Health tab for public Pa. retirees nears $34 billion

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 20, 2006

AP Story on the liability for health coverage for retired state workers. Preliminary estimates are that state taxpayers will have to contribute $1.125 billion annually to pay off the…

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To lease or not to lease

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 20, 2006

From Capitolwire.com (subscription): While Gov. Ed Rendell waits for a Dec. 22 deadline for private firms to submit “expressions of interest” to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike, public policy…

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Gambling board perks add up to $25M

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 18, 2006

No wonder the Gaming Control Board is asking for a bigger budget: Brad Bumsted and Andrew Conte expose the waste on perks, in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Pension crisis on the horizon

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 18, 2006

The Scranton Times-Tribune looks at the looming crisis in our state pension systems, and how lawmakers bolstering pension benefits exacerbated this crisis. Also, Mark Scolforo of the AP with…

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Health care costs drive up Port Authority bill

  • December 18, 2006

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that 2,600 RETIRED government (Port Authority of Allegheny County) employees get to vote on CURRENT contracts! Giving the effective power of veto to FORMER employees has…

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Leasing the Turnpike

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 18, 2006

Sunday’s Patriot News looks at the potential terms of a turnpike lease, and the affect potential limits and mandates would have on the price of a lease. Also, check…

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Teacher pension hike could make tax cuts fleeting

  • December 18, 2006

Mark Guydish of the Times Leader focuses on how pension increases will outpace any property tax “relief” (i.e., shift) from Gov. Rendell’s historic Act 1 of 2006.

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