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John Taylor: Virginia Viewpoint



 

John Taylor is the chairman and president of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, an independent, nonpartisan, education and research organization dedicated to developing and promoting public policy that is consistent with the Virginia tradition of individual liberty, dynamic entrepreneurial capitalism, private property, the rule of law, and constitutionally limited government.

 

Under the banner of the Virginia Viewpoint, the Virginia Institute for Public Policy publishes op-ed pieces each month on its website and for distribution to state media. 

 

He previously served as assistant to the president of the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. In 1975, he received a B.A. from Wofford College, and subsequently earned an M.B.A. from Georgia State University (1979), and a J.D. from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law (1978).

 

A member of the Federalist Society, John is also a member of the National Association of Scholars, the Philadelphia Society, and the Virginia Association of Scholars. He serves on the board of directors of the Center for Law and Accountability, a public-interest law group headquartered in northern Virginia, and in 2000, he was elected to the national advisory board of the James Monroe Memorial Foundation.

 


Virginia Viewpoint Columns

 

- 2008 -

 

June 23: Audit Time. Before jacking up taxes and throwing money around, let's audit the plethora of Virginia transportation-related agencies and authorities, define clear goals and set priorities for spending. by Ron Utt

 

- 2007 -

 

Nov. 12: If He Wasn't Whining, Would We Notice Him At All? Tom Davis is living proof that the "big tent" strategy is a loser for Republicans if it means conservatives are filing out the back door. by John Taylor

 

- 2006 -

 

Nov. 20: Vote For Me -- We're Better Off than Mississippi! That attitude won't cut it anymore. If Republicans want conservative votes, they'd better live up to conservative ideals. by John Taylor

 

- 2005 -

 

May 23: The Truth About Outsourcing. To businessmen, outsourcing is a tool to compete in the global marketplace. To economists, it's a tool to create wealth and higher living standards. To politicians and demagogues, it's a godsend. by Atin Basuchoudhary

 

- 2004 -

 

July 26: Goals? Measures? Accountability? Public education advocates characterize the $330 million in new SOQ spending mandates as an "investment." What return on investment can taxpayers expect? No one can say because no one is even asking the question. by John Taylor

 

June 21: Privatize... for the Kids, of Course. Privatizing non-core services like transportation, food service and cleaning/maintenance could save Virginia schools millions of dollars a year.

 

June 7: Let Me Spell it Out for You. Politicians, like Dr. Watson, see but do not observe. Here's why higher taxes in Virginia hurt economic growth and job creation.

 

March 15: One Man's Gouging is Another Man's Salvation. Legislation to cap prices after natural disasters is a bad idea. Price controls disrupt market signals that allocate scarce resources to those who need help the most.

 

February 16: How to Lose a AAA Bond Rating. Virginia isn't on "credit watch" because its taxes are too low -- it's because there's too much state and municipal debt and default rates are rising.

 

February 2: Been There, Done That. Watch out, Virginia! Other states have increased taxes to pay for government services -- and paid the price in the form of slower economic growth.

 

January 19:  Spending Reform, Not Tax Reform. A Taxpayers' Bill of Rights capping state spending would force the politicians in Richmond to set priorities without increasing taxes.

 

January 19: Evaluate, Consolidate, Divest. Virginia state government could save millions of dollars by managing its real estate assets and liabilities as a private company would: minimizing cost and maximizing return on assets.

 

- 2003 -

 

November 14: Low Taxes, High Growth. Virginia's economy has outperformed Ohio's over the past 35 years. Why? Because the Buckeyes increased taxes over that time and the Old Dominion kept its levies low. by Richard Vedder

 

November 3: We Need a Governator, Too. Virginians are fooling themselves if they think they're much better off than California. Our politicians have jacked up spending even faster than Gray David and a liberal legislature. by Stephen Moore

 

November 3: Shoot MCI/Worldcom? Busting up Virginia's largest telecom company would overlook the guilty, punish the innocent and hurt consumers. Only competitors would benefit. by Richard Wagner

 

