Government Accountability

How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2009

Dale Davenport had an excellent editorial in the Patriot over the weekend, noting how annual budgeting and the move to a full-time, professional legislature altereed Pennsylvania’s state budget forever: …

Media

Read More: How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?

State Budget

Understanding the Single Sales Factor

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2009

Philly.com Blogger Ben Waxman has a post about moving Pennsylvania to a single-sales factor on corporate income taxes, calling it a “big tax break for corporations”, based on…

Media

Read More: Understanding the Single Sales Factor

State Budget

Stupid Quote of the Day

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2009

Sen. Jake Corman tells the Associated Press that a proposal to charge the sales tax to performing arts and museums is a “user fee”: A plan to extend…

Media

Read More: Stupid Quote of the Day

State Budget

Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt

  • September 23, 2009

A new commentary in American Enterprise Institute’s journal, The American, highlights a seemingly “perfect storm” of historical events that have facilitated the out-of-control spending of…

Media

Read More: Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt

Education

Government Takeover: The Student Loan Industry

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 22, 2009

Last week the US House voted to prohibit private lenders from issuing government backed loans. The bill amounts to a government takeover of the student loan industry complete with…

Media

Read More: Government Takeover: The Student Loan Industry

Government Accountability

Scare Tactics in the Budget

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 22, 2009

John Baer writes – albeit a bit late – on how politicians use scare tactics, i.e. the “Washington Monument Ploy” to…

Media

Read More: Scare Tactics in the Budget

Health Care

Not-True Statements about Health Insurers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 22, 2009

I’ve already picked on the left-wing Keystone Progress this week for absurd statements, but I got another missive from them on…

Media

Read More: Not-True Statements about Health Insurers

Health Care

When a Tax Isn’t a Tax

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 21, 2009

In a post this morning, I criticized PA Senate Republicans for their loose definition of “broad-based taxes” with an emphasis on “broad…

Media

Read More: When a Tax Isn’t a Tax

Taxes & Economy

Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought

  • September 21, 2009

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a non-profit committed to education in America’s founding principles, recently debuted their First Principles Web Journal, an online resource for those interested in learning…

Media

Read More: Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought