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*NEW* The Jefferson Journal: A New Wind is Transforming Psychiatric Services

By Leonard Gilroy, AICP Calling Virginia a "dinosaur" in the delivery of psychiatric services, Governor Kaine has unveiled a package of budget cuts that incluldes proposals to foster a new shift in how the Commonwealth delivers mental health services. But Kaine and the General Assembly could go even further ... (12/23/2008) View Commentary

*NEW* Geoengineering and the Four Climate Change Truths -- November 2008

At the Research Triangle Institute in November 2008, David Schnare, Director of the Jefferson Institute's Center for Environmental Stewardship, discussed climate change from a political theory perspective, with reference to geoengineering as a means to break the political roadblocks. In a thought-provoking presentation, he examines Malthusian and post-Marxist approaches to culture change as the apparent template used by climate alarmists and other environmental activists to force centralized governmental policies and eliminate traditional American entrepreneurialism from the mix of alternative approaches to climate change. The presentation discusses how geoengineering will likely break the centralized governmental response due to its low cost and the opportunity it provides for development of private sector solutions to climate change challenges. View Presentation (3.8 mb powerpoint)

The Economy and The Environment -- October 2008

In an internal analysis of the U.S. economy and federal environmental spending, Center for Environmental Stewardship Director David Schnare conducted a brief review of the relationship between the health of the economy and its effect upon environmental spending. Notably, significant changes in the former do not appear to much affect the latter. The leaderwship of the political party is correlated, but not in the manner expected. Democratic Prewsidents are slower to increase environmental spending than are Republicans. View Paper

Eighth Annual Fairfax County Budget Analysis: Budget Crisis Self-Created -- October 2008

The budget shortfall of more than $400 million in Virginia's largest county was brought about by too much spending in good economic times, says the eighth annual analysis of the Fairfax County Budget. This annual study compares Fairfax's actual spending increases over the past four years against what those increases would have been if they had been limited to the rate of inflation and population growth. The two volume report also makes 16 recommendations for reining in county spending. Read FY 2009 Budget Study Narrative Overview Read FY 2009 Budget Study Appendices (5 mb file) View FY 2008 Analysis View FY 2007 Analysis View FY 2006 Analysis View FY 2005 Analysis View FY 2004 Analysis View FY 2003 Analysis View FY 2002 Analysis View FY 1998 Analysis

Virginia Climate Commission Update -- August 2008

With new information frequently becoming available on the facts surrounding the debate on Global Warming, the Jefferson Institute’s Director of Environmental Stewardship. Dr. David Schnare, was asked to submit to the Governor’s Climate Change Commission, an update to his May testimony. This updated information was provided to the Commission at its August meeting. View Document

The Housing Recession -- June 2008 Economic Forecast

This ninth annual economic forecast, prepared by Chmura Economics and Analytics, anticipates that Virginia's economy will be sluggish for the remainder of 2008 before improving in 2009. Single-family building permits, which fell more than 20 percent in both 2006 and 2007, are forecast to continue declining over the next two years. Other components of the forecast include: Employment growth is forecast to slow to 0.5 percent in 2008 before accelerating to 2.9 percent in 2009; wages and salaries will slow to 3.9 percent amid the business cycle downturn in 2008 before accelerating to 5.0 percent in 2009; and real retail sales are expected to increase at 0.3 percent in 2008 before improving to 3.6 percent in 2009. The forecast provides key projections for each of 11 Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Areas. View the 2008-09 Economic Forecast Past Years' Economic Forecasts: Read 2007-2008 Forecast Read 2006-2007 Forecast Read 2005-2006 Forecast Read 2004-2005 Forecast Read 2003-2004 Forecast Read 2002-2003 Forecast Read 2001-2002 Forecast Read 2000-2001 Forecast

Creating a Climate-Friendly Energy Policy -- June 2008

How do you create an energy policy that combines concern about energy needs with concerns over climate change? This paper, presented to the Virginia House of Delegates, provides a policy framework for evaluating energy and climate related proposals, and suggests various programs and projects that combine into a climate-friendly energy policy. View Policy Paper

Only Transportation Reform Will Bring a Solution -- June 2008

"Virginians should be fed up with a transportation debate that focuses only on more taxes and not on reforming a system that isn't working well in the 21st Century," says Jefferson Institute President Michael W. Thompson. Here are thirteen ideas for genuine reform that wold address development, efficiency, and congestion relief. View Reform Agenda

Climate Change and Geoengineering -- May 2008

By David W. Schnare, Esq., Ph.D. Why is Virginia's climate change goal neither practically achievable or necessary in order to prevent catastrophic climate effects? The Jefferson Institute's Center for Environmental Stewardship has the answer. This presentation before Governor Tim Kaine's Climate Change Commission explains how geoengineering techniques can prevent the effects of climate change and provide the time needed to shift from carbon-based fuels, without significant harm to Virginia's economy. View PowerPoint

Guide to Communications Policy -- April 2008

The most recent federal law affecting the communications industry as a whole was the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It failed to anticipate the widespread adoption of wireless communicationns and new applications like Instant Messaging and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), let alone the broad substitution for traditional "land line" phone service. Never has there been a clearer example of the inability of law to keep pace with technology. This Guide to Communications Policy explains in plain language the issues and opportunities facing policymakers considering the future of the U.S. communications industry, supplying legislators with the tools to make intelligent and principled decisions that will lead to investment, job creation, and new products and services for consumers. View Policy Guide

Climate Change and the Uncomfortable Middle Ground: The Geoengineering and "No Regrets" Policy Alternative -- April 2008

This paper, delivered at the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change, offers the contours of a middle ground on the climate change issues. It calls for geoengineering as a means to put off the most catastriphic potential effects, at least for a few decades; an immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) where those reductions actually save money (the "no regrets" alternatives); significantly expanded use of and research on low-cost carbon sequestration that removes GHGs from the atmosphere or reduces carbon emissions; and some breathing space within which to further assess some of the global warming theories that, if disproven, would point humanity toward lesser or greater reliance on alternative climate change responses. View Paper

Better Education for All Children: A Virginia Educational Improvement Tax Credit -- February 2008

In his Forward to this paper, Dr. Howard Fuller, chairman of the Black Alliance for Educational Options notes that "Parent choice already exists in America -- unless you are poor." Opponents of parental choice argue that a tax credit for corporations offering scholarships for children to attend the public or private school of their choice would drain the state treasury. This fiscal analysis -- using the latest Department of Education statistics -- demonstrates how wrong that assertion is. In fact, such a tuition tax credit would have a positive fiscal impact. . View the 2008 Study View the 2007 Study View the 2006 Study View the original 2005 study

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