Education

Burger Flipper or National Merit Scholar?

  • June 27, 2013

Mechanicsburg student Colin Knott is a National Merit Scholar—putting him in the top one percent of students nationwide—and already has 25 college credits under his belt prior to his first…

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Government Accountability

What Can You Do?

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • June 27, 2013

The next hours and days could dramatically shape Pennsylvania’s future, but will it be for the better? As time winds down before the final budget passes, several critical issues hang…

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Education

Public School Staffing Up, Enrollment Down

  • Priya Brannick
  • June 27, 2013

In the last two years, schools have reduced their total staffing.  Yet despite this short-term decline, public school staff has increased by more than 17,000 since 2000.  Over the…

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Regulation

Pension Reform Benefits Workers and Taxpayers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 27, 2013

Pennsylvania’s two main government worker pension systems, the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS) and the State Employee Retirement System (SERS), together have more tha than $47 billion in unfunded…

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Government Accountability

Mailbag: That “Delaware Loophole” Thingamajig

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 26, 2013

A few readers responded to my op-ed on corporate tax reform, asking “If you want fairness, why don’t you support ‘ending the Delaware Loophole’?” Unfortunately, many believe that the…

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Education

The Canard of Corbett’s Education Cuts

  • Priya Brannick
  • June 26, 2013

Despite the popular claim that Gov. Corbett “cut $1 billion” in education spending in the state budget, state funding for public schools is at an all-time high.  In 2011-12, federal…

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Taxes & Economy

Double Taxation = Double Trouble for PA Businesses

  • June 25, 2013

It can’t be easy being a business owner in Pennsylvania. Combined with the federal tax rate, Pennsylvania businesses pay the second highest tax rate on their profits in the entire…

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Regulation

Putting Pension Projections in Perspective

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 25, 2013

Critics of pension reform cite certain actuarial reports claiming that shifting new employees to a defined contribution plan (like a 401(k) in the private sector) will actually cost taxpayers more. …

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Regulation

Senate Liquor Proposal Passes Committee

  • June 24, 2013

This afternoon, Sen. Charles McIlhinney’s liquor sales reform proposal passed out of committee by a vote of 6-5.  Changes are expected to be made to the bill – changes we…

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