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.

State Budget

Is State Bankruptcy a Solution?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 16, 2011

What do New York, California and Illinois have in common? They are in fiscal disarray and may soon be asking for a bailout from Congress. Bailing out these states would…

Media

Read More: Is State Bankruptcy a Solution?

Regulation

Impacts of Liquor Privatization

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2011

Remarks by Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research, Commonwealth Foundation Good afternoon. I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation.  We are a nonprofit, independent public…

Testimony

Read More: Impacts of Liquor Privatization

Taxes & Economy

Hanger: Gas Fracking is Safe

  • February 11, 2011

John Hanger, who just departed with Gov. Ed Rendell as his Secretary of Environmental Protection, recently gave an exit interview to the anti-natural gas,…

Media

Read More: Hanger: Gas Fracking is Safe

Taxes & Economy

Green Energy Could Lead to More Blackouts

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 10, 2011

Recent controlled blackouts in Houston were reportedly caused by the inability of older fossil fuel power plants to operate in unusually cold temperatures. Now proponents of green energy are…

Media

Read More: Green Energy Could Lead to More Blackouts

Health Care

Five Reasons Corbett Should Stop Implementing Obamacare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 9, 2011

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett has indicated the state will continue to implement federal health care mandates, such as an an insurance exchange, at least for the time being. Here are…

Media

Read More: Five Reasons Corbett Should Stop Implementing Obamacare

Taxes & Economy

A Tax by Any Name Should Still Smell Defeat

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 7, 2011

State Senator Gene Yaw is pitching a new natural gas tax. The idea is to allow local communities to include the value of natural gas in property tax assessments,…

Media

Read More: A Tax by Any Name Should Still Smell Defeat

Taxes & Economy

Obama’s Energy Agenda

  • February 4, 2011

President Obama traveled to Penn State University yesterday to discuss his energy agenda and unveil his new taxpayer funded program incentivizing states to retrofit commercial buildings for energy efficiency.

Media

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Regulation

With Government Booze, Consumers Lose

  • February 4, 2011

It’s funny how we keep hearing union mouthpiece Wendell Young proclaim how much an asset full government control over the liquor sales business is to Pennsylvania consumers, yet consumers still…

Media

Read More: With Government Booze, Consumers Lose

Health Care

More Bad News for ObamaCare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 2, 2011

After Judge Roger Vinson declared that the entire healthcare overhaul is unconstitutional, Heritage analyst Conn Carroll explained how the decision effectively stops implementation in states (including Pennsylvania) that…

Media

Read More: More Bad News for ObamaCare

Regulation

Reviewing the Evidence on Liquor Privatization

  • February 1, 2011

CF President & CEO Matt Brouillette will be debating Wendell Young, President of the UFCW 1776 (the state liquor store employee union) on liquor privatization on PCN TV tonight…

Media

Read More: Reviewing the Evidence on Liquor Privatization

Taxes & Economy

Environoia Steals Steeler Thunder

  • January 31, 2011

National sport championship games such as the World Series or Super Bowl often bring out the mayors or governors of the contenders’ cities for bets on their home teams, usually…

Media

Read More: Environoia Steals Steeler Thunder

Criminal Justice Reform

Criminal Justice Reform Needed

  • January 31, 2011

Auditor General Wagner has warned the Governor and state legislators to begin using alternative-sentencing instead of long-term prison sentences for non-violent offenders, in order to control the ballooning prison…

Media

Read More: Criminal Justice Reform Needed

Taxes & Economy

Counties Lobby for Marcellus Tax (Fee)

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 28, 2011

This week, county officials repeatedly asked the Senate Majority Policy Committee for more revenue, principally from a “fee” on natural gas extraction. Of the 12 testifiers speaking on local…

Media

Read More: Counties Lobby for Marcellus Tax (Fee)

Taxes & Economy

Minimum Wage Insanity

  • January 27, 2011

Let’s start with sanity, some logic. Theorem: A firm cannot pay workers more than the value that they add to the firm and remain in business.Corollary 1: Imposing a…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Wind Energy Deal Blows Away

  • January 25, 2011

Scrutinize the realities of costly and inefficient wind energy projects (and most alternative energy projects, for that matter) in public spheres where tough questions can be asked — like in…

Media

Read More: Wind Energy Deal Blows Away

Taxes & Economy

Fox: Like Moore and Gore

  • January 25, 2011

The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning, and among those chosen for best documentary was “Gasland,” the Josh Fox propagandizer about the alleged…

Media

Read More: Fox: Like Moore and Gore

Taxes & Economy

EPA Could Cost PA 350,000 Jobs

  • January 24, 2011

While cap-and-trade died last year, the nationwide regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission began earlier this month, via the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new GHG permits. For clean “green” energy…

Media

Read More: EPA Could Cost PA 350,000 Jobs

Energy

Citizen’s Guide to Electric Choice & Competition 2011

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 24, 2011

In the late 1990s, Pennsylvania's electricity rates were 15% above the national average, despite the abundance of low-cost coal generation in the Commonwealth. At that time, electricity was sold by…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Citizen’s Guide to Electric Choice & Competition 2011

Regulation

Sony Site: Merely Renting Jobs with Corporate Welfare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 20, 2011

Last week, the state gave $10 million to rehabilitate the former site of a Sony plant—marking the fourth time taxpayer funding has been used to “create jobs” at the exact…

Media

Read More: Sony Site: Merely Renting Jobs with Corporate Welfare

Regulation

Fixing Rendell’s Mess

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 20, 2011

Penn's Woods are darker and deeper in red ink than ever before thanks to the tax-borrow-and-spend agenda of the Rendell Administration and some General Assembly members who failed to put…

Commentary

Read More: Fixing Rendell’s Mess