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

Higher Taxes to Buy More Nintendo Wii’s?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 25, 2009

A PA House GOP staffer dug up this little item of pork barrel spending, courtesy State Representative Jesse White: The Wii challenge came about after I helped…

Media

Read More: Higher Taxes to Buy More Nintendo Wii’s?

Education

Will Lawmakers Put Hollywood Before School Children?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 24, 2009

Governor Rendell and three legislative caucuses are kicking low-income children out of their classrooms to fund handout to Big Hollywood studios. This is beyond bad policy – it’s blatant…

Media

Read More: Will Lawmakers Put Hollywood Before School Children?

Health Care

More Health Care Lessons from Massachusetts

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 24, 2009

My colleague Joe Sterns sent me an article, in which Mitt Romney again declares Massachusetts health care reform a success, claiming the increase in taxpayer spending was “only” $700…

Media

Read More: More Health Care Lessons from Massachusetts

Government Accountability

How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2009

Dale Davenport had an excellent editorial in the Patriot over the weekend, noting how annual budgeting and the move to a full-time, professional legislature altereed Pennsylvania’s state budget forever: …

Media

Read More: How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?

State Budget

Understanding the Single Sales Factor

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2009

Philly.com Blogger Ben Waxman has a post about moving Pennsylvania to a single-sales factor on corporate income taxes, calling it a “big tax break for corporations”, based on…

Media

Read More: Understanding the Single Sales Factor

State Budget

Stupid Quote of the Day

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2009

Sen. Jake Corman tells the Associated Press that a proposal to charge the sales tax to performing arts and museums is a “user fee”: A plan to extend…

Media

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State Budget

Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt

  • September 23, 2009

A new commentary in American Enterprise Institute’s journal, The American, highlights a seemingly “perfect storm” of historical events that have facilitated the out-of-control spending of…

Media

Read More: Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt

Government Accountability

Reforming the Budget Process in Pennsylvania

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • September 22, 2009

In the political world, 2009 will be remembered as the year that Pennsylvania went longer than any other state without a budget.  The Commonwealth went months past the June 30th…

Commentary

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Government Accountability

Scare Tactics in the Budget

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 22, 2009

John Baer writes – albeit a bit late – on how politicians use scare tactics, i.e. the “Washington Monument Ploy” to…

Media

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Health Care

Not-True Statements about Health Insurers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 22, 2009

I’ve already picked on the left-wing Keystone Progress this week for absurd statements, but I got another missive from them on…

Media

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Health Care

When a Tax Isn’t a Tax

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 21, 2009

In a post this morning, I criticized PA Senate Republicans for their loose definition of “broad-based taxes” with an emphasis on “broad…

Media

Read More: When a Tax Isn’t a Tax

Taxes & Economy

Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought

  • September 21, 2009

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a non-profit committed to education in America’s founding principles, recently debuted their First Principles Web Journal, an online resource for those interested in learning…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 21, 2009

In a vote last week, the Pennsylvania House voted to increase the marriage license fee from $3 to $28 – only the increase was to be used for “domestic…

Media

Read More: When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?

State Budget

What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 21, 2009

Last week Matt Brouillette called out Senate Republicans for moving toward a budget deal with higher taxes, backing off their line in the…

Media

Read More: What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?

State Budget

Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 19, 2009

Gov. Rendell and legislative leaders from three caucuses (House Republicans were not involved) announced a deal on the Pennsylvania state budget.  Via PLS and Capitolwire (subscription), here…

Media

Read More: Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal

Health Care

Evaluating the Baucus Health Care Proposal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 18, 2009

The latest “leading” national health care reform proposal is a bill Sen. Baucus (already being panned by the left for getting rid of the “public option” and replacing it with…

Media

Read More: Evaluating the Baucus Health Care Proposal

State Budget

Senate GOP Can Still Protect Taxpayers

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • September 18, 2009

Earlier this year, state Senate Republicans drew a line in the sand, stating they would not support a budget that: 1) spends more than last fiscal year;  2) includes broad-based…

Commentary

Read More: Senate GOP Can Still Protect Taxpayers

Regulation

PA Senate Votes to Raise Taxes Now and In the Future

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 17, 2009

The Pennsylvania Senate this afternoon gave their approval to the municipal pension “reform” bill, even after the House stripped out almost all of the weak reforms. The legislation was…

Media

Read More: PA Senate Votes to Raise Taxes Now and In the Future

Taxes & Economy

Death Tax Increase Would Cost Thousand of PA Jobs

  • September 17, 2009

Pennsylvania Family Institute joins the Family Research Council and the American Family Business Foundation in releasing a new report today analyzing the effects of the estate tax (“death tax”) on…

Media

Read More: Death Tax Increase Would Cost Thousand of PA Jobs

Taxes & Economy

Stimulus Didn’t Stimulate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 17, 2009

Interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal by three economists on the effects of the federal “stimulus” to date.  The authors find, not suprisingly, that the stimulus has not…

Media

Read More: Stimulus Didn’t Stimulate