Author Archives: matt ohern

It’s Time for Virginia to Invest in the Future of the Teaching Profession

The Virginia Department of Education (DOE), as a consequence of budget cuts, no longer keeps tab on the turnover rate of Virginia’s teachers and other crucial demographic information needed to accurately predict trends in the teacher workforce, but evidence is … Continue reading

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More Questions about Virginia’s Solar Energy Policy

I’ve been covering business in Virginia for nearly four decades now, and I have to say, the electric power industry may be the most complex and difficult to understand. I freely admit that I have a steep learning curve ahead … Continue reading

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Ballooning the Highway Trust Fund

One day last month I was listening to “Marketplace” on NPR and heard a bizarre story. According to the reporter, the huge electronic signs in Times Square in New York are now “illegal billboards” that must be taken down. Why? … Continue reading

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EPA’s Incredible Clean Power Plan

The Environmental Protection Agency’s new Clean Power Plan (CPP) requires that states reduce their electric utility sector carbon dioxide emissions an average of 32% below 2005 levels by 2030. EPA twisted 80 words in the Clean Air Act into 1,560 … Continue reading

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Tax Reform and Job Creation Go Hand in Hand

I recently sat through two days of state candidates discussing top issues facing Virginia with several dozen business leaders interested in public policy. These discussions made it clear that our economy needs a significant boost and that our tax code … Continue reading

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