Sam Workman
@sam-workman.bsky.social
πΈcocktails π policy π data
πMorgantown, West Virginia, Appalachia
π https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-workman
π https://samuelworkman.owlstown.net
Environmental science
41%
Political science
15%
Pinned
The other side of chaos COVID-19, federal spending, and local government volatility
We examine the influence of COVID-19 and federal responses to it on budget dynamics of local governments in the US. While it is commonly and implicitly assumed that budgetary difficulty primarily r...
doi.org
Its year's end, and the @jeppjournal.bsky.social has been kind enough to fill our stockings with some FREE, Open Access articles until Dec 31st. One is dear to my heart. A 𧡠on fiscal federalism and local government fiscal policy. ποΈ π
doi.org/10.1080/1350...
doi.org/10.1080/1350...
Godspeed Eric, there are monsters beyond the great stones.
Scottish whisky market slides into supply glut amid falling sales and US tariffs
Scottish whisky market slides into supply glut amid falling sales and US tariffs
Global sales fall by 3% in third consecutive year of decline as distilleries scale back production or expand storage
The Scottish whisky market has slipped into a supply glut as US tariffs and falling demand weigh on the countryβs distilleries.
Global scotch sales fell 3% in the first half of 2025, marking the third consecutive year of decline after decades of growth, according to the alcohol data provider IWSR. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
Let's see those deals. Also, Talisker is a favorite - smoke, but not Islay smoke, vanilla, and the sea spray is π€. Hire me, Talisker.
Reposted by Charles W. Smith, Samuel Workman
The Guardian
@theguardian.com
Β· 2d
Scottish whisky market slides into supply glut amid falling sales and US tariffs
Global sales fall by 3% in third consecutive year of decline as distilleries scale back production or expand storage
The Scottish whisky market has slipped into a supply glut as US tariffs and falling demand weigh on the countryβs distilleries.
Global scotch sales fell 3% in the first half of 2025, marking the third consecutive year of decline after decades of growth, according to the alcohol data provider IWSR. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
Scottish whisky market slides into supply glut amid falling sales and US tariffs
Folks are having a hard time out there with the notion that law β power.
Public comments due Dec. 26 for WVβs coal- and natural gas-reliant β50 by 50β power generation plan β’ West Virginia Watch
As Gov. Patrick Morrisey moves forward with efforts to more than triple West Virginiaβs electric generating capacity, the state is seeking public comments to help shape the policies.
westvirginiawatch.com
West Virginia peeps. If you want to comment, get to it soon. #WestVirginia ππ‘ Also, follow @caitycoyne.bsky.social.
I have never finished a party (had one for Winter Solstice last night) and had punch left over. And, I always have wine and other drinks available. People don't take the time to build a good punch - that's why this happens.
This weekend is Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night. That's right, the best day of the year. The heathens are coming to celebrate. First, the oleo saccharum #cocktails
On the other, the "wicked problem" they induce for grid capacity requires both vertical and horizontal cooperation among givernments across jurisdictions and boundaries. PJM is in a jam.
On the one hand, there is momentum behind the idea of competing for data centers and the potential co-location of jobs are energy and water and/or emergence of the knowledge economy.
Prices in biggest US power grid auction hit new record, signaling higher utility bills ahead
Power bills for about a fifth of Americans are expected to continue to rise after the largest U.S. grid operator, PJM Interconnection, reported fresh record-high capacity prices on Wednesday that refl...
www.reuters.com
States and localities are caught in a pincer. π§΅
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Americans heavier on the liquor and liquor derived drinks.
Melting sharp Vermont cheddar all over this study and devouring it
"Higher intake of high-fat cheese and high-fat cream was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia."
Results of a 25-year prospective study of ~27,000 participants.
The purported benefit was not linked to APOE4 carriers or low-fat cheese intake
www.neurology.org/doi/full/10....
Results of a 25-year prospective study of ~27,000 participants.
The purported benefit was not linked to APOE4 carriers or low-fat cheese intake
www.neurology.org/doi/full/10....
This is the science we need.
Reposted by Samuel Workman
"Higher intake of high-fat cheese and high-fat cream was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia."
Results of a 25-year prospective study of ~27,000 participants.
The purported benefit was not linked to APOE4 carriers or low-fat cheese intake
www.neurology.org/doi/full/10....
Results of a 25-year prospective study of ~27,000 participants.
The purported benefit was not linked to APOE4 carriers or low-fat cheese intake
www.neurology.org/doi/full/10....
Melting sharp Vermont cheddar all over this study and devouring it
Unis are corporations with divisions based on specialty (energy and forensics for us) most have a Healthcare (the hospital) division and all have a minor league sports team.
Good froth on top there.
Godspeed.
Appreciate the the support from @wvu-iprpa.bsky.social and WVU Eberly College. We are also grateful for the partnership with the WV State Auditor's Office.
Policy implementation? Time for a cigar, glass of scotch, and some old books. One party needs it more than the other, unless we want to reframe what democracy means. See my latest @3streamsblog.bsky.social
medium.com/3streams/doe...
medium.com/3streams/doe...
Does Policy Matter?
We need party-centered theories of policy implementation.
medium.com
In other words, as I've said here in @3streamsblog.bsky.social, administrations prioritizing fiscal federalism to recharge communities need a theory of implementation.
It also suggests that substituting internal policy decision systems and tools for contract work isn't a panacea for the lack of this infrastructure and potentially diverts resources in ways that are ephemeral to the problems at hand.
Second, resource issues are often decision-making issues. What local communities lack are positive investments in decision infrastructures and policy systems.
In doing so, ongoing maintenance and functionality is often left behind - in short, it's bad politics to proclaim that you've maintained functions, instead of making a splash.
First, local budget volatility is usually attributed to resource constraints. But, the largesse associated with Biden's investments did not alter spending patterns. These merely shifted in the positive direction.
Our findings indicate that Biden-era policies did not alleviate the spending volatility associated with public budgeting and spending. Instead, it merely shifted the distribution of spending rightward - increasing large, drastic expenditures. This is important for a number of reasons.
Using fiscal policies from West Virginia across the range of budgetary functions, and comparing before and after COVID-19, did these policies reduce or smooth this pattern?
Theories of public policy (IYKYK) tell us that fiscal policy is leptokurtic - lots of small incremental changes and excess large, drastic changes. Our question was simple, in the wake of COVID-19, did Biden-era policies reduce this characteristic pattern of spending?