When Jerry Brown took office as governor of California promising to balance the state’s insanely unbalanced budget, one of his top targets was the state’s 400 urban redevelopment agencies. Using Tax Increment Financing (TIF), these quasi-independent entities siphoned roughly $5.7 billion yearly in tax revenue away from schools and other tax entities. Eliminating the agencies,…

Gauging the Economic Impact of Federal Transportation PolicyRand CorporationThe economic impact of federal investment in transportation infrastructure varies widely, depending upon context. Furthermore, most studies measure only benefits, neglecting to say if benefits exceed costs. Health Research Board Dispensed $734,000 in 2009Commonwealth Health Research Board, 2009 Annual ReportState board sponsored eight research projects in Virginia,…

Apparently, Rail-to-Dulles is not enough to sate the Northern Virginia appetite for controversy. It looks like another battle royal over transportation and land use is brewing, this one centered on a proposal to declare a new Corridor of Statewide Significance (CoSS) that could pave the way for the controversial Outer Beltway. The issue surfaced in…

Back to one of my favorite themes: the higher education bubble. A majority of Americans (57%) say the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money, according to a new opinion survey by the Pew Research Center. An even larger majority (75%) says college is too…

Preventing Fraud and Error in Medicare and MedicaidCenter for American ProgressMedicare and Medicaid waste $70 billion a year through fraud and payments made in error. Maybe it’s time to put a little more effort into payment integrity. How the Federal Government Can Help the States Deliver Better EducationRand CorporationDon’t impose uniform, top-down solutions. Stimulate the…

Last Thursday when I got home, I noticed a funny thing on my phone. I had five telephone calls from a number “800-222-0300.” No voice mail messages were left. I called the number and got a recording that I was to call AT&T’s billing office for a matter regarding my service. I looked up the…

Which of Virginia’s cities and counties levy the highest property taxes? And how do they compare to their high-taxing brethren in other states? Well, it depends partly on what you’re measuring. If you’re ranking the localities by the median property taxes paid per house, then it’s the city of Falls Church, hands down. The diminutive…

Perhaps it was inevitable. Guess which giant American corporation stands to rake in dough by grabbing branding related to SEAL Team 6, the Navy commando unit based in Virginia Beach that killed Osama Bin Laden? Disney. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. It isn’t the first time that the California company that brought us Mickey Mouse has…

Public education costs federal, state and local governments upward of $500 billion annually, up $354 billion 15 years ago. While spending increased nearly 50 percent, enrollment increased by just over 10 percent, reading and science scores held steady, and on-time graduation hovered at 70 percent. The question arises: Can we cut school spending without harming…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided nearly $48.6 billion in direct aid to states in the form of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The program was designed to help states maintain support for public K-12 and higher education spending. A report published by the New America Foundation, “

Bacon’s Rebellion contributor Deena Flinchum has hit the big-time. The Wall Street Journal printed her letter to the editor in the most prominent position of its editorial page today. Her letter supported a recent Journal editorial that took a hard line against proposed laws involving illegal emigration, noting recent efforts in Arizona and Utah. Flinchum…

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Compact DevelopmentUrban InstituteCompact development cuts down on driving. Cutting down on driving reduces emissions of greenhouse gases. Ergo, compact development reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Virginia Population Now 8% HispanicWeldon Cooper CenterThe Hispanic population in Virginia nearly doubled in the 2000s and now accounts for nearly one in seven births in…

Virginia’s once-promising nuclear industry is feeling the impacts of Japan’s reactor disaster which has dampened market demand for goods and services related to nuclear-powered generating plants. Construction delays have been announced at the $363 million Areva Newport News facility that would make large components for the nuclear power industry. In Pittsylvania County, support seems to…

Thinking Logically about Class SizeBrookings InstitutionSmaller classes sizes make a bigger difference in some instances — for earlier grades and disadvantaged children — than in others. Spending on class-size initiatives should be targeted. Drive Less, Pay Less InsuranceVictoria Transport Policy InstitutePay-As-You-Drive insurance reduces rates for motorists who drive less on the grounds that they are…

In fiscal 2010, the states spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation. What return did they get on their investment? Most policy makers can’t tell you. That’s because most states have inadequate systems for setting goals and measuring performance, concludes a new report by the Pew Center for the States and the Rockefeller Foundation, “Measuring…