Bacons Rebellion

Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, it might prove helpful to know what a state close by – New Jersey – is doing.

Meet the 82-year-old ex-cop, World War II vet, and private eye who’s challenging one of the largest police departments in the country.

From fleet management to contracting out road maintenance, there are plenty of ways to produce hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for state government.

When Governor McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring begins its work Virginia State Parks should be among the many state services put under the microscope.

The General Assembly adjourned the 2010 Regular Session on March 14th, 2010, after only a one day extension. Budget Conferees and Leaders claimed victory by closing the $4.2 billion revenue shortfall facing the Commonwealth without a tax increase. Of course, the definition of a fee or tax seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Regardless, anyone involved in the budget process will admit that it is complicated, insular and growing in unintended consequences due to the limited time available for evaluation and debate.

Chicago’s groundbreaking parking asset leases inspire imitators. Any local takers?

The General Assembly is struggling with how to close another $2 billion in the next two year budget. Hopefully they are also concerned about how to avoid these huge problems in the future.

Anytime you see a multi-billion dollar budget deficit materialize in a state, it’s generally a good sign that it’s time for government downsizing. State policymakers should not aim low by setting their sights on merely rebalancing the budget; rather, they should put into place major budget and fiscal reforms.

As Washington considers an overhaul of the nation’s health care system affecting roughly one-seventh of our economy…and a host of other big issues—a critical question arises: How effective are we at crafting legislation that can be implemented? The consequences of poor design can be severe. Like an architectural rendering that looks good on paper but collapses once built, poorly designed legislation can be a blueprint for disaster.

Our health care system is broken, but for Virginia’s small businesses, health care reforms that come with higher taxes and burdensome mandates would make things worse, not better. Choosing the path that helps small business may require political courage by lawmakers, but the decision shouldn’t be a difficult one considering the consequences at stake for our nation’s job creators.