September 8: Let D.C. Build the Ball Park. Anthony Williams wants to raise taxes in Washington, D.C. to build a $400 million, major league ball park. Taxation with representation may not be the answer after all. by Ronald D. Utt

 

August 25: Outsource More, Govern Better. Florida is saving millions of dollars annually by out-sourcing H.R. functions to the private sector. Why doesn't Virginia? by Geoffrey F. Segal

 

July 28: Privatizing Prisons. The experience of other states shows that privatizing prisons reduces correctional costs. Potentially, Virginia could save $130 million by opening more of its facilities to competition. by Geoffrey F. Segal

 

July 14: A Workable Plan to Harm Minorities and the Poor. "Smart Growth" attacks home ownership and automobility, the indispensable tools of upward mobility in American society. by Randal O'Toole.

 

June 30: A Trust Betrayed. The Commonwealth has stripped the James Monroe Memorial Foundation of authority agreed to in 1947. Donors beware: The state may not always honor its agreements. By G. William Thomas Jr.

 

June 2: Earth Day Revisited. Environmental quality is getting better -- and will continue to do so as long as we safeguard the institutions that create wealth and support the advance of science and technology. by William C. Dennis

 

May 5: When Special Interests Rule. The city of Hampton took land from the Ottofaro family then flipped it to the developer of a shopping center. The condemnation make a mockery of private property rights.  by Donald J. Kochan

 

April 28: School Choice and Taxpayer Relief. School choice in Virginia would save taxpayers money, allow more kids to afford private schools -- and provide more money per pupil for public schools. by Carlisle Moody

 

April 7: Nobelity at GMU: With a second Nobel Prize recipient, George Mason's department of economics has established a worldwide reputation as an advocate of free markets. By Donald J. Boudreaux, J.D., Ph.D

 

- 2002 -

 

December 2: Build Rail to Dulles? We might as well teach pigs to fly. The proposed Metrorail extension is a fanciful, multibillion-dollar extravagance that will carry a fraction of the projected ridership. By Peter Samuel  

 

November 18: Expanding Government = Expanding 'Burbs. Traffic, congestion, and sprawl in Greater Washington is a function of the growth of government. If you do not wish to check the latter, you must learn to live with the former. By William C. Dennis, Ph.D.

 

November 11: Oops, Weren’t We Going to Lower the Death Tax? Virginia's punitive tax structure runs could chase wealthy citizens out of the state. by Stephen Moore

 

November 4: Transit Travesty. The Northern Virginia sales tax referendum would pour 40 percent of its proceeds into mass transit -- even though transit's market share is 7.6 percent and falling. by Ronald D. Utt, PH.D.

 

September 23: Asleep at the Wheel. Virginia's congressional delegation has tolerated an unfair distribution of federal gasoline taxes for years. Before approving higher taxes for roads this fall, voters should insist on a better deal. By Ronald D. Utt, PH.D.

 

August 19: Socialism on Wheels

Traffic jams come from free public use of highways. We should put market methods to work in this outmoded area of our economy. by Robert H. Nelson

 

August 12: Just Another Protection Racket

The state still prohibits Virginians from purchasing out-of-state wine over the Internet. The case doesn't hold water. By Donald J. Boudreaux, J.D., Ph.D.

 

August 5: Oligarchy in Action

The Coalition for Virginia's Future is a classic case of the organized few working to raise taxes in their own interests -- against the interests of the poorly organized many. By Richard E. Wagner, PH.D.

 

July 29: Agrarianism.com

Agrarianism foundered on the economic realities of the 20th century. The information age, however, may make possible a return to agrarian ideals. By Ted J. Smith III

                                                                

Public Appearance Guidelines

Mr. Taylor frequently speaks to groups located in Virginia. A current address, “What Are We About?” compares the traditions, values, and principles of the founding generation with trends in contemporary American society.


Contact Information

Virginia Institute

for Public Policy

20461 Tappahannock Place

Potomac Falls, VA

   20165-4791

 

Phone (o):

(703) 421-8635

 

E-mail: JTaylor@

    VirginiaInstitute.org

 

Website:

www.VirginiaInstitute.org