Economics Commons^™

Part 4: The Wheels Of Justice: Our Regional Circuit Courts, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

We trace what happens to parties that enter our Circuit Court system as a plaintiff or defendant. In 2003, the nine Circuits that are wholly or partially located within Hampton Roads dealt with 81,008 cases (35 percent civil and 65 percent criminal). Large proportions of these cases are dismissed or settled before they come to trial and very few cases are heard by a jury. We examine a variety of efficiency measures relating to the region’s Circuit Courts and conclude they are operating rather well.

Part 6: The Race To The Bottom Of The Bay: Boat Taxes In Hampton Roads, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Over the past decade, the region’s cities and counties have diminished the taxes they assess on boats so much that in several cities (for example, Virginia Beach), boat taxes in essence no longer exist. We show that all jurisdictions in Hampton Roads have suffered due to the reduced tax revenue and that the low-tax strategy has not attracted more boats from other regions, as intended. While boat taxes are unpopular and difficult to collect, Hampton Roads appears to have shot itself in the foot.

Part 7: Unrealized Potential: High Technology In Hampton Roads, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

On the face of it, Hampton Roads ought to be a technological powerhouse because of the high-level federal research facilities and defense installations located in the area, plus a higher education community of considerable size. Yet, while we can claim the second-greatest technological development of any region in the Commonwealth, we are a very distant second to Northern Virginia and have never realized our potential. Future prosperity in technology is tied to developing the modeling and simulation industry that has sprouted primarily in Suffolk, stimulating Eastern Virginia Medical School’s potential in conjunction with Old Dominion University and vastly increasing support …

Part 5: Our Art Galleries And Museums: Will They Survive?, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Led by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Hampton Roads is blessed with several excellent art galleries and museums. These valuable institutions, however, are struggling to maintain their collections, programs and hours because of financial strains. It’s apparent that the region’s decision makers have not placed a high priority on the aesthetic sensibilities of the region’s citizens.

Modeling Of Commercial Maritime Port Recoverability From Security Disruptions: Work-In-Progress, C. Ariel Pinto, Wayne K. Talley

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This article describes active research in commercial maritime port's recovery from security disruptions which explores the synergy of economic and simulation models in investigating the recoverability of ports after security incidents. Previous study has identified decision variables and throughput simulation models of port operation. However, none of these models have been utilized to investigate port's recovery from a security disruption and in evaluating recoverability investments. The method of research includes analysis of recorded disruptions, identification of impediments to recovery and investment criteria for recoverability. This article provides managers insight into including security and continuity of operation in managing various types …

Financing Strategies Of The R & D Firm, Lawrence Fogelberg, John M, Griffith

Finance Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the financing strategies of the R&D firm. Our hypotheses are based on Cho's (1992) game theory model where the firm develops a product but needs additional financing to bring it to market. The model generates a particularly rich set of hypotheses: 1) to fund the completion of its project and bring its product to market, the firm initiates negotiations with an established firm; 2) the majority of the acquisitions will be partial cash acquisitions through private secondary offerings. Confirming the model's hypotheses, we find that the majority of the acquisitions are partial cash acquisitions by significantly larger …

Portals To Knowledge: Confluence And Conflict Between Enlightenment And Postmodern Currencies, Benjamin G. Lanier-Nabors

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[Editors' Introduction]

In order to provide any viable critique of twenty-first-century discourses -- whether signified by late capitalism, epistemological hegemony, cultural domination, or globalization (the catch-word for all of these) -- one must not employ an ahistorical or static lens; alternatively, one must dredge up and analyze the sediments that underlie current discourses, and many of these sediments are found in the eighteenth century. More specifically, by reading the thoughts of such writers as Joseph Addison and Jonathan Swift, one is forced to read the links and antipathies between the discursive economies of epistemology -- philosophical, scientific, and economic -- …

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2004, James V. Koch, Shweta Agarwal, Vinod Agarwal, Monisha Basnet, Joshua Behr, John R. Broderick, Ben Card, Michael Clemons, Chris Colburn, Vicky Curtis, Steve Daniel, Jeffrey Harlow, Susan Hughes, Enrique Inclan, Kristine Karlsen, Jayme Lackore, Sharon Lomax, Janet Molinaro, Kenneth Plum, Lee Teply, Shara Weber, Gilbert Yochum

Economics Faculty Books

This is Old Dominion University's fifth annual State of the Region report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, or it's president, Dr. Roseann Runte.

