2008
-
August 25 -
Salvaging
Tysons. The
Tysons task force on land use has articulated a
compelling vision for the future of Virginia's
largest -- and most dysfunctional -- business
district. Just one problem: It's not clear who
will pay for it. by
James A. Bacon
Asphalt
Deserts. The
American addiction to Autonobiles and imported oil
drains our economy of wealth in ways obvious and
subtle. We convert green landscape into swaths of
pavement, contributing to our own desertification.
by EM
Risse
Closing
the Budget Shortfall. Virginia's
secret weapon in the budget wars is a little-known
agency, the Commonwealth Competition Council, that
seeks savings through privatization and
outsourcing. by Leonard Gilmore
State
spending out of control? Enact a Tax and
Expenditure Law that caps spending at the rate of
inflation and population growth. If pols are
unhappy with the limits, they can... Tell
It to the TEL.
by Norman
Leahy
10
Annoying Things About Virginia.
Sure, we're
smart and prosperous, but some things still turn
my crank. by
Peter Galuszka
Saving
Southside. It's
too early to write off Southside Virginia's mill
town economy. But the Tobacco Commission does need
to re-think its strategic priorities. by
Tom McLaughlin
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Cathedrals,
Temples and Mosques: Spiritual Shrines in
Virginia. by Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia
Bangs
-
August 4 -
Brainy
Power. Dominion's
proposed $600 million investment in a "smart
grid" is the first step toward an electric
power system in which conservation and renewables
have equal standing with with coal and nukes. by
James A. Bacon
Flash
the Lights and
Blow the Sirens.
The NVTA is
near death as legislators fail once again. by
Doug Koelemay
Beyond
the Headlines. A
thread runs between many newspaper stories: Higher
energy prices are reordering everything from
international trade flows to housing
affordability. Too bad our Institutions are
responding so sluggishly. by EM Risse
Reviving
the Great Melting Pot. A
century ago, Americans expected immigrants to
learn English and adapt to a new culture. Would it
be politically incorrect to encourage today's
immigrants to "Americanize"? by
Chris Braunlich
This story has mysteriously disappeared. -Editor
Bogus
Tax Break. The
back-to-school tax break feels good -- for two
days out of the year. Woopido. How about a tax
break that provides relief 365 days a year? by
Norman Leahy
The
Netherworld of FDA Regulation
. Getting
the agency to oversee tobacco is creating strange
bedfellows and will end up keeping the status quo
– letting thousands more die. by
Peter Galuszka
When
All Else Fails, Try the Head Smackingly Obvious.
Want to
relieve traffic congestion? Stop funding pork
barrel and prioritize transportation projects
that... (drum roll)... relieve traffic congestion.
by Ron Utt
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Riffles and
Cascades: Waterfalls in Virginia. by Edwin S.
Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
July 21 -
No
Salvaging the Mill Towns. Ten
years and $400 million has failed to transform the
economies of Southside and Southwest Virginia.
Until leaders confront dispersed human settlement
patterns, they will never address root causes. by
James A. Bacon
Thank
You, Joe. Former
state Senator Joe Gartlan left his fingerprints
all over the Code of Virginia and boosted the
future of the Commonwealth. by
Doug Koelemay
Rocky
Mountain Low. A
WaPo story highlights the threat of converting
Montana wilderness into masses of McLodges. But
there's more to the story: Developers are
destroying the land they exploit and, with rising
energy prices, are creating the ghost (non) towns
of tomorrow. by
EM Risse
Democrats
for (School) Choice. Putting
the interest of the nation's children ahead of
those of the teachers unions, an increasing number
of Dems are supporting school choice. by
Chris Braunlich
Summer
Sweats. Tim
Kaine looks like a long shot to get the VP nod
from Barack Obama. But it's fun thinking about the
what-ifs back in the Old Dominion if the governor
were drafted into national politics. by
Norman Leahy
My
Lunch with Big Oil. Mr.
Big Oil spilled the beans: Offshore oil drilling
means bupkis for Virginia. He ginned up the flap
here in the Old Dominion to win support for
opening up California, Alaska and the Gulf where
the big barrels are. by
Peter Galuszka
How
Tim Kaine Lost his Mojo. Tim
Kaine campaigned as a liberal who would oppose tax
increases. He has governed as a moderate who has
advocated tax increases. Many Virginians feel
betrayed. by
Frank Kilgore
Nice
& Curious Questions.
The
Developer's Daughter: Road Names in Virginia. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
July 7 -
The
City of Squares. The
historical core of Savannah, Ga., is one of the
great urban places in the United States.
