Author Archives: matt ohern

Immigrants Add to our State's Economy

Virginia is honoring our immigrants with a well-deserved “Immigrant Heritage Month” as declared by Governor Terry McAuliffe. With that in mind, I want to review some important facts and figures about the impact our immigrants have here in Virginia and … Continue reading

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Expand Pre-K Access by Expanding Private Scholarships

The latest annual report from the National Institute for Early Education Research ranks Virginia #29 in early education access for four-year-olds – a statistic comparing unfavorably to the Commonwealth’s surrounding states. Some argue that increasing early childhood education access can … Continue reading

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Community Banks: Help is on the Way

In the wake of the financial meltdown in 2008, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank law which was intended to regulate big banks and address the causes of the financial crisis. As so often happens with legislation, despite … Continue reading

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Could Asset Recycling Be the Answer for Trump Infrastructure Plan?

In my April column in Public Works Financing, I pointed out that the Trump Administration faces a dilemma in its quest for a $1 trillion infrastructure program based largely on private capital investment via public-private partnerships (P3s). Any such program must … Continue reading

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Study Questions Ethanol's Image

The Heritage Foundation Blueprint for Agriculture includes a lengthy chapter on U.S. biofuels policy and the renewable fuel standard (RFS). Heritage concludes that ethanol and other current biofuels are harmful to agriculture, the environment, and consumer. My first two reviews … Continue reading

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