Commentary

Robert Diznoff
Temporary Gas-Tax Freeze Doesn't Address Real Problem

July 20, 2008, The Sunday Gazette-Mail -- The governor and the state Legislature missed a golden opportunity during the recent special session to address West Virginia's energy future.  | HTML / PDF

Renate E. Pore
W. Va. Medicaid: A closer look at the numbers

July 13, 2008, The Charleston Gazette -- Next to the federal Medicare program for the elderly, West Virginia Medicaid is the single most important health insurance and long-term care program in the state. In 2009, it is expected to generate $2.6 billion in state economic activity (about 4 percent of state GDP) with $2 billion coming from federal funds.  | HTML / PDF

Dean Baker and Ted Boettner
Bad times in W. Va.:  Can the next president help?

May 25, 2008, The Charleston Gazette -- Not since the Democratic presidential contest of 1960 between John Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey has West Virginia occupied center stage in a national election. With West Virginia in the spotlight, working families have a rare opportunity to put their economic concerns on the national stage.  | HTML / PDF

Taking the High Road: Surveys Show the Way -- Overwhelming consensus of the literature is that state and city taxes have at most a minor impact on business location decisions.

Ted Boettner responds to Dan Page's column in the March 7 issue of The State Journal  which levels several criticisms about the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy and its recent report "High Costs, Dubious Benefits." | Read  HTML / PDF

Ted Boettner and Renate Pore
What benefits West Virginia?: Instead of tax cuts, let's invest in kids and health care

The Legislature is considering corporate tax cuts with SB 465 and SB 680. If these tax cuts are adopted, West Virginia will lose about $121 million a year when they are fully implemented, or $524 million over the next eight years...  | Read  HTML / PDF

Ted Boettner: Ice Cream Doesn't Cause Shark Attacks

The Daily Mail's Jan. 21 editorial, "Those tax cuts should be kept," stated that President Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 should be made permanent because federal revenues have grown by 40 percent between 2003 and 2007...  | Read HTML / PDF