Modern-day Virginia could learn a few lessons from
James Oglethorpe's unique experiment. by
James A. Bacon
The
Wealth Gap. Sooner
or later, an economy built on wildly unequal
incomes, cheap energy and debt-fueled mass
over-consumption will collapse. Mass denial
will not change this reality. by EM Risse
Let
the People Decide. It's
time to fish or cut bait on the gas tax. Either
pass a tax increase to pay for transportation
projects or take it off the table so we can pursue
other options. by
Michael Thompson
Bread
and Circuses. Governments
dispense money for ends that the Constitution
never envisioned. One way or another, we're
all on the dole now. by
Norman Leahy
Bubba
Believes in Religion (and
other true facts). by Barnie Day
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Running in
Virginia: Triathlons, Duathlons,
Adventure Races and More. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
June 23 -
The
War on Sprawl. Andrew
Jackson had his "kitchen" cabinet. Tim
Kaine has his "sub" cabinet: five
secretaries whose job is to marshal state
resources to promote smart growth. by
James A. Bacon
Finding
Common Ground. There
is no other way to conduct the public business
successfully. Let us hope that the lawmakers
convening in Richmond today take heed. by
Doug Koelemay
Shaping
a Functional and Sustainable Future in Greater
Warrenton-Fauquier. by EM
Risse
The
following stories have mysteriously disappeared. -Editor
Another
One Bites the Dust. Another
toll-road myth -- that governments can access
cheaper infrastructure financing than the private
sector -- has been demolished. The proof?
Transurban's experience in Northern Virginia. by
Leonard Gilroy
A
Transportation Reform Agenda. A
comprehensive solution to transportation in
Virginia requires a lot more than raising taxes
and spending money. We have to change the way we
fund and administer roads and rail. by
Michael Thompson
On
the Eve of Battle. Republicans
are bracing for a confrontation this week over
transportation taxes and spending. Here are the
thoughts, extracted from the first Tertium Quids
podcast, of some GOP leading lights. by
Norman Leahy
Richmond
vs. Charlotte: an Update. Charlotte,
N.C., snarfed up Richmond's big commercial banks
in the early '90s, a coup at the time. Fifteen
years later, the sub-prime fiasco is pinching
Richmond, but it's putting the Tarheels in a world
of hurt. by
Peter Galuszka
Audit
Time. Before
jacking up taxes and throwing money around, let's
audit the plethora of Virginia
transportation-related agencies and authorities,
define clear goals and set priorities for
spending. by
Ron Utt
Power
Surge. Big
increases in electric rates are all but inevitable
in Virginia. Consumers need to be educated about
their options before they get shocked by their
electric bills. by
Barbara Kessinger
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Finding
Felons in Virginia: Bounty Hunters in the
Commonwealth. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
June 2 -
Personalities
and Prosperity. Ever
wonder why New York is full of neurotics and L.A.
full of surfer dudes? In his latest book, Richard
Florida suggests that regions, like people, have
personalities -- with big implications for
prosperity. by
James A. Bacon
Riding
the Tiger. Many
citizens, abetted by the MainStream Media, are
clinging to oil and autonomobile dependency to the
bitter end. A dismal reality of ever-climbing
energy awaits them. by
EM Risse
Time
for Systemic Reform. Crafted
for the industrial, post-World War II era,
Virginia's government institutions are failing.
More money won't work. Tinkering won't work. We
need systemic reform. by
Chris Braunlich
Give
Charters a Chance. The
Richmond school board has just approved the
state's fourth charter school -- a rare victory
over political forces that sacrifice children's
welfare at the altar of left-wing ideology. by
Norman Leahy
VCU
and the Evil Weed. VCU
President Eugene Trani blew Richmond
’s reputation by going along with a noxious
Philip Morris research contract. by
Peter Galuszka
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Big
Government in Virginia: Does Size Really Matter? by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
May 19 -
Cultivating
Creativity. The
da Vinci Center at Virginia Commonwealth University is
elevating product development to an
inter-disciplinary art. It may well be the future of
American innovation. by
James A. Bacon
Three
Little Words. The
phrase "no cheap energy" embodies an
economic reality that is shaking the foundation of First
World Civilization. But citizens and politicians still
act as if they can ignore it. by
EM Risse
A
Simple Solution. Here
is an easy way to resolve Virginia's political
stand-off over transportation funding: Empower
local governments to enact the same taxes that the
Supreme Court invalidated regionally. by
Michael Thompson
So
Much for Transparency. Throwing
a bunch of budget numbers onto a website does
little to improve local government transparency.
