State Budget

What do Economists Agree On?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 18, 2009

Greg Mankiw posts a selection from his textbook on what economists agree on, from a survey. I am not suprised to see economists overwhelmingly support free trade, as that…

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Regulation

Update on the Boscov’s Bailout

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 18, 2009

John Micek has a summary of the new PA DCED secretary’s explanation of the Boscov’s bailout, during a hearing today. Secretary Cornelius noted that bailouts encourage companies to start…

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Education

Piccola Offers Alternative Plan for PA Higher Ed

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 18, 2009

State Sen. Jeff Piccola has a new proposal to offer additional grants directly to Pennsylvania students for higher education, and tie this funding to both schools’ holding tuition costs down…

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Government Accountability

Pay to Play Culture in Harrisburg

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 18, 2009

ABC 27 has a story/video highlighting the “pay-to-play” cronyism in Harrisburg, specifically the $11 million in outside legal fees (despite hundreds of lawyers on staff) going to Ballard Spahr…

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Regulation

PA pension funds report major losses

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 17, 2009

Mark Scolforo summarizes the reports from Pennsylvania two statewide pension funds SERS (for state workers) and PSERS (for school district employees): The percentage losses on investments were similar.

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Taxes & Economy

New Study of Business Tax Burdens

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 17, 2009

The Council on State Taxation has released a new study on state and local business taxes. It is a good primer on what taxes business pay (for instance, I…

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Taxes & Economy

A tax code even a congressman can understand

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 17, 2009

Andrew Moylan editorializes that simplifying the federal tax code would provide an economic “stimulus.” Individual taxpayers spend more than 3.5 billion hours complying with the code. That …

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