Author Archives: matt ohern

Increased Cigarette Taxes Rarely Produce Promised Revenue

Posted on January 10, 2018 by matt ohern

The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy recently released a new study showing the impact of cigarette tax increases on local government budgets. The study, The Impact of Cigarette Tax Increases on Local Government Budgets (here), uses budget data published … Continue reading →

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Metro is a good investment

Posted on January 10, 2018 by matt ohern

Virginia’s economic and global competitiveness depend upon having a world-class transportation infrastructure in place. Continue reading →

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The Doctor Is In…. And He Wants to Expand Medicaid

Posted on January 10, 2018 by matt ohern

With a near 50/50 balance of power between Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly, Governor-elect Ralph Northam will be in a much better position than his predecessor Terry McAuliffe to enact Democratic priorities. And what are those priorities? As … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care | Comments Off on The Doctor Is In…. And He Wants to Expand Medicaid

Tax Cuts Likely to Lead to Records for Recovery

Posted on January 10, 2018 by matt ohern

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this expansion is already more than 8 years long–only 18 months short of the record 120-month expansion that occurred from March 1991 to March 2001. A few analysts are concerned about a recession occurring … Continue reading →

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Can’t Win for Losing

Posted on January 10, 2018 by matt ohern

If we continue to burn coal to generate electricity, we might destroy the Earth’s capacity to support life. If we switch to natural gas, then fracking might poison the water and set our faucets on fire. Biomass sounds good, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Comments Off on Can’t Win for Losing