The report maintains the goal of stimulating thought and discussion that ultimately will make Hampton Roads an even better place to live. We are proud of our region's many successes, but realize that it is possible to improve our performance. In order to do so, we must have accurate information about "where we are" and a …

On Power And Equity: Toward A Working-Class Rhetoric, Omar Schwartz

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The working-class in the United States has been, and continues to be, systematically excluded from normative political representation and is allowed little opportunity to contribute to the terms and conditions of its social existence (Henwood, 1987; Moberg, 1992). While few workers today resist such marginalization, this has not been always the case. During the formative period of U.S. labor consciousness (from the end of the Civil War until the First World War), the political alienation of labor was routinely challenged by workers who relied extensively (and illegally) on collective self-help in their pursuit of economic justice. With this …

Three Essays On Real Estate Investment Trusts, Yan Lin

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This dissertation includes three essays that study on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). The first essay examines the shape of market demand curve by employing REIT equity fund flows as a proxy for REIT aggregate demand. An empirical framework is introduced to disentangle the price-pressure effect and the information effect. We do not find evidence for the price-pressure effect, which states that REIT equity fund flows directly affect REIT market prices. Instead, we find that the performance of REIT market prices does influence REIT equity fund flows. The results indicate that investors adjust their demand for REITs by investigating and …

Front Matter: The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2004, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Cover, front matter, table of contents, and other materials for the 2004 The State of the Region report authored by the Regional Studies Institute at Old Dominion University

Part 1: The Regional Economy Continues To Excel, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

In 2004, the Hampton Roads economy will grow about 4.7 percent, the highest rate since 1987. Almost three-quarters of this growth is due to increased expenditures within the region by the Department of Defense. This illustrates the relative importance of defense expenditures in our regional economy.

Part 2: How Do We Compare? Hampton Roads Versus Other Regions, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Per capita income in Hampton Roads has been rising and, after we factor in the cost of living, now is about 6 percent above the national average. This is a startling reversal from the late 1990s when the region was well below the national average. Housing prices here continue to be lower than the national average, as is our overall cost of living. Our air is cleaner than the national average and we rate high in terms of cultural amenities, but founder with regard to several measures of educational attainment.

Part 3: What Do We Believe? How Hampton Roads Residents View Their World, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

We report the results of a stratified, random poll of 1,189 Hampton Roads residents. They believe that traffic congestion and crime are the most important problems facing the region. For the first time, we develop a Quality of Life Index for Hampton Roads and its individual cities and counties. Not surprisingly, we’re not all equally satisfied, and several interesting differences between cities are apparent.

Part 4: The Virginia Symphony Orchestra: The Valiant Struggles Of A Cultural Jewel, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO) ranks well when compared to orchestras in regions of similar size and wealth, and in maestro JoAnn Falletta boasts a distinguished musical director. However, the symphony has accumulated a debt of approximately $2 million. Determined fund raising may reduce this debt, but the VSO’s ultimate challenge is to attract a larger and more diverse clientele. If it does not, it could join a half dozen other regional orchestras throughout the country that recently have been forced to contract significantly or even declare bankruptcy.

Part 6: The Role And Influence Of African American Legislators From Hampton Roads, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

African Americans comprise more than three of every 10 residents of Hampton Roads. Only recently, however, has this population translated into a large number of elected representatives in the Virginia General Assembly. This year, there are eight elected African American legislators in Richmond who claim Hampton Roads as their home. We explore their power and influence, noting that many do not yet possess the seniority to wield extensive influence. All eight legislators are Democrats and serve in a statehouse dominated by Republicans.

Part 5: Electricity Deregulation: What Impact Will It Have On Hampton Roads?, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

The Virginia General Assembly has voted to deregulate electricity in Virginia, but has delayed critical parts of this process until 2010 at the earliest. Recently, the General Assembly seems to have lost some of its stomach for deregulation. Nationally, deregulation usually is associated with lower electricity prices; however, there are notable exceptions. Virginia’s electricity prices currently are not high by national standards.

Short Interests In Real Estate Investment Trusts, Deqing Diane Li, Kenneth Yung

Finance Faculty Publications

We examine short interests in equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) between 1994 and 2001. Our results show that only high levels (the 90th percentile) of short interest are associated with significant negative REIT returns as the bearish content of short interest may have been mitigated by the favorable risk characteristics of real estate securities. In addition, the significant negative relationship between short interest and REIT returns applies only to REITs with poor performance. The result implies that the bearish sentiment of short interest could aslo be mitigated by good REIT managers in a real estate market that is informationally …

The Anunnaki, The Vampire, And The Structure Of Dissent, Marcus Librizzi

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

The latest incarnation of the vampire - in the conspiracy theories of David Icke - reveals the critical, revolutionary heart of the vampire legend. Discourse on the vampire appears above all to provide a structure of dissent, a metaphorical means of representing and soliciting critiques of the social order. The Anunnaki form of the vampire - in its immersion in the constellation of contemporary conspiracy theories, in its reflection on global capitalism, and in its blurring of historical and fictional narratives - has moved this structure of dissent from the cloak of darkness to the light of day.

