Government Accountability

Constitutional Convention in IL gets a boost

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 2, 2008

The Illinois Constitutional Convention ballot question, discussed in a previous post, got a couple of boosts in the last week. First came news that the Cook County Assessor…

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Taxes & Economy

That’s our General Assembly

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 2, 2008

With a budget deficit and possible tax increase looming, federal denial of I-80 tolling opening up a gap in transportation funding (and the Turnpike Commission borrowing against future…

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Taxes & Economy

Free market groups opposing bailout

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2008

A coalition of 27 organizations, including the Commonwealth Foundation, have signed on to an open letter to US Senators put together by NTU in opposition to the $700…

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State Budget

PA Budget Deficit Growing

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2008

The latest Pennsylvania Revenue Department report indicates that collections were $160 million below estimates in September, and $280 million below for the fiscal year which began in July.

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Regulation

Convention Center no economic savior

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2008

Post-Gazette looks at the failure of the $373 million Pittsburgh convention center to create an economic boom – or even to outdraw the old convention center (HT: Grassroots…

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Taxes & Economy

Not facing a Great Depression

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2008

Here are a couple of good articles on the bailout (and the rhetoric in favor of it) by Cato scholars. Alan Reynolds writes that “saying we’re in for another…

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Taxes & Economy

Never mind the Commission behind the curtain

  • September 30, 2008

Our news release today, What Will the General Assembly Do?, focuses on the need to consider the consequences of failing to act on the $12.8 billion bid to lease…

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Health Care

Converting Medicaid into Premium Assistance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 30, 2008

The Heritage Foundation has a new backgrounder (click here for PDF) on how states can convert Medicaid spending into premium assistance for insurance – a proposal which would…

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Health Care

Bailing Out Massachusetts

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 30, 2008

The Foundry Blog of the Heritage Foundation has discovered that the federal government will “bail out” Massachusetts troubled health care plan (e.g. RomneyCare) with a $4.2 billion increase…

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