Author Archives: matt ohern

Are Congestion-Relief Mega-Projects "Boondoggles"?

From 1982 to 2014 the annual direct cost of traffic congestion in America’s metro areas increased from $42 billion to $160 billion (both measured in 2014 dollars). A major reason for this was that states and metro areas cut way … Continue reading

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Are Congestion-Relief Mega-Projects "Boondoggles"?

Are Congestion-Relief Mega-Projects "Boondoggles"?

From 1982 to 2014 the annual direct cost of traffic congestion in America’s metro areas increased from $42 billion to $160 billion (both measured in 2014 dollars). A major reason for this was that states and metro areas cut way … Continue reading

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Are Congestion-Relief Mega-Projects "Boondoggles"?

Remember the Climate

Military triumphs and catastrophes have often hinged on how well (or luckily) armies and navies employed, avoided or benefited from weather and other natural events. Severe storms helped the British navy defeat Spain’s Armada in 1588. George Washington knew horrid … Continue reading

Posted in Environment | Comments Off on Remember the Climate

Reforming Health Care and Reducing Costs

As I write this, the status of major the health care reform passing the General Assembly is in doubt. It seems that the heavy-handed lobbying of the hospitals might keep costs high and competition at bay. The hospitals actually sponsored … Continue reading

Posted in Health Care | Comments Off on Reforming Health Care and Reducing Costs

The Student Indebtedness Dilemma

The problem of student debt is finally getting high-level attention in Virginia, as evidenced by a panel discussion on the subject hosted in Richmond over the weekend. It’s less clear that anyone has a realistic idea of what to do … Continue reading

Posted in Education | Comments Off on The Student Indebtedness Dilemma