A former Wisconsin Secretary of Development under Gov. Lee Dreyfus (R) has a great op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal saying what (unfortunately) can't be said enough times: "The things that create the conditions that lead to the growth of good jobs are a skilled, educated, stable and dedicated workforce, a substantial group of highly educated…
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A recent editorial in the Daily Mail claims that West Virginia's recent business tax cuts have resulted in surplus revenues for March 2011 ($25.7 million) and fiscal year to date ($79.5 million). Following a similar pattern, there was no evidence provided for this assertion other than anecdotal platitudes. In making its case, the Daily Mail…
Last week, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities updated their list of states with budget shortfalls in FY 2012. As you can tell from the chart below - or from reading the paper last week - the Mountain State is one of 6 states that does not have a budget shortfall in the upcoming…
The federal deficit has been a hot topic for awhile now, with an overwhelming chorus reciting that the federal government has a spending problem, and that drastic cuts are needed to close the deficit. But is spending the whole problem? Without a doubt, federal spending has increased a great deal the past few years in response to…
The most important asset to a firm is the presence of a well-trained and productive workforce. One effective way the state achieves this goal is through the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Training Program, which provides businesses and workers with customized job training. Customized, state-funded job training funding is a vital piece in providing the resources…
The Washington Post has a fantastic editorial by Delaware Governor Jack Markell. Markell explains why the "economic war between the states" is a lost cause and why states should focus on public investment to boost economic growth. This is something we've been trying to get the media and legislators to understand for quite some time.…
The Daily Mail reported today on the fate of legislation to address the state's OPEB liability and the future of public employee retiree health care. In doing so, they may have confused readers by not putting the OPEB issue in context for its readers. For example, the lead paragraph states: "Ask West Virginia legislators if…
West Virginia lags behind much of the country in many areas, but one particular measure may explain many of the others; West Virginia's workforce is poorly educated. West Virginia's workforce is plagued by low wages. One explanation for the state's low wages could be the low educational attainment of its workforce. Earnings increase with educational…
How many people understand this point? My guess, not many. An article in the Charleston Gazette this morning may help: "The unfunded liabilities would be a problem if all state and local retirees went into retirement at once, but they won't. Nor will state governments go out of business and hand underfunded pension plans over to a federal…
There has been plenty of attention lately about unfair property tax assessments for homeowners, where even without a rate increase, a homeowner's property tax bill jumps due to an increase in the assess value of the home. However, there is another issue with property taxes that has been going unnoticed. Since 1994, when the first statewide reappraisal…