augusta health

Augusta Health employee earn certifications

Chris Graham

During the third and fourth quarters of 2012, 36 Augusta Health employees earned national certifications in their areas of expertise, and two finished college degrees. Certifications require demonstration of extensive knowledge in a subject area, usually by examination, and degrees require a commitment of years of study and commitment.

bill bolling

Bolling backs proposed expansion of Virginia Medicaid program

Contributors

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling issued a comprehensive letter to legislative leaders outlining his support for moving forward with the proposed expansion of Virginia’s Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, subject to the ability of the Commonwealth to negotiate acceptable waivers from the federal government to effectively reform Medicaid.

Pam Solo and Grant Smith: The Myth of Energy Independence

Contributors

The definition of “energy independence” is evolving. Up to recently, it has meant the U.S. producing enough of our own oil so that we were not dependent on other nations for our energy needs. But now we’re in a world of oil interdependence. Oil markets know no national allegiance. Globalization and profit motive are altering a once patriotic concept into this: Producing enough oil and gas so that we export more to our trading partners than we import. While this new energy independence framework may help some companies’ profits, it stands to hurt many Americans’ pocketbooks, water supply, and overall health.

McDonnell: Eliminate gas tax, increase sales tax

Chris Graham

With legislators and transportation leaders by his side, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on Tuesday a plan that would provide more than $3.1 billion in transportation funding for the Commonwealth over the next five years, tying transportation funding to economic growth and replacing the state’s outdated gas tax revenue model with a 0.8 percent increase in the state’s sales tax dedicated to transportation.

robert hurt

Robert Hurt: The Senate plan to address the fiscal cliff

Robert Hurt

As you may know, on New Year’s Day, the House of Representatives received a proposal from the United States Senate regarding the actions it wished to take to address the fiscal cliff. While I was pleased that the Senate finally offered a proposal of its own to address this crisis, I was disappointed that our colleagues in the Senate waited until the last minute and sent us a proposal that does not address our spending problem.