Energy
Fracking could decide the election in Pennsylvania — and nationwide
Originally published at the New York Post Pennsylvania may be the deciding state in the 2024 election. And new polling from my organization makes clear energy may be the deciding…
Read More: Fracking could decide the election in Pennsylvania — and nationwideEvery 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.
Related Issues
Public Union Democracy
Obama’s Run-Around of Congress
Q: What do Card Check and Net Neutrality have in common? A: They are bad policy ideas Congress won’t pass, yet the White House is finding ways to work…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Run-Around of CongressTaxes & Economy
Specter to Blame for Specter’s Demise
We try not to engage too much in political punditry here, but the latest Terry Madonna and Michael Young Politically Uncorrected piece, on the end of Sen. Arlen Specter’s…
Media
Read More: Specter to Blame for Specter’s DemiseTaxes & Economy
Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth Amendment
The Institute for Policy Innovation has produced a short informational guide to the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment was ratified in order to guarantee individual rights and responsibilities for…
Media
Read More: Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth AmendmentRegulation
PA Pension Crisis Video
Here is a great video highlighting the looming crisis in Pennsylvania’s state pension plans (specifically PSERS). Not sure who created this, but it’s worth a watch. For…
Media
Read More: PA Pension Crisis VideoRegulation
Violations Carry a Hefty Price in the Marcellus Shale
In a recent Citizen Voice article, Scott Perry, the director of Oil and Gas Management at the DEP explains how costly environmental infractions can be for drilling companies. The…
Media
Read More: Violations Carry a Hefty Price in the Marcellus ShaleRegulation
Republicans Talk about Privatizing State Parks
Recently, there has been some speculation about whether Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers are considering leasing the state parks to private companies to operate. Competitively contracting management of our state park…
Media
Read More: Republicans Talk about Privatizing State ParksGovernment Accountability
Rendell’s No-Bid State Forest Lease
Last week, Gov. Rendell announced 32,896 acres of state forest land had been leased to Anadarko Petroleum for drilling for $120 million. The no-bid deal was for land previously…
Media
Read More: Rendell’s No-Bid State Forest LeaseRegulation
F&M Poll Shows Voters Support Liquor Store Privatization
The latest Franklin & Marshall College poll spends, not surprising, a good deal of time on election-related questions, but has a few related to current policy proposals in Harrisburg. …
Media
Read More: F&M Poll Shows Voters Support Liquor Store PrivatizationTaxes & Economy
The Price of Wind
The Wall Street Journal has a good article about how wind generation drives up electric rates in Massachusettes, and will continue to do so as alternative energy mandates are…
Media
Read More: The Price of WindTaxes & Economy
Bad Pennsylvania Policy Spreads to DC
In the past couple of weeks, debate in Washington has ramped up over implementing national alternative energy mandates. Senator Jeff Bingaman has included the standards in his American Clean…
Media
Read More: Bad Pennsylvania Policy Spreads to DCEnergy
Green Jobs Destroy Good Jobs
With Pennsylvania's unemployment rate at a 25-year high, Gov. Rendell is pushing "green jobs" at every turn. He has doled out nearly $1 billion to renewable energy projects and wants…
Commentary
Read More: Green Jobs Destroy Good JobsGovernment Accountability
Fact Checking Special Interests’ Attack on Natural Gas
Misinformation spewed continually at Common Cause’s press conference on natural gas campaign contributions (see CF News Release) held today at the Capital. Here are…
Media
Read More: Fact Checking Special Interests’ Attack on Natural GasTaxes & Economy
Re: What About Jobs of Other Colors?
Katrina’s post on Friday that highlighted Energy Ventures Analysis’s job destruction realism about Pennsylvania’s proposed alternative energy mandates is buttressed by similar research elsewhere, including …
Media
Read More: Re: What About Jobs of Other Colors?Health Care
Obama Concedes CF was Right About Slacker Mandate
I hate to toot my own horn (wink wink), but a few months ago, I wrote that a “slacker mandate” included in the federal health care bill would fail…
Media
Read More: Obama Concedes CF was Right About Slacker MandateState Budget
Pennsylvania State & Local Taxpayer Debt
Gov. Ed Rendell frequently argues that Pennsylvania taxpayers can afford to incur more state debt. However, in order to justify the borrowing of billions of dollars, the governor conveniently ignores…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania State & Local Taxpayer DebtPublic Union Democracy
Public vs. Private Employment & Pay
Pennsylvania's private sector lost 113,600 jobs while state and local governments added 40,200 positions between 2000 and 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, public-sector…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Public vs. Private Employment & PayPublic Union Democracy
Special Interests Denounce “Special Interests”
HARRISBURG, PA (05.11.10) — The Commonwealth Foundation expressed disappointment today that special interest groups which demand taxpayer subsidies for certain energy companies are attacking Pennsylvania’s natural gas companies for simply…
Press Release
Read More: Special Interests Denounce “Special Interests”Education
PA School Districts Have $2.5 Billion in Reserves
PA Independent highlights the $2.5 billion school districts have in reserve accounts – $1.8 billion in “undesignated reserves.” To put that it lay terms – it’s a lot of…
Media
Read More: PA School Districts Have $2.5 Billion in ReservesTaxes & Economy
Appraising the Candidates on Energy: Mandates Over Markets
PA gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett recently put out a policy paper on energy praising markets: “a properly structured market place can effectively incentivize alternative energy investments – perhaps even…
Media
Read More: Appraising the Candidates on Energy: Mandates Over MarketsTaxes & Economy
Talking Transportation Funding
PA Independent’s Eric Boehm talks with State Rep. Rick Geist about Pennsylvania transportation funding in their latest podcast. For more info on transportation funding, check out our…
Media
Read More: Talking Transportation FundingTaxes & Economy
What about Jobs of Other Colors?
A report by Energy Ventures Analysis set straight erroneous claims made by Black and Veatch’s assessment of HB 80 and its sister bill in the PA Senate, SB92.
Media
Read More: What about Jobs of Other Colors?