Public Union Democracy

Debunking Union Leaders’ Paycheck Protection Myths

  • March 3, 2017

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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Regulation

Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2017

  • March 2, 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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Public Union Democracy

Dues-Funded Politics: Why We Need Paycheck Protection

  • Jessica Barnett
  • February 28, 2017

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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Taxes & Economy

What the Soda Tax Can Teach us About the Budget

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 23, 2017

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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Health Care

Double-Down on Reinventing Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 23, 2017

Imagine if Stephen King had written Green Eggs and Ham. What if Dr. Seuss had penned The Shining? Gov. Wolf’s third budget address was an equally disorienting shift in tone…

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Regulation

Employee Compensation Drives Spending Growth

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2017

PennLive released a list of state government employees earning more than $100,000 in salary today. While the list should open some eyes, it doesn’t capture the full cost of…

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Education

Education Savings Accounts Across the Country

  • James Paul
  • February 17, 2017

The movement to provide children with better education is building momentum in 2017 as education savings accounts (ESA) advance in nearly a dozen states. Legislation has been filed in…

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Government Accountability

Government Unions Outspend the Natural Gas Industry

  • Jessica Barnett
  • February 16, 2017

Proponents of a natural gas severance tax argue the natural gas industry wields undue political influence in Harrisburg. State representative Greg Vitali laments: They [natural gas industry] just always…

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