The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2003, James V. Koch, Aditi Agarwal, Vinod Agarwal, John R. Broderick, Gary Chiaverotti, Chris Colburn, Vicky Curtis, Steve Daniel, Susan Hughes, Enrique T. Inclan, Tatiana Isakovski, Sharon Lomax, John R. Lombard, Trish Manthey, Grace Wu, Gilbert Yochum

Economics Faculty Books

This is Old Dominion University's fourth annual "State of the Region" report. While it represents the work of many people connected in various ways to the university, the report does not constitute an official viewpoint of Old Dominion, or it's president, Dr. Roseann Runte.

The report maintains the goal of stimulating thought and discussion that ultimately will make Hampton Roads an even better place to live. We are proud of our region's many successes, but realize that it is possible to improve our performance. In order to do so, we must have accurate information about "where we are" and a …

Stuffed Animals And The Predicament Of Culture: Lost In The Bedroom Jungle, Walter Putnam

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

These preachings are from the gospel according to Reverend Billy, spiritual leader of the Church of Stop Shopping (qtd. in Kalb). For several years, Reverend Billy has been waging a guerilla war in Lower Manhattan against the likes of Starbucks and Disney, including agit-prop performances where he brandishes stuffed animals atop tall poles like skulls adorning savage palisades. His inversion and subversion of these multivalent emblems of consumer culture reinforce the anti-consumer message he delivers in our era of late capitalism and globalization. His conspicuous utilization of stuffed animals highlights the manner in which these ubiquitous and inconspicuous …

Paratextuality And Economic Disavowal In Dave Eggers' You Shall Know Our Velocity, Sarah Brouillette

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

Dave Eggers' recent novel, You Shall Know Our Velocity (2002), concerns two friends who suddenly stumble upon a lot of money, feel guilty about it, and travel around the world trying to give it away. Like almost all of what Eggers is involved in producing, Velocity is profoundly self-justifying. In fact, if we follow Gerard Genette's model and understand a work's paratexts to be all the physical and social texts that attend its existence, controlling its dissemination and reception, then Velocity thematizes paratextuality and practices it, as a text about Eggers' career and his overriding concern with the …

Front Matter: The State Of The Region: Hampton Roads 2003, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Cover, front matter, table of contents, and other materials for the 2003 The State of the Region report authored by the Regional Studies Institute at Old Dominion University

Part 1: The Hampton Roads Economy: Defense Expenditures Become More Important, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Economically speaking, the 21st century has been a good one for Hampton Roads. By many measures – especially growth in employment and income – Hampton Roads now leads the Commonwealth of Virginia. The war in Iraq had a remarkably small negative impact on the region’s economy. Reversing the trend of the 1990s, defense expenditures have become a more important part of the region’s economy.

Part 2: Hampton Roads: A Comparative Tour, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

We compare Hampton Roads to other metropolitan areas in terms of a variety of economic, social and educational variables. We focus in particular on differences between white and black citizens that are apparent in the 2000 U.S. Census and the question of whether a housing price bubble exists in the region.

Part 3: Private Social Services In Hampton Roads: Problems And Prospects, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

These services, the funds for which are routed primarily through our United Way organizations, are part of the “social safety net” of which many regional citizens are ignorant. We detail these programs and their challenges.

Part 4: Military Retirees In Hampton Roads: Who, How Many, And Their Impact, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

More than 50,000 military veterans reside in Hampton Roads and their numbers are growing much more rapidly than our general population. Where do they live, what is their economic impact and how could we attract even more if we wished to do so?

Part 5: Research And Development At Eastern Virginia Medical School, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Our region’s medical school gradually has been developing a core of significant research and development thrusts despite tremendous challenges. What is EVMS doing and what can we do to stimulate this highly valuable activity?

Part 6: Consolidation Of Public Services In Hampton Roads: Would We Save Money And Enhance The Service We Receive?, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Numerous individuals have suggested that the consolidation of some public services (police, fire, libraries, etc.) in Hampton Roads would save money. The evidence on this score is mixed, but very interesting, and should challenge some public officials.

Part 7: The Impact Of State Mandates On Hampton Roads, Regional Studies Institute, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

Local elected officials often complain that the Commonwealth imposes costly mandates on the cities and counties of the region. How many mandates are there and what are their costs? The answer to both is, more than most people think.