Taxes & Economy

WITF Marcellus Forum Viewers Guide

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 31, 2011

Tonight at 8 p.m., WITF TV will air an hour-long “Marcellus Shale Forum”. While the discussion should be informative for most viewers wanting to learn about the Marcellus Shale…

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Taxes & Economy

What’s the Difference Between a Tax and a Fee?

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • May 31, 2011

The latest media narrative this week seems to be that Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist is controlling Pennsylvania lawmakers, by stating that a proposed “impact fee” is a…

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Education

Violence Rips Worst Pa. Schools!

  • May 31, 2011

In the 2009 school year, Pennsylvania’s bottom five percent of failing public schools had an alarming amount of violent incidents totaling more than 5,400. Not only are these 100,000 students trapped in failing schools, but…

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Education

Questions for Appropriators on Higher Education

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 27, 2011

Since Gov. Corbett presented a budget which reduced state taxpayer funding for institutions including Penn State, Temple, Pitt, and the State System of Higher Education, college administrators, faculty and lobbyists…

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Education

Oh Yeah, Those Guys

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 26, 2011

My letter to the Philadelphia Daily News: Will Bunch’s recent article identifies wealthy Americans who are voluntary donating their money to push greater school choice.  Bunch fails…

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State Budget

Is Gas Drilling Behind the Surplus?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 26, 2011

A reader asks if natural gas drilling is behind April’s higher than estimated tax revenues — what legislators are now calling a “budget surplus.” It would be difficult to definitively make that claim,…

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Coalition Says “Not” to NAT GAS Act

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 25, 2011

A coalition of groups, including the Commonwealth Foundation, sent a letter to members of Congress opposing the NAT GAS Act.  The NAT GAS Act (similar to the state-level “Marcellus…

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State Budget

PA House Passes Fiscally Responsible Budget

  • May 25, 2011

Last night, the Pennsylvania House passed a $27.3 billion General Fund budget bill (HB 1485). The fiscally responsible proposal includes no new taxes, prioritizes resources and maintains the…

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