The State Journal - When it comes to making good public policy, it is always important to remember that there are two things people really hate: The first is change and the second is the way things are. This is why it is easy to focus on the negative aspects of the recent legislative session…
OpEds
Scranton Times-Tribute - Has natural gas drilling been the economic game changer that industry leaders promised? Not according to the most reliable analysis. Read A recent study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that looked at job growth in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale found it to be a very small slice of the overall economy.…
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia share a lot in common, including job markets, highways, rolling hills, watersheds and natural resources. In some places, shale wells in close proximity to each other are in different states. Yet each of our three states has taken a vastly different approach to taxing oil and gas…
The February 21, 2014 editorial, "The 1 percent do not keep West Virginia down," argues that raising the minimum wage is a poor policy for addressing income inequality, claiming that an increase would do more harm than good. In fact, raising the minimum wage has far greater benefits than costs. Read The editorial misrepresents the…
Our state budget reflects our values and priorities for public investment, and West Virginia needs public investments in schools, health care, transportation, innovation and public safety to build a brighter and more prosperous future for our middle class, economy, and our children. We need to make the public investments that are essential to making West…
Charleston Gazette - West Virginia is going through some challenging economic times. However, I'm convinced that the changes that lie ahead will be less traumatic than some that have already occurred in the lives of most West Virginians. Read Recently, I worked with folks from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy on The…
Charleston Daily Mail - The headlines and misinformation about Obamacare have left many people confused about the law and what they have to do it comply with it. Read To help clear the air, let's review some of the most common questions people have about Obamacare. Do I have to sign up for Obamacare? No.…
A recent Daily Mail editorial stating that the Affordable Care Act is a bad deal for young people is, simply put, wrong. Citing a Wall Street Journal article, the editorial suggests that young people will opt to pay the penalty instead of purchasing health insurance, undermining the success of the ACA. This assumption is not…
Huntington Herald-Dispatch - A new report published last week suggests that the Affordable Care Act may be good for new business in the Mountain State. The report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the number of self-employed people in West Virginia should rise by 6,000 after 2014. The reason? Better access to affordable…
Charleston Gazette - Gov. Tomblin's recent decision to accept federal funding to provide health coverage to thousands of working West Virginians through Medicaid will not only improve the health of those who gain insurance, it could also save the state money and help with some other pressing problems, including unemployment, substance abuse and overcrowded prisons.…