The adage "Garbage In, Garbage Out"
applies in spades. by
Norman Leahy
The
Weird World of Massey Energy. Controversial,
Richmond-based coal firm enjoys energy boom times
while wielding political clout and beating back
critics with an in-your-face style.
by
Peter Galuszka
Nice
& Curious Questions.
And
What Happened Here? Historical Markers of
Virginia. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
May 5 -
Second
Battle of Fredericksburg. A
Yankee invader... er, investor... wants $30
million in incentives to build a giant waterpark
in Fredericksburg. Local foes say they are
fighting to save the city's tax base -- and its
soul. by
James A. Bacon
The
Beltway to Easter Island. Like
the Eastern Islanders who built the big-eared moia,
the engineers of the well-treed Capital Beltway
are oblivious to the signs of impending ecological
collapse. by
EM Risse
Stretching
the Highway Dollar. We
can get more mileage out of transportation
spending by prioritizing congestion relief, using
performance-based planning and outsourcing
maintenance. by
Len Gilroy
Mountain
Women Die Younger. A
national study shows females in poor areas like
Radford and Pulaski have diminished life
expectancies. Poor diet and lack of insurance are
likely culprits. by
Peter Galuszka
Throwaway
Lives. We
know that public health in Appalachia is a
national disgrace. We don't need more studies. We
need to teach young people to take control of
their own health. by
Frank Kilgore
A
Modest Proposal. Think
of all the pressing problems we could solve --
climate change, traffic congestion, parking meters
-- if we required city employees to walk, bike or
ride the bus to work. by
Marc Montoni
Nice
& Curious Questions.
The
Waterman's Legacy: The Shores and Islands of
Virginia. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
April 21 -
The
Tribune of the People. In
two high-profile lawsuits, Patrick McSweeney has
defended the interests of the common citizen
against power grabs by the political class.
Virginians owe him a bigger debt than they'll ever
know. by
James A. Bacon
There's
a Hole in the Bucket. It's
called road maintenance, and it's draining the
Transportation Trust Fund of revenue for new
construction. by Doug Koelemay
The
End of Flight as We Know It. Between
fuel prices, terrorism and the environment,
air travel is losing altitude fast. In the
not-too-distant future, plane rides will be a
luxury for those at the top of the economic
pyramid. by
EM Risse
Fund
Reading First. Congressional
politicking could eviscerate one of the few
federal programs proven to help at-risk children
in Virginia learn to read. by
Chris Braunlich
And
Now, a Kind Word about Tolls. The
public prefers tolls to taxes as a method to fund
transportation improvements -- as long as the
public sees a clear benefit and politicians do not
divert revenues to other projects. by
Norm Leahy
The
Kaine Mutiny. Is
Dominion’s coal-fired plant destroying the
Governor’s political future? by
Peter Galuszka
A
Response to Norman Leahy. Our
call for an alternative transportation policy is
indeed "conservative" -- organized
around free markets, an aversion to subsidies and
devolution of government power to the local level.
by Pat
McSweeney
The
New American Revolution. Virginia
citizens achieved a momentous victory with the
defeat of regional transportation authorities. Now
is the time to press their advantage and hold
politicians truly accountable. by
Ron Utt
The
Thrill of No-Till. Adopting
the tried-and-tested agricultural practice of
no-till farming could be Virginia's simplest, most
cost-effective strategy for restoring the health
of the Chesapeake Bay. by
David Schnare
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Beyond
Bluegrass: Virginia's Rock 'n' Rollers. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
April 7 -
First,
Shoot All The Cars. While
Virginians seem hell bent upon raising taxes and
building roads, Ameri-kiwi Claude Lewenz shows a
different way to reduce traffic congestion and save the
environment: Build car-free villages. by
James A. Bacon
Newseum.
The
D.C. attraction opening this week celebrates
freedom of the press, the rise of the news and the
decline of the newspaper. by
Doug Koelemay
Space
to Drive and Park. Cars
consume huge amounts of space for roads and parking,
which disaggregates human settlement patterns, co-opts
transportation alternatives, and... increases dependence
upon cars. by
EM Risse
Two
Spheres of Fraud. While
the media salivates over the subprime lending
fiasco, journalists are overlooking the main
reason why Americans can't afford housing:
the building of the wrong kind of housing in the
wrong places. by
EM Risse
How
to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying. Think
Virginia lawmakers are serious about restraining
state government spending? Consider this: Simply
freezing
7,627 vacant positions could have saved $1 billion
in the next two-year budget! by
Mike Thompson
You
Call This Conservative? A
self-proclaimed "conservative" transportation
plan appears to be animated by the conviction that
Virginians really don't know what's good for them. When
did conservatives become central planners? by
Norm Leahy
Creating
a New Segregation. When
Richmond combined Jim Crow with urban planning in the
1940s, the result was expressways, the destruction of
African-American neighborhoods and white flight. by
Peter Galuszka
Reaching
the Promised Land. In
his lifetime, Martin Luther King empowered
African-Americans. By his death, he stimulated Southern,
evangelical whites to search their hearts and embrace
all children of God. by
James Atticus Bowden
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Bottled
Poetry: Wine Trails
of Virginia. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
March 24 -
User
Pays. Virginia's
transportation system needs more money. But how we raise
the money is just as important as how much. Only a user-pays system can break the political gridlock.
