The Cardinal's Nest

Election Season ‘Tis the season…    If you’re into politics, that is.   Doors are being knocked on. Stump speeches are ringing throughout communities. Ads are on TV, radio, and all over the Internet. Candidate mailers are hitting mailboxes. Citizens… Read More

Imagination is a curious thing, something inborn, but sadly, for most adults, it fades over time. The ability for one to conceive of a different, better world becomes more difficult for adults as the reality of life, with all its setbacks and disappointments, settles in. This is especially true in… Read More

Location Shouldn’t Determine Health Care Access “A zip code shouldn’t determine your future.” It’s common to hear this phrase during discussions about education and school choice. But why should the freedom to choose what’s best for your family stop with education… Read More

Not Everyone Wants Families to Choose Their Child’s Education People who think they know better than parents often seek to challenge programs aimed at empowering families. When West Virginia passed the Hope Scholarship, it was lauded by supporters as an opportunity to help invest in children w… Read More

Apply Now! What is the Hope Scholarship? West Virginia parents now have more flexibility and choices to educate their children. The Hope Scholarship, passed in the Legislature during the 2021 Regular Session, is a portion of state-allocated educational dollars that funds a student… Read More

Closing Remarks, NSCW Rally (These remarks were delivered by Garrett Ballengee at the closing celebration of West Virginia’s week-long National School Choice Week festivities on Thursday, January 27, 2022 at the West Virginia Capitol.)   First, I would like to thank everyone who attended today’… Read More

Are There Free-Market Solutions to Monetary Policy? Have you ever wondered what a monetary system that inherently embraces the free market might look like? Perhaps there is a new phenomenon in the market that can answer the questions about what happens when one has complete and total control of thei… Read More

In addition to the Hope Scholarship Program, West Virginia is currently preparing for the implementation of its charter school program. Charter schools were legalized to, “empower new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating all children.” With the expansion of the program in 2021, West Virg… Read More

Handouts for Businesses Throughout the country, state and local governments have employed economic development incentives in an attempt to catalyze local economic conditions. These incentives often take the form of tax breaks to businesses. Sometimes, they take the form of grants. Government officia… Read More

Leaving Home Ten years ago, my family and I loaded up a small U-Haul truck and drove it to the DC suburbs. As I started graduate school at George Mason University, 21-year-old me was so excited for this new adventure.   As I caught a final glimpse of… Read More