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.

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

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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

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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

Health Care

What State Legislators Can Do to Protect Health Care Freedom

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 19, 2011

ALEC’s new State Legislators Guide to Repealing Obamacare is a wealth of ideas for state legislators and in turn, activists who are dedicated to implementing true healthcare freedoms.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Associated Press Article on Fracking Got it Wrong

  • January 19, 2011

As Gov. Corbett’s Administration takes office, anti-drilling activist have sought to make a natural gas severance tax their legislative priority. Unfortunately, their distrust of the gas industry largely stems from…

Media

Read More: Associated Press Article on Fracking Got it Wrong

Taxes & Economy

UC Trust Fund Interest Another Fiscal Challenge for PA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 18, 2011

A recent NY Times piece looks at the impact of states’ borrowing to pay their unemployment compensation (UC), now that the federal government will begin charging interest on these…

Media

Read More: UC Trust Fund Interest Another Fiscal Challenge for PA

Education

80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania

  • January 17, 2011

Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition.  To provide a roadmap for…

Report

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Education

How Corbett can Balance the Budget without Raising Taxes

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • January 17, 2011

Even before Gov.-elect Tom Corbett raises his right hand high Tuesday swearing to tackle the problems left from the previous administration's tax-borrow-and-spend agenda, doubters are lining up to take potshots…

Commentary

Read More: How Corbett can Balance the Budget without Raising Taxes

State Budget

Medicaid: Breaking the Back of State Budgets

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 13, 2011

Last week, 30 Republican governors and governors-elect, including Tom Corbett, sent a letter to the Obama administration and members of Congress asking for greater flexibility in managing their Medicaid…

Media

Read More: Medicaid: Breaking the Back of State Budgets

Taxes & Economy

Residents Still Moving out of PA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 13, 2011

The latest United Van Lines survey continues to show Pennsylvania is a “high outbound state”—meaning more people are renting trucks to move out of Pennsylvania than moving in (HT…

Media

Read More: Residents Still Moving out of PA

Regulation

Rendell’s Last Round of Pork

  • January 12, 2011

Governor Rendell recently released his 2010 commitment list for RACP funds (subscription). The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP, is a taxpayer-funded state borrowing program for “economic…

Media

Read More: Rendell’s Last Round of Pork

Regulation

Lessons on Green Jobs & Corporate Welfare

  • January 12, 2011

My American Tradition Institute colleague Chris Horner calls attention to developments in Massachusetts, where government “investment” of taxpayer dollars in alternative energy…

Media

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State Budget

Five Ways to Cut $5 Billion

  • January 11, 2011

Tom Corbett campaigned for Governor of Pennsylvania on a pledge not to raise taxes or fees to balance the state's $66 billion budget. With the loss of nearly $3 billion…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Five Ways to Cut $5 Billion

Health Care

Long-Term Care Reform

  • January 11, 2011

Long-term care is very expensive whether provided in a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or in someone's home. Medicaid pays for most professional long-term care (LTC) in Pennsylvania.  LTC…

Report

Read More: Long-Term Care Reform

Regulation

Liquor Store Union Distorts Facts to Skew Poll

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 10, 2011

We received a forwarded email, in which the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1776 (the union for liquor store employees) called on members to vote in a PCN…

Media

Read More: Liquor Store Union Distorts Facts to Skew Poll