Taxes & Economy

Cap and Trade Creates Green Jobs, Destroys Others

  • December 16, 2009

It is true that if the government levies heavy taxes on carbon dioxide emissions and then provides grants, subsidies, and tax credits to renewable resource development, it will create more…

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Health Care

The Forgotten Health Care Tax

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 16, 2009

The Tax Foundation highlights a disturbing trend among states – new taxes on health care providers. Significant taxes on health providers and hospital taxes are on the books in…

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Regulation

Earmarks in Table Games Bill

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 16, 2009

I mentioned previously that the legislation authorizing table games at Pennsylvania casinos included a number of earmarks (directing funds to a specific project) and WAMs (creating a pot of money…

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State Budget

The Condition of the PA Budget According to Rendell

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 15, 2009

Governor Rendell, in his mid-year budget briefing, provided an optimistic if not misleading outlook. The Governor claims the commonwealth ended…

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Government Accountability

Tweet Pennsylvania: Latest Updates from PA Lawmakers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 15, 2009

The Commonwealth Foundation has a new project page, where you can follow all the Pennsylvania state lawmakers on Twitter, even if you don’t have a Twitter account yourself. Check…

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State Budget

Pew Study Says Little about Pennsylvania’s Fiscal Health

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 15, 2009

In his budget mid-year briefing, Gov. Rendell cited, repeatedly, a Pew study on states’ fiscal outlook. While it is true that Pennsylvania is in better shape than states like…

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Health Care

National Health Care Could Bankrupt Pennsylvania

  • December 15, 2009

The US Senate health care bill includes a mandate to increase the cut off level for Medicaid eligibility. This increased cut off for Medicaid will increase costs for Pennsylvania and…

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Taxes & Economy

Podcast: Rich States, Poor States

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 14, 2009

If you missed last week’s luncheon, you can down the latest podcast, in which Matt Brouillette talks with Jonathan Williams of the American Legislative Exchange Council about their report,…

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State Budget

Revisiting a Natural Gas Severance Tax

  • December 14, 2009

The state budget passed in October did not include a severance tax on natural gas. The tax would’ve impeded the development of…

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