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Author Archives: matt ohern
Taxes and the Budget at Year’s End
The tax reform plan that Congress is producing will not be perfect. Nothing is…The starting point for any inquiry should be the purpose of the legislation and whether the developing product generally would move the law in the direction envisioned by the legislators. The stated purpose for this tax bill is to simplify the code for most individual taxpayers and reduce taxes for both individuals and businesses in order to spur economic growth. The theory, which has generally proven correct in the past, is that tax cuts lead to economic activities which cause job growth, improve wages, and make society more prosperous on the whole.
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Posted in Taxes
Tagged 2017 tax cuts, child tax credit, eitc, local tax deduction
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The Energy-Efficiency Option
When Virginians contemplate their energy future, they have two broad options for accommodating a growing population and economy: generate more electricity (increase supply) and conserve electricity (reduce demand). The debate over the supply side of the equation gets most of the attention — what’s the best mix of nuclear, gas, coal and renewable energy sources? Energy efficiency gets less ink. But investments in energy efficiency, say environmentalists, can not only reduce the pollution and carbon-dioxide emissions associated with electricity generation, they can effectively pay for themselves by obviating the need to build expensive power plants in the future.
That’s a great theory. How’s it working out?
From a public policy perspective, Virginia has lots of leeway to become more energy efficient. Continue reading
Posted in Energy
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Virginia Economic Development Partnership — Moving Forward Globally
Let’s discuss the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and set the record straight regarding what really happened with its management fiasco, along with its historic reform by the Virginia General Assembly this year. At this point, a broad outline of … Continue reading
Posted in Economic Development
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Revenue-Risk or Availability Payment for Highway P3 Concessions?
It’s pretty clear that since 2009, there has been a trend toward greater use of the availability-payment model for long-term P3 concessions in the highway sector. Nine such projects have been financed since 2009, including the Port of Miami Tunnel, … Continue reading
Posted in Transportation
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Judicial Extortion in California
The California office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) under what is called Proposition 65 “…must warn Californians about the presence of chemicals that are known to the state to cause cancer.”
In July, OEHHA issued an opinion declaring that glyphosate or Roundup was to be added to the list of chemicals which are “known” to California to cause cancer and thereby be subject to the requirements of Proposition 65.
OEHHA did not conduct any scientific review to conclude that glyphosate is carcinogenic. California relies on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to support its decision. IARC’s conclusion “…is opposed by every global regulatory body that has examined the issue, including OEHHA itself.”
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Posted in Agriculture, Land Use, Law and Justice
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