Category: Business and Economy
-
Hospitals 1, Patients 0
by James C. Sherlock Since January 1 of this year, after a court battle won in late December 2020 by the Trump Justice Department, the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) has required hospitals to post median payer-specific negotiated rates. I figured the fix was in when most hospitals in Virginia still haven’t complied. The Virginia…
-
Some College Graduates Will Get Paid to Live in Southwest or Southside Virginia
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Tobacco Commission (Virginia Tobacco Region and Revitalization Commission) has come up with a program that does not involve pork-barrel grants. Two of the problems afflicting the area served by the Commission, Southside and Southwest, are a shortage of people to fill certain jobs and a shortage of young adults putting down…
-
The Day-Late-and-a-Dollar-Short Administration
by James A. Bacon So much dysfunction…. at so many levels. The federal government has been throwing trillions of dollars into COVID-19 relief. Many billions have flowed into Virginia. Despite this unprecedented peace-time spending, thousands of Virginians are being evicted from their homes, and thousands more are lining up at food pantries and soup kitchens.…
-
Shoot-Yourself-in-the-Foot Economics
A sure sign of dysfunctional government policy: Thousands of Virginians remain unemployed, but small businesses are struggling to find employees. We’re not talking about highly specialized jobs like aerospace engineers or data analysts that require years of education. We’re talking about ordinary jobs. “Virginia’s small businesses are working hard on their recovery but are struggling…
-
Ralph Rescues Reefer
By Don Rippert Warm up the bongs. Adults in Virginia will be able to legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational use starting July 1. The bill originally passed by the General Assembly would have delayed that date until July 1, 2024. However, Governor Ralph Northam amended the bill and, after some…
-
TCI Model Rule Ready for Study, Comment
by Steve Haner First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. (Happy birthday, Mr. President.) Read the governing document for the Transportation and Climate Initiative and it becomes clear there is more going on than just an effort to reduce motor fuel use with a combination of taxes and shrinking caps. That…
-
Good News for Virginia in Best-Places-to-Work Rankings
by James C. Sherlock The new Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For has been released. Good news Four Virginia-headquartered companies made the list. Hilton, McLean #3 Capital One Financial, McLean #9 CarMax, Richmond #36 Navy Federal Credit Union, Vienna #59 Other News There are nine health systems on the list. Not only are none of…
-
COPN Drives Richmond’s Tuckahoe Orthopedics to Be Acquired to Survive
by James C. Sherlock This is pretty straightforward. COPN is driving a physician shortage in Virginia because doctors are not granted the independence to practice the way they want to with the facilities and equipment they need and that in turn is depressing their incomes. Reversing Robin Hood, COPN takes from the physicians and gives to…
-
Kings Dominion Stays a Step Ahead of the Minimum Wage
by James A. Bacon Virginia’s $9.50-per-hour minimum wage will go into effect May 1, but it won’t have much impact on King’s Dominion, which expects to hire more than 2,000 seasonal workers, mostly young people, this season. The Hanover County amusement park plans to boost its minimum wage to $13 per hour, reports Virginia Business.…
-
The Real King Ralph (Sampson, not Northam) Saves the White Spot!
by Don Rippert Double Gus, all the way. Students who attended The University of Virginia going all the way back to 1953 are likely to be familiar with the White Spot “restaurant.” The term “restaurant” is in quotes because The Spot, as it is affectionately known, is a hole in the wall that originally had…
-
COPN Monopolies Depress Income for Virginia Healthcare Professionals Without Lowering Costs
by James C. Sherlock Virginia is among the richest states in the country. We are ranked ninth among states with the highest median household income in the 2019 (latest) Census Bureau American Community Survey. Virginia median household income was $74,222 and the U.S. as a whole was $62,843. But Virginia has a Certificate of…
-
Selling Virginia Pot? Expect A Union Label
by Steve Haner When Virginians begin to buy marijuana from state-licensed providers, if Governor Ralph Northam has his way, along with his smiling visage on every baggie of grass you may also find a union label. I’m kidding about getting high with the governor’s image on the package but using the legalization bill to promote…
-
Halt 5G in Virginia Now!
Virginians for Safe Technology has launched a petition to halt the deployment of 5G wireless technology. Bacon’s Rebellion does not endorse the petition but does believe that the issues it raises are worth discussing. Next-generation wireless is critical infrastructure. The sooner the concerns are addressed, the better. — JAB To our elected and appointed officials…
-
Democrats Expand Worker Protections
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Many commenters on this blog seem to view Virginia Democrats as elitists (the “Plantation Elite”) who either ignore or look down on the needs of most Virginians or elitists who are absorbed in advancing critical race theory and other woke ideas. While battles against these perceived threats have been raging on Bacon’s…
-
May Day Brings Virginia’s Labor Revolution
by Steve Haner Four major changes in Virginia’s labor laws delayed at the beginning of the COVID-19 recession will all take effect May 1. All were approved by the 2020 General Assembly once Democrats controlled both legislative chambers and then delayed at the 2020 Veto Session. May Day 2021 is almost here. Minimum Wage. The…