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Articles by Jill Eicher
The Transformation of Atlantic Canada's Economy
By Don Mills and David Campbell discuss their book Toward Prosperity: The Transformation of Atlantic Canada's Economy. Book recommendations: Mellon vs. Churchill: The untold story of treasury titans at war. By Jill Eicher Empty Planet: The shock of global population decline. By Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson
"Mellon vs. Churchill" Author Jill Eicher Unspools an Treasurer Feud
I did not find the story of Winston Churchill and Andrew Mellon—it found me. As a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Global Projects Center in the School of Engineering from 2014 to 2016, I researched examples of successful public-private partnerships to use as models for financing infrastructure projects. Two in particular interested me. One was a grimy oil investment made by Winston Churchill on behalf of the British government in 1914, when he was the First Lord of the Admiralty.
Mellon vs. Churchill: The Untold Story of Treasury Titans at War
This book, written by a former U.S. Treasury financial analyst, revisits a seminal moment in modern world affairs—the debate between Washington and London over the latter’s repayment of its World War I debts, which totaled 135 percent of the country’s GDP in 1919.
Say Goodbye to the Last City-Owned Interstate Railroad
Cincinnati voters approved the sale of Cincinnati Southern Railway, which the city built in the 1880s. The railroad has been operated for over a century by Norfolk Southern, which plans to buy it for $1.6 billion. The final tally was 43,173 votes in favor of the sale and 40,559 opposed.
A $1.6B Railway Sale Could Fund Cincinnati's Infrastructure
Cincinnati voters will vote in November on whether to sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern, one of the biggest freight operators in the U.S. Norfolk Southern has been paying around $25 million a year for the lease. Leaders say the sale could create a trust fund that generates around $50 million a year in perpetuity — more than Norfolk Southern has been willing to pay in lease negotiations.
One Nurse Shares the Realities of Working in a COVID I.C.U.
Our frontline health workers are the first responders in the fight against the coronavirus. These health professionals will also be our guides and community allies on the road to our full recovery as a healthy nation. Thrive Global is sharing their inspiring stories. My story is not special. My story is the same as thousands of nurses across the country.
Some Love for the Infrastructure We Already Have
Leaders in Washington, in both the executive and legislative branches, cite infrastructure as a top priority for the new Congress. All agree that the case for serious investment has been made. But while federal policymakers prepare to debate how they might provide more funding for new or improved infrastructure, state and local governments are beginning to tackle the long-neglected issue of deferred maintenance with money, muscle and spreadsheets.
How Public Pensions Are Getting Smart About Infrastructure
How Public Pensions Are Getting Smart About Infrastructure By cutting out the middlemen, our pension funds are harnessing the power of their capital. While American politicians talk about changing public policy to increase investment in U.S. infrastructure, America’s public pension funds are investing their money in infrastructure overseas.
Is It Time for an Infrastructure Garage Sale?
The Trump administration's proposed federal budget calls for spending $200 billion over 10 years to "incentivize" infrastructure investment by state and local governments. One key to the strategy is reportedly "asset recycling" -- selling or leasing infrastructure assets to the private sector and using the proceeds to pay for upgrades, maintenance and new infrastructure. If the administration is indeed embracing this reinvestment mechanism, it deserves our serious consideration.
Public Pensions and the Assets That Could Sustain Them
For decades, when cash was scarce, corporate pension-plan sponsors have made in-kind contributions -- non-cash assets such as securities and real estate -- to fund their retirement plans. US Steel, for example, contributed 170,000 acres of timberland to meet its pension liabilities. General Motors used securities from a subsidiary company. Facing bankruptcy, Pan American World Airways transferred the lease for its flagship terminal at New York's Kennedy Airport to its pension funds.
How Pooling Assets Could Help Sustain Public Pension Funds
For all of the angst about the burden of funding public employees' pension funds on state and local government budgets -- and on the public workers who contribute part of their paychecks to their retirement funds -- the most critical factor in the equation is the funds' ability to achieve their investment-return targets. The money the funds earn on investments pays, on average, more than 60 cents of every dollar that is disbursed to retirees. But the news is not good on the investment front.
How Public Pensions Are Getting Smart About Infrastructure
While American politicians talk about changing public policy to increase investment in U.S. infrastructure, America's public pension funds are investing their money in infrastructure overseas. The largest U.S. public pension fund, the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), recently announced a $1 billion deal with Queensland Investment Corp. (QIC), an Australian pension fund, to invest in Australian and Asian Pacific infrastructure.
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