Monthly Archives: February 2013

Enough!

Posted on February 21, 2013 by matt ohern

Something unusual happened in the Virginia General Assembly the other week: A bipartisan vote on a controversial issue. Governor Bob McDonnell’s Opportunity Educational Institution legislation crafts a system for taking over consistently failing public schools. McDonnell’s legislation essentially creates a new school division, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Top Story | Comments Off on Enough!

Zoning Out on Property Rights

Posted on February 21, 2013 by matt ohern

A little-noticed vote in Richmond last week shows the difficulty of keeping government within reasonable bounds when a significant private-sector player, allied with officialdom, seems to prefer the status quo. A bill to make life easier for farmers with small commercial sidelines … Continue reading →

Posted in Land Use | Comments Off on Zoning Out on Property Rights

Puerto Rico Building Robust Infrastructure Privatization Program

Posted on February 21, 2013 by matt ohern

Though only out of office for a month, it is already clear that one of the most important and potentially lasting legacies of the administration of former Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño will be its work turning the territory into … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Puerto Rico Building Robust Infrastructure Privatization Program

Swapping Smarts for Asphalt

Posted on February 21, 2013 by matt ohern

Smart traffic lights are no cure-all for Virginia’s congested road network but VDOT increasingly regards them as part of the solution. Northern Virginiatraffic was quieter than usual in the early morning of January 17. The weather forecast was calling for … Continue reading →

Posted in Transportation | Comments Off on Swapping Smarts for Asphalt

Real Sustainability Versus Activist Sustainability

Posted on February 21, 2013 by matt ohern

Companies everywhere extol their sustainable development programs and goals. Sustainability drives UN programs like Agenda 21, EU and US green energy initiatives, and myriad manufacturing, agricultural, forestry and other efforts. But what is sustainability? What is – or isn’t – … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Comments Off on Real Sustainability Versus Activist Sustainability