By Peter Galuszka Here’s a little reality check. Baconauts and Boomergedons have been ecstatic, if not orgasmic, over the totally unnecessary and dangerous debt ceiling standoff in Congress and Standard & Poor’s downgrading of U.S. credit. It has been amusing to see them wash themselves in glory as they congratulate each other on their prescience. If only…

Snuff Out Tax Hikes on Cigarettes Heartland Institute In most states (but not Virginia) smokers already pay more in taxes than the costs they impose on society. Raising taxes even higher would punish the poor, encourage black markets and potentially lose revenue. Digital Tax Reform Still Needs Work Center for Budget and Policy Priorities Proposed…

Albemarle County Supervisor Rodney Thomas takes issue with my characterization in the story, “Gentleman’s Agreement,” of the access-management agreement reached with the Virginia Department of Transportation as a “side deal.” He was so upset by the article that he asked me to never contact him again. I tried to explore how he would describe the…

And Now, a Good Word for Property Taxes Show-Me Institute Property taxes are a levy that only policy wonks could love. With property taxes, the public sees the connection between the public services they demand and the tax dollars they pay. Latino Youth and Civic Engagement Carolina Population Center Three out of five Latino high…

How to Run Off Rich People in Three Easy Steps Mercatus Center Sick of all those millionaires and billionaires stinkin’ up your state? Just run them off in three easy steps: (1) Raise personal income tax rates, (2) lower the “high income” threshold for the top rate, and (3) jack up property tax rates. Public-Private…

Want to Help the Poor? Get Government Out of the Way National Center for Policy Analysis Don’t blame market failure for the difficulty poor people have finding affordable transportation, housing, child care, health care and security services. The real culprit: government regulation. Introducing the Debt-to-Degree Ratio Education Sector A new way to measure the performance…

State Should Give Public-Sector Employees a Hybrid Pension Plan Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Recent General Assembly reforms aren’t sufficient to keep state pensions actuarially sound. Virginia should institute a hybrid Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution plan. The Myth of Tax Flight Center on Budget and Policy Priorities The impact of taxes on the decisions of…

What Works and What Doesn’t in the War against Obesity Rand Corporation Preventing obesity will save lives and money, but doing so is easier said than done. Ever hear of the idea about putting  more supermarkets in poor areas to provide more fresh food? Probably won’t work. How Rhode Island Pulled Off School Funding Reform…

Here comes another study describing America as “separate and unequal.” White university professors can’t imagine  minorities not wanting to live in the same neighborhood as people like themselves. by James A. Bacon One of the ways progressives keep the flames of resentment among racial minorities burning white hot is to highlight purported discrimination in every…

by James A. Bacon Pension costs aren’t the only public-sector employee benefits that are out of control. A new report by Josh Barro with the Manhattan Institute, “Cadillac Coverage: The High Cost of Public Employee Health Benefits,” contends that public-sector health care costs are outpacing private-sector costs increases, too. This chart tells the story: The…

Varied State Oversight for Health Insurance Rates Government Accountability Office Some states are more aggressive than others in intervening in health care insurance markets. It would be nice to know how Virginia compares but Old Dominion data was not available for this GAO study. “Small Start” Grant Regs Less Burdensome Government Accountability Office SAFETEA-LU legislation…

by Peter Galuszka In early October, Virginia’s tea party movement was on a roll. Hundreds of supporters crowded the Greater Richmond Convention Center for what was grandly called a “Patriots Convention.” Hallways and auditoriums were chockablock with budget hawks, Patrick Henry re-enactors, booksellers hawking Ayn Rand and middle-aged men packing .45-caliber Colt pistols in Velcro…