Public Union Democracy
Watch for Sweeping Changes Outside the Beltway
The political landscape has experienced a seismic shift, and it isn't centered in Washington DC. This past weekend Kyle Peterson of the Wall Street Journal highlighted Pennsylvania and six other…
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The PLCB: A Winner in a Race with No Competitors
In 2013, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) released its first annual report, emphasizing record sales and “profits.” Neither of these is impressive when analyzed in context, but the…
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Will Lower Standards Help Pa. School Performance?
Pennsylvania’s primary tool for grading schools—the School Performance Profile (SPP)—is being overhauled. The current SPP is not particularly straightforward, but it’s based mainly on test scores and academic…
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No Doubt About it: PA has a Severance Tax
What do Christmas festivities, a new office building, and a Ford Explorer have in common? They were all paid for with impact fees on natural gas, raising doubts about the necessity of…
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What Pennsylvania’s Budget Trends Mean for You
State government is growing at a startling rate. Since 1970, spending has risen by $4,010 per person—an inflation-adjusted increase of 189 percent. This is one of many findings in our…
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Magnum, P.I. Comes to Bethlehem
Bethlehem School District employs private investigators to track down students with fraudulent home addresses. According to The Morning Call, DBM Investigations and Consulting has identified 35 students…
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PA’s Conflicted Relationship with Natural Gas
The government giveth, and the government taketh away. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Pennsylvania’s relationship with the natural gas industry. On the one hand, Gov. Wolf offers a…
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Hits and Misses from the 2015-16 Legislative Session
That's a wrap. The 2015-16 legislative session is officially in the history books. Despite a $650 million tax hike, Pennsylvanians have a lot to celebrate from the past two years.
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Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: December 2016
State revenue collections came in at $79.5 million below the official estimate for November, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Lackluster collections wiped away the little progress made during October when revenue collections…
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