by
James A. Bacon
Good
News, Bad Reporting. As
the economy weakens, you can count on the MainStream
Media to defend MassOverconsumption and Business As
Usual in a desperate bid to keep the advertising dollars
flowing. by
EM Risse
Learning
from Big Boxes. Consumers
love big box stores for their "bargains" and
"everyday low prices." What they don't see are
the costs imposed by hidden subsidies and the
scatteration of human settlement patterns. by
EM Risse
Extend
Foot, Pull Trigger. The
unilateral rewriting of the Dulles Greenway legislation
sends a bad signal to potential investors in Virginia
roads: When times turn tough, lawmakers renege on deals.
by
Leonard Gilroy
Pork
and Transparency. The
Commonwealth is slowly, grudgingly opening up its books
to citizen scrutiny. Putting credit-card bills on a
Web-accessible database is a big step forward, but it
raises more questions than it answers. by
Norm Leahy
The
War Bill Comes Due. The
hidden costs of the Iraq war are a bigger economic
debacle than the sub-prime mess. by
Peter Galuszka
Juice
Junkies. The
Day household is addicted to electricity. Our careless
consumption has consequences beyond the light bill:
pollution, mountaintop removal and greenhouse gases
among them. by
Barnie Day
I'll
Take the Two BMWs, Please. Rail
to Dulles is so expensive that we could lease two
BMWs per rider with the money. The Feds were right
to turn down funding, and Virginia Congressmen
should leave well enough alone. by
Wendell Cox and Ron Utt
Smokes,
Litter and Drugs. Youngsters
who smoke cigarettes are more likely to litter and abuse
drugs as well. The campaign to snuff out smoking is not
just a public health issue, it's a crusade to save our
children. by
Frank Kilgore
More
Roads Are Not the Answer. The
unraveling of Virginia's transportation funding plans
could be a blessing if it prompts lawmakers to wean the
Commonwealth from its auto-centric, sprawl-inducing
policies. by
Michael Cecire
Nice
& Curious Questions.
Doggie
Happy Hours, or Virginia
is for Canine Lovers. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
February 25 -
Curriculum
VITA. The
overhaul of the Commonwealth of Virginia's antiquated IT system
is a textbook study of how government can improve
performance and save money -- without a dime of taxpayer
investment. by
James A. Bacon
Walking
Ahead of the Times. Virginia's
stagnation two centuries ago reminds us that true leaders slip the bonds of the
present, not just the past. by
Doug Koelemay
Learning
from the Mouse. Why
do people travel halfway around the world to visit
Disney World and Octoberfest? One big reason: Both are
places where you don't need cars to get around. by
EM Risse
Fund
the Child, Not
the Bureaucracy.
Virginia's
formula for distributing state aid to schools is
indecipherable. A little common sense would make the
system more transparent. by
Chris Braunlich
The
Big Lie? Headlines
tie immigrants to sex crimes as politicians like
GOP gubernatorial hopeful McDonnell cash in on the
xenophobia they stir up. by
Peter Galuszka
The
Untold Story. House
Republicans warrant much of the criticism they
get, but give them credit for this: They share
power more fairly with minority Democrats than the
Dems ever did with them. by
Frank Kilgore
Nice
& Curious Questions. The
Physics of Incentives. Or,
Enterprise Zones in the Old Dominion. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
February 11 -
The
Innovation Gap. There
are compelling reasons for people to ditch their cars and
use mass transit. Unfortunately, auto
companies are reinventing themselves while the transit
sector stands still. by
James A. Bacon
It's
There to Be Used. Level-headedness
is the key to the use of the revenue stabilization fund.
by
Doug Koelemay
What
Is the Problem with
Cars? Cars
are a 20th century answer to a 19th century
problem. Tweaking our auto-centric transportation
system will not address the 21st century realities
of traffic congestion, escalating energy prices
and Global Warming. by
EM Risse
Let
the Sun Shine In. Getting
the political establishment to agree to budget
transparency is like pulling teeth -- from a saber-tooth
tiger. But Virginia is slowly making progress. by
Michael Thompson
Virginia
Is for Lovers - Behind Closed Doors. Virginia
has been roiled of late by a sex workers' show, mildly
racy Abercrombie & Fitch displays and trailer
hitches that look like bull testicles. What's going on? by
Norm Leahy
Call
for Philip Morris.
