Economic & Policy Blog

Resurgence of the Country? How Performance on One Prosperity Measure Trumps Urban Triumphalism

Posted on Mar 15, 2012 by Terry Rephann

In an article entitled Why Some Places Prosper and Others Do Not published in 2009, Andy Isserman and colleagues argued that the conventional measures of economic competitiveness provide a skewed picture of the wellbeing of communities across the United States and motivate policy initiatives that may very well hinder place-based prospe ...Read more

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Will Health Care Reform Kill or Mend the Economy?

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 by Terry Rephann

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act/Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (henceforth referred to as “Health Care Reform” or the “Affordable Care Act”) was adopted ostensibly to improve health insurance coverage, decrease health care costs, and improve health care quality. On the first point, most pundits agree. Health Care Reform should substantially boost coverage. ...Read more

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Roanoke Comes of Age

Posted on Jun 29, 2011 by Terry Rephann

The Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (which currently consists of the counties of Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, and Roanoke, and the cities of Roanoke and Salem) has made slow but steady relative progress over the last century on one key measure of economic development. Per capita personal income as measured against the U.S. ...Read more

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Dentists in Space

Posted on Jun 28, 2011 by Terry Rephann

The average dentist to population ratio nationwide was 64.7 per 100,000 residents in 2007. However, 255 counties across the U.S. did not have a professionally active dentist. ...Read more

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Virginia Horse Shows and Competitions

Posted on Jun 22, 2010 by Terry Rephann

Virginia's horse show season is upon us, with May and June being the busiest months in the year. So where in the Commonwealth are you most likely to find a hunter, jumper, combined test, barrel race, or other horse event? ...Read more

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