Taxes & Economy
Obama Reverses On Stimulus Promises
The GOP has a pretty hard hitting video on Obama’s stimulus promises. First it shows Obama’s promises that the stimulus would have an “immediate impact” on creating jobs. Then…
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What Next for Pennsylvania State Budget?
Yesterday, the Pennsylvania House passed HB 1416, a vehicle for the state budget. But that should not be taken to mean that Pennsylvania is much closer to having a…
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Read More: What Next for Pennsylvania State Budget?Government Accountability
Cost and Benefits of State Spending Transparency
The Mercatus Center has a new podcast on state online spending transparency. Jerry Brito, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, discusses the need for spending transparency in states…
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Read More: Cost and Benefits of State Spending TransparencyTaxes & Economy
Job Losses are Never “Good News”
A number of media outlets, such as the AP, are reporting Pennsylvania’s June job losses of 3,400 with a positive spin, as in the “smallest monthly job loss…
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Read More: Job Losses are Never “Good News”Government Accountability
PA Ranks Low on Ethics Disclosure, Ask Bob Mellow
The Pennsylvania legislature got a “F” from the Center for Public Integrity in a national report on lawmakers disclosing information about assets, holdings or connections to special interests. In…
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Read More: PA Ranks Low on Ethics Disclosure, Ask Bob MellowEducation
PA School Districts Have $2.4 Billion in Reserves
New data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (released last week) show that school districts across the state have a combined $2.4 billion in General Fund reserves as of…
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Follow the Pennsylvania Budget Debate
The House of Representatives has begun debating the Pennsylvania state budget (HB 1416) likely to continue today and tomorrow. For live updates, you can follow the Commonwealth Foundation…
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Can Gov. Rendell Pay State Workers?
KDKA TV has a story about how legislative staffers are being paid during the Pennsylvania budget impasse, with the angle that it is unfair to other state workers (who…
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Will Early Retirement Incentives Save PA Money, or Cost More?
Among the proposal of Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner to help balance the state budget without a tax increase. But Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Rick Dreyfuss suggests this is…
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