Richmond’s elite lauds the cigarette maker for putting
its R&D center downtown. But its newly spun-off
sister unit still aims to make butts the
old-fashioned way, endangering the lives of
millions around the world. by
Peter Galuszka
A
Transit Network for NoVa. The
odds look good for the General Assembly to study
a rapid transit network covering Northern Virginia
to points as far flung as Winchester and
Fredericksburg. by
William Vincent
Toro!
Toro! Tim
Kaine is upset that the Federal Transit Administration
turned down funding for Tysons-Dulles heavy rail. But
the project had more red flags than a bull-fighting
ring. by
Ken Orski
Nice
& Curious Questions. Virginia:
Home of the Outdoor Privy Race. Or,
Whatever Happened to Outdoor Plumbing? by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
January 28 -
Tomahawk
Chop. The
departure of the R-Braves baseball team is no great loss
to Richmond. Indeed, the region should take the tomahawk
to other groups of marginal value and invest in
institutions of knowledge creation. by
James A. Bacon
"They
Played Us". Talking
trash instead of transit, federal officials used a New
York minute to suggest an end to Dulles Rail. by
Doug Koelemay
Who
Killed Rail-to-Dulles? Many
people share the blame for the collapse of the
Rail-to-Dulles financing scheme. The feds are only the
first in a long line of guilty parties. by
EM Risse
Lottery
Options. Virginia
should consider leasing out rights to operate the state
lottery. Privatization could generate a steady income
stream, reducing risks of revenue variability. by
Leonard C. Gilroy
Baptists
and Bootleggers. When
good intentions collide with self interest, self
interest almost always wins. You can't go wrong betting
on politicians, whatever their high-minded principles,
to do what's expedient. by
Norm Leahy
A
Matter of Exquisite Balance. In
a world where the only constant is change, the
State Corporation Commission is the keeper of
economic balance in Virginia. A judgeship is open,
and I would like to fill it. by
Barnie Day
A
Sensible Tax. A
5-cent hike in Virginia's gas tax as a way to fund
transportation improvements is vastly preferable to the
motley mash of taxes, fees and fines enacted last year. by
James V. Koch
Nice
& Curious Questions. Millions
of Kilowatt Hours: Nuclear
Power in Virginia. by
Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs
-
January 14 -
Brain
Gain: Building
Human Capital. Human
capital is the driving force of prosperity in a
globally competitive economy. Soon, regions will
vie for it like they compete for investment
capital. Will Virginia be prepared? by
James A. Bacon
Gray
Matter Migration. A chart ranking the 50
states by net in-migration.
Virginia
Migration Winners and Losers. A spreadsheet
ranking Virginia localities by net in-migration.
Hypercompetition.
Here's
the sub-text of Tim Kaine's state of the
commonwealth speech: Invest in Virginia's economic
future. We can afford it. Our economy is still
out-performing the nation's. by
Doug Koelemay
The
Road Ahead. As
the MainStream Media fails to provide information
citizens need to function as voters and consumers,
a citizen-driven media will emerge to fill the
void. It's not yet clear what that new media will
look like. by EM Risse
Unleash
the Private Sector. Many
localities are too financially strapped to execute
Tim Kaine's pre-K initiative for at-risk tots. He
could bypass that bottleneck by engaging private
daycare providers. by Chris Braunlich
Rooting
for Hillary. Hillary
Clinton has friends in strange places. Among the
millions of Americans who reveled in her New
Hampshire primary comeback, there were quite a few
in Virginia's Republican Party. by Norm
Leahy
Strife
in the Coalfields. Dominion’s
plans to build a coal-fired plant stir worries
about greenhouse gases, ozone, smog, dirty coal
trucks and mountaintop removal. by Peter
Galuszka
Hot
Air or Cold Logic? The
Governor's Commission on Climate Change could
guide Virginia's energy and environmental policy
for years to come. One option it needs to
consider: geo-engineering. by David Schnare
Nice
& Curious Questions. Birdies,
Bogies and the Back Nine: Golfing in the Old
Dominion. by Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia
Bangs
|