Government waste

Benefit Cliffs Prevent Work We have all heard, at one time or another, terms that look to describe or deride people who take advantage of public benefits programs. I won’t list them here, but we’ve all heard them. These terms are the result of sometimes righteous frustration with… Read More

WVU Faces Budget Crisis and Difficult Decisions West Virginia University (WVU) has undergone the difficult process of eliminating 28 majors, 143 jobs, and millions of dollars in spending. The cuts were prompted by the university’s $45 million deficit this year. Deficit projections over the nex… Read More

West Virginia University Faces Budget Deficit Here in the Mountain State, it’s hard to miss the news that West Virginia University is facing a $45 million budget deficit. Over the coming 5-7 years, the university is projecting a need to reduce their overall budget by at least $75… Read More

A Look at Opportunity in Cities in the Nation’s Third Most Rural State When one thinks of West Virginia, many things are likely to come to mind: natural beauty, John Denver, coal, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, poverty, opioids, state pride, and so on down the line. What isn’t likely to… Read More

Reflections on the 2023 State of the State Address January 11th, 2023 West Virginia State of the State Address On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, slightly past 7pm, Gov. Jim Justice delivered what was, perhaps, the most optimistic and upbeat State of the State Address of the seven he has delivered… Read More

It’s Groundhog Day in West Virginia In the 1993 hit movie starring Bill Murray, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s sarcastic, cynical character, tv weatherman Phil Connors, wakes up experiencing the same day over and over again, which, as the title suggests, is Groundhog Day. Once Phil realizes… Read More

President Biden Announces National Recovery Month Recently, President Biden announced that September is National Recovery Month. “In celebration of Americans on the road to recovery, this National Recovery Month we recommit to helping prevent substance use disorder, supporting those who are still st… Read More

A Conservative Mountaineer Budget for West Virginia:   While conservatively aligned politicians have more recently taken power in West Virginia, the state has a strong history of practicing responsible, conservative budgeting. Through these practices, the growth of state government has stayed w… Read More

All the Money in the World and No Place to Spend It? Between COVID relief funds and budget surpluses, West Virginia is flush with cash, perhaps to an extent unlike any time in its history. The prudent question must be how the state will spend –… Read More

The Cardinal Institute is about to embark on a multi-town, multi-month barnstorm across West Virginia to discuss healthcare reform. The reasons for the subject matter are obvious, and legion, as the statistics around West Virginia’s healthcare system are sobering. Yet, the options for reform are far… Read More