Author: James A. Bacon
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Chart of the Day: Grade Inflation
Everybody’s a winnah! In today’s universities, almost everybody does “excellent” work — even though students are spending less time studying and preparing for class. This chart comes from “Where A Is Ordinary: The Evolution of American College and University Grading, 1940–2009” by way of the Carpe Diem blog. Once upon a time, a “gentleman’s C”…
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Reston Re-Develops as Metro Construction Progresses
The financing and politics of the Rail-to-Dulles heavy rail project may be a fiasco, but Phase 1 of the construction does seem to be coming in on schedule and on budget, and the imminent roll-out of Silver Line service is prodding hoped-for redevelopment around the Metro stops. The Washington Post provides a broad overview of…
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The Higher Ed Revolution Cometh
Robert Tracinski, a Charlottesville writer, provides a concise and incisive overview of how technology will disrupt — if not demolish – the reigning model of higher education in this article in Real Clear Markets. He makes many good points (some of which I’ve made myself), but this is one that struck me: The new medium…
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Virginia’s Overregulated Occupations
If the Old Dominion truly has the best business climate in the United States, as many Virginians like to think it does, that status surely can be attributable only to the many and perverse way in which other states screw things up. The Commonwealth does so many things wrong that, viewing ourselves in isolation, it…
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VDOT Restructures U.S. 460 Financing — Public Private Partnership Is Out
by James A. Bacon Having concluded that the U.S. 460 Connector cannot be financed under a public-private partnership (P3) arrangement, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has opted to pursue the $1.5 billion-to-$2 billion project as “63-20” nonprofit corporation. U.S. 460, which would provide Hampton Roads an interstate-quality alternative to Interstate 64, would have insufficient…
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Bring Back Stigma
Treat men like Desmond Hatchett, father of 30 welfare children, as the creeps they are. by James A. Bacon Desmond Hatchett, of Knoxville, Tenn., has petitioned the state of Tennessee for relief of his child-support obligations. It seems that the 33-year-old minimum-wage earner has to divide 50 percent of his earnings with the 11 women…
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A Technological Nudge for Higher Ed
by James A. Bacon Washington venture capitalists Ted Leonsis and Steve Case have put money into Echo360, a Dulles-based software maker that converts college classroom lectures into a digital format that students can watch online. They made what they described as a “significant new investment” through their Revolution Growth Fund. “Technology has had a transformative…
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Virginia Transportation Priorities as Out of Date as the Rotary Phone
by James A. Bacon Memo to the McDonnell administration, the General Assembly and Virginia Free (see previous post): Virginia’s transportation policies are based on totally outdated assumptions. I’ve been banging that drum for several years now, but don’t believe me. Even the Washington Post has caught on. Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in the United States…
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Boomergeddon Watch: Japanese Debt Downgraded
From today’s Wall Street Journal: Fitch Ratings delivered a surprise announcement yesterday, downgrading Japan’s sovereign debt rating to A+, a far cry from AAA status. That puts the debt of Japan on a par with Estonia and Malta. Fitch cited Japan’s lack of progress in bringing its massive deficit under control. “With 93% of the…
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Virginia and the “Creative Food Economy”
by James A. Bacon Evrim Dogu had a simple idea: He wanted to start a bakery that used locally grown and milled grains for his bread. But as he researched his business plan, he discovered that simple didn’t mean easy. The consolidation of grain farming, milling and baking into industrial combines serving national markets has…
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Supporting Community Development One Business at a Time
by James A. Bacon New Zealand-born Neil Smith was on tour with Nine Inch Nails seven years ago, serving as personal chef for the industrial rock band, when he found himself in Richmond. There he met Nikki, a local woman hired to help out for the day. One thing led to another and before long…
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Virginia’s New Manufacturing Challenge — Peoria, not Peking
by James A. Bacon At long last there is evidence to suggest that manufacturing in the United States has turned the corner. After a decade and a half of steady of corporations moving their manufacturing platforms overseas, U.S. manufacturing employment has enjoyed a modest rebound the past two years. Chinese labor costs are rising, corporations…
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MWAA’s Murky Constitutional Status
by James A. Bacon Is it possible to create an interstate compact when one of the “states” is the District of Columbia, which, in fact, is not a state? To be more specific, is the agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia that creates the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority a true…
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Voter ID: Get Over It, and Get Out the Vote
by James A. Bacon I didn’t see any pressing need for the Voter ID law in Virginia but now that we’re going to get one, I don’t see the need to get all agitated about it. In signing the Voter ID legislation into law, Governor Bob McDonnell issued an executive order instructing the State Board…
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Former Guvs Urge MWAA to Backtrack on PLA Policy
Three former Virginia governors and a former U.S. Senator have urged the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to “put ideology, partisan politics, pride and parochial interests aside” and reverse its decision to favor Project Labor Agreements (PLA) when evaluating construction bids for Phase 2 of the Rail-to-Dulles project. “The Project Labor Agreement (PLA), the key…