A. Bacon
Wagging
the Dog: In
state politics, Northern Virginia is no longer the
tail that wags the dog -- it's a big part of the
dog. by Doug Koelemay
Agrarianism.com:
Agrarianism
foundered on the economic realities of the 20th
century. The
information age, however, may make possible a
return to agrarian ideals. By Ted J. Smith III
Capitol
Myopia: Virginians
got a short-term patch this year for their
long-term, structural budget deficit. Legislators
need to act more boldly. by Clayton Roberts
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July 22 -
Nowhere
to Run... Nowhere to Hide: Virginia's
"New South" economic development
strategy is floundering in the globally integrated
economy. by James A. Bacon
Invest
in Education... says
Stanley Furniture's Albert Prillaman. It's the
only way to save Southside from a Third World
future. By James A. Bacon
Per
Capita Income Growth:
Northern
Virginia Leads the Way with
a little help from the exurbs. by James A.
Bacon
Never
Look Behind You: Keith
Simmons, the triathlete CEO of Ironman Wetsuits,
runs hard, strives for continual innovation. by
James A. Bacon
How
the Mighty Have Fallen: Vance
Wilkins crashes to the ground. His successor,
William Howell, should change the tone of the
General Assembly. by Doug Koelemay
Easy
to Love...
But hard to find. Richmond needs to do more to
put itself on the map. by Fred Williamson and
Joanna Hanks.
Four
Years are not Enough: Governors need two
terms to accomplish long-term policy goals. by
Joshua Lief
Book
Review: The Rise of the Creative Class by
Richard Florida
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