Every family, business owner, and taxpayer in Pennsylvania should be able to increase their financial security without undue interference from our state government. Free-market policies that limit taxes, allow entrepreneurs to innovate and create jobs, and offer stability to families will put our state on track to become a national leader. Policies that enact spending limits, cut taxes, and reduce regulations will help Pennsylvania avoid debt and restore sound fiscal planning that will benefit citizens in the years to come.

Taxes & Economy

PA to Copy Missouri’s Failed Land Banking Policy

  • April 3, 2012

Pennsylvania is close to adopting Missouri’s 40 year old failed land banking policy. House Bill 1682, which has already passed the House and the Senate’s Urban Affairs and…

Media

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Education

Education Spending: The Rest of the Story

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 3, 2012

Since Gov. Corbett's budget proposal, those who profit from Pennsylvania's $26 billion a year public school system have been gnashing teeth over what they claim is an "underfunding" of the…

Commentary

Read More: Education Spending: The Rest of the Story

State Budget

Human Services Programs Must Deal with Wasteful Spending

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • April 2, 2012

Last week, you couldn’t swing a dead cat in the state capitol without hitting someone protesting Gov. Corbett’s welfare spending reductions. The governor proposed combining six human service line items, such…

Media

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Education

Pennsylvania Higher Education Spending

  • April 2, 2012

Pennsylvania taxpayers subsidize higher education through appropriations to 14 state-owned universities (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, or PASSHE), four state-related universities (Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple, and Lincoln), community colleges,…

Fact Sheet

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Health Care

Not Why I’m Here

  • Charles Mitchell
  • March 30, 2012

“Why am I here?”  That’s an excellent question to ask yourself if you work in Harrisburg.  This week, as I read a piece by Karen Langley in the Pittsburgh…

Media

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State Budget

Do Government Programs Grow the Economy?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 29, 2012

While decades of increased government spending have resulted in economic stagnation, many advocates of increasing government spending claim that their favored program will “grow the economy.” They argue that…

Media

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Health Care

Change We Can’t Afford

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • March 28, 2012

This week, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act celebrated its two-year anniversary before the U.S. Supreme Court. The controversial health care law finds itself in front of the highest…

Commentary

Read More: Change We Can’t Afford

Taxes & Economy

Chart of the Day: Welfare Overlap

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 26, 2012

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) encompasses much more than Food Stamps and Medicaid. There are numerous federally-funded and state-only aid programs. In fact, most of the 2.7 million…

Media

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Health Care

PPACA Will Put a Quarter of Pennsylvanians on Medicaid

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 23, 2012

There is no shortage of media coverage marking PPACA’s two year anniversary, but one statistic from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare did grab my attention: Instead of…

Media

Read More: PPACA Will Put a Quarter of Pennsylvanians on Medicaid

Taxes & Economy

Energy Essential to Economic Growth

  • March 23, 2012

The World Economic Forum has a released an updated study on energy and economic growth in the US and guess what sector plays a huge role? That’s…

Media

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Education

No School Tax Referendums in Pennsylvania this Year

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • March 21, 2012

Remember the gnashing of teeth over “cuts” in state education subsidies (driven by the end of federal stimulus money)? The education establishment and partisan critics of Gov. Corbett insisted this…

Media

Read More: No School Tax Referendums in Pennsylvania this Year

State Budget

Pennsylvania Government Debt

  • March 21, 2012

Today, Pennsylvanians owe $121 billion in state and local government debt. This equates to more than $9,400 for every person, and almost $38,000 for the average family of four in…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pennsylvania Government Debt

Regulation

Is Corporate Welfare for Shell Cracker Good for PA?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 19, 2012

Astute readers may remember that last month Pennsylvania earned the dubious distinction of the highest taxes for mature businesses and the second highest taxes for new businesses. So how…

Media

Read More: Is Corporate Welfare for Shell Cracker Good for PA?

State Budget

Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Operating Budget since 1970

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 16, 2012

Pennsylvania’s total state operating budget increased for 40 consecutive years before being reduced last year.  The cumulative increase of 151 percent—adjusted for inflation—represents more than $12,000 per family of four…

Media

Read More: Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Operating Budget since 1970

Taxes & Economy

For Dimock, The Verdict Is In

  • March 16, 2012

In an update to the ongoing saga of federal overreach in Dimock, Pa., the Environmental Protection Agency has released results of drinking water testing at 11 area homes…

Media

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Education

Principled, Punchy Pols Are Popular Pols

  • Charles Mitchell
  • March 15, 2012

I’ve written previously in this space about Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has garnered enormous popularity while governing courageously.  Today, with a new Quinnipiac poll about Gov.

Media

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Regulation

Pennsylvania State and School Pension Costs

  • March 15, 2012

Pennsylvania taxpayers fund two statewide pension plans for government employees—the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) for state employees and the Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) for school employees. PSERS…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pennsylvania State and School Pension Costs

Criminal Justice Reform

Saving Rather than Spending in Corrections

  • March 14, 2012

Last week, PCN’s Call In Program featured a great discussion with PA Corrections Sec. John Wetzel. The Secretary is committed to both saving money and improving safety by making sure…

Media

Read More: Saving Rather than Spending in Corrections

Regulation

House Passes Corporate Welfare Reform

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 14, 2012

This week the Pennsylvania House passed RACP (pronounced RCAP) reform by a wide margin of 184 to 9. RACP – the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program – is a political…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Fork in the Road on Transportation Spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 14, 2012

Motorists frustrated with high gas prices should be on the alert—your pain at the pump could get worse, and it has nothing to do with Middle East tensions or gas…

Commentary

Read More: Pennsylvania’s Fork in the Road on Transportation Spending

Taxes & Economy

Fighting Fiction with Fracking Facts

  • March 13, 2012

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking to Tea Party Patriots of Central Pa on environmental aspects of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania and new Marcellus Shale regulations and…

Media

Read More: Fighting Fiction with Fracking Facts