Government Accountability
Reviving the Push for Transparency
Taxpayers scored a victory last year with the passage of Senate Bill 644 (now Act 15). The new law requires the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) to provide cost…
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The Cost of Pennsylvania’s Pension Crisis
In recent Appropriation Committee hearings, Pennsylvania’s two statewide pension funds (PSERS and SERS) reported $62.2 billion in unfunded liabilities (or debt) that taxpayers must pay. This number—which assumes…
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Obamacare: Say No to Status Quo
A recent WSJ/NBC poll shows almost everyone supports reforming Obamacare. Only 4% think Obamacare is working well as is. A majority (52%) think it needs a major overhaul or…
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Protect Students, Not Subsidies
Gov. Wolf’s request to reduce tax credits by $100 million is causing a stir in the legislature. According to a Capitolwire story (paywall), Republicans raised objections on several fronts,…
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Expanding School Choice is Vital to Pa. Children
It's nearly impossible to overstate the significance of Pennsylvania's private school scholarship programs. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) have created more than 500,000…
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Debunking Union Leaders’ Paycheck Protection Myths
It’s been said death and taxes are life’s only two certainties. Here’s a third: government union leaders’ continual misrepresentation of paycheck protection. For example, recently, the Philadelphia Federation of…
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Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2017
February proved to be another poor month for revenue collections. For the fourth straight month—and now seven of the last eight—collections fell short of official estimates from the the Pennsylvania Department of…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2017Public Union Democracy
Dues-Funded Politics: Why We Need Paycheck Protection
Pennsylvania’s government union leaders are political heavyweights. As we documented in our recent analysis, their political spending far surpasses industry competitors—and relies on…
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Read More: Dues-Funded Politics: Why We Need Paycheck ProtectionTaxes & Economy
What the Soda Tax Can Teach us About the Budget
The high costs of Philadelphia's soda tax are mounting by the week. The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting a 30-50 percent drop in beverage sales for some supermarkets and distributors.
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