Taxes & Economy

Wolf Truth Squad: The Dirty Dozen

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2015

Gov. Tom Wolf is touring the state, touting an energy tax for education—while omitting several important facts.  He’s not mentioning that a severance tax will hurt real people with…

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Education

Strange Arguments Against Seniority Reform

  • James Paul
  • July 22, 2015

An amusing opinion article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes aim at pending legislation that would protect high-performing teachers and change incentives in persistently failing schools. Authors Adam…

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Public Union Democracy

The Law Should Not Condone Violence

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 21, 2015

Yesterday, Ironworkers Local 401 union leader Joseph Dougherty was given a 19 year prison sentence for encouraging sabotage and intimidation to advance his union’s interests. The judge in the…

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Taxes & Economy

A Cooked Goose Lays No Golden Eggs

  • Gordon Tomb
  • July 21, 2015

Gov. Wolf continues to promote a severance tax on natural gas, even as Pennsylvania energy companies report financial losses and job reductions. This week, Consol Energy projected…

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Read More: A Cooked Goose Lays No Golden Eggs

Education

Lawsuit Inspires Teacher to Speak Out

  • James Paul
  • July 20, 2015

Over the weekend, Adam Brandolph of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review penned an excellent story on James Williams, a Mercer County science teacher standing up for his rights against the Pennsylvania…

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Taxes & Economy

A Severance Tax “Like Other States”? Not so fast

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 17, 2015

Gov. Tom Wolf and special interest groups continue to insist Pennsylvania needs to enact a severance tax because “other states have one.” This, of course, ignores the fact that Pennsylvania…

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Wolf Wrong About Pensions & Downgrades

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 14, 2015

Over the past week, Gov. Tom Wolf has been defending his vetoes of the state budget, pension reform, and liquor privatization, noting that rating agencies have been downgrading Pennsylvania’s…

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State Budget

Wolf Truth Squad: Property Tax Relief Now

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 14, 2015

In a Patriot News story, Gov. Wolf’s spokesman Jeff Sheridan commented on need for immediate “property tax relief”—comments that don’t jibe with Gov. Wolf’s actual budget proposal. “Pennsylvanians don’t need property…

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State Budget

Audio: Severance Tax Hurts All

  • Jonathan Reginella
  • July 13, 2015

Nearly two weeks into the new fiscal year, and Pennsylvania is still without a budget after Gov. Wolf vetoed the Republicans’ proposal last month.   The governor, whose own­…

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Read More: Audio: Severance Tax Hurts All