State Budget

PA Budget by the Numbers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

The 2009-10 budget is $28.97 billion, rather than the $26.6 billion as is being reported. The difference being that it relies on $2.4 billion in one-time federal “stimulus” money. That…

Media

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State Budget

PA budget address liveblog

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

I’ll be live blog-tweeting Governor Rendell’s budget address, beginning at 10:30 today you can follow the action here.

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State Budget

We Can’t Spend Our Way to Prosperity

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

John Stossel has an op-ed up on the pork-laden “stimulus” package: President Obama has vowed that no earmarks — special appropriations to benefit particular congressmen — will…

Media

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State Budget

Cronyism Undermines Cargo Airport

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

It appears the Hazleton Airport project is now dead in the water, after Rep. Todd Eachus (the local sponsor and now Majority Leader) has dropped his support after…

Media

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Education

PA Budget Proposals: Cut the Fat, Play Poker

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

Sen. John Eichelberger unveiled a proposal today to issue a moratorium on “earmarks”, the legislative-controlled WAMs and other items.  The proposal also calls for a review of all…

Media

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Health Care

Try to Reform Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

The Senate Republican’s unveiled their caucus’s plan on health care, which is largely the same as they had last year, and thus my criticism of that plan still…

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: February 2009

  • February 3, 2009

Updates on Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the January revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.08 billion short for the…

Press Release

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State Budget

Even more reasons to oppose the stimulus

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

NTU’s blog has a long list (via Tom Coburn) of wasteful spending and bad policy in the federal “stimulus” bill, including: $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen,…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall Climbs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 2, 2009

The PA Department of Revenue released the January Revenue Collections this afternoon.  We’ll have the full “Deficit Watch” up on the website tomorrow, but here are the quick…

Media

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