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.

Health Care

Video: Health Reform and Wait Times (In Lego!)

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 9, 2009

Here is a good video comparing health care wait times in Atlanta and Boston – home to the failed Massachusetts health care reform, which serves as a model…

Media

Read More: Video: Health Reform and Wait Times (In Lego!)

State Budget

Rendell’s Actual Budget Proposal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 8, 2009

Number crunchers around Harrisburg may remember last week, I posted a spreadsheet of the Pennsylvania state budget proposals, but had to guess at Governor Rendell’s allocation of federal stimulus…

Media

Read More: Rendell’s Actual Budget Proposal

Taxes & Economy

Climate Change Alarmists Seek to Educate NEPA Taxpayers

  • July 8, 2009

The Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, a self-described “sustainable environment” grant making institution based out of New York City, recently announced its plan to give a $50,000 grant to PennFuture, to “support…

Media

Read More: Climate Change Alarmists Seek to Educate NEPA Taxpayers

State Budget

Budget Facts 2009: PA State Budget Overview

  • July 8, 2009

Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing spending.

Fact Sheet

Read More: Budget Facts 2009: PA State Budget Overview

State Budget

PA House Democrats Against Tax Hikes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 8, 2009

Contrary to the Rendell administration’s claims that many Republicans will support a personal income tax increase, the opposite it likely true.  John Micek writes that there are maybe…

Media

Read More: PA House Democrats Against Tax Hikes

State Budget

Reject Rendell’s Zugzwang

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • July 7, 2009

Observers of the state budget process under Gov. Rendell and a divided General Assembly know that it is akin to a high-stakes chess match, replete with public relations offensives and…

Commentary

Read More: Reject Rendell’s Zugzwang

Taxes & Economy

Tax Code Helped Cause Financial Crisis

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 7, 2009

Budget & Tax News reports on a new study on the effect of tax policy on the financial crisis. [Author Sam] Eddins also addresses the issue of credit default…

Media

Read More: Tax Code Helped Cause Financial Crisis

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget and Tax Updates

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 7, 2009

Here are some brief highlights on the Pennsylvania budget: Brian O’Neill editorializes angrily on “America’s Largest Full-Time State Legislature” failing to do their job, again, and includes phone numbers.

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Budget and Tax Updates

Education

Could Pension Crisis Shut Down High School Sports?

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • July 6, 2009

Patriot-News sports reporter Rod Frisco took a look at how the looming pension crisis might impact public school athletics. Derry Township School District Superintendent Linda Brewer noted that “every…

Media

Read More: Could Pension Crisis Shut Down High School Sports?

State Budget

Do Rendell’s Budget Numbers Add Up?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 6, 2009

Mario Cattabiani and Angela Couloumbis take a look at some of Gov. Rendell’s latest budget rhetoric, namely his claim that 50% of Pennsylvanians don’t pay the Personal Income Tax,…

Media

Read More: Do Rendell’s Budget Numbers Add Up?

Taxes & Economy

What Obama’s Critics Really Say

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 6, 2009

I like this post by Scott Ott, in which he challenges Obama’s comments that critics “say we are trying to do too much, that we are moving too quickly”. …

Media

Read More: What Obama’s Critics Really Say

Government Accountability

10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 3, 2009

Contrary to the Governor’s rhetoric, there are a plethora of reforms and spending cuts that can balance the budget without firing our police, evicting our elderly, or dumbing down our…

Media

Read More: 10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget Proposals – Revised Spreadsheet Now Online

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 3, 2009

The Rendell administration has released a new version of his Pennsylvania state budget proposal, unfortunately this is only available in a PDF document, and does not include the allocation…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Proposals – Revised Spreadsheet Now Online

Regulation

Budget Facts 2009: Cigarette Taxes

  • July 3, 2009

Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget.  Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Cigarette Taxes

State Budget

Budget Facts 2009: Natural Gas Severance Tax

  • July 3, 2009

Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Natural Gas Severance Tax

State Budget

Budget Facts 2009: Personal Income Tax and Job Losses

  • July 3, 2009

Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state's General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Personal Income Tax and Job Losses

State Budget

Why Are State Budget Negotiations Secret Meetings?

  • July 2, 2009

With all the debate surrounding the Budget this summer, a concerned taxpayer has the right to see exactly what his representatives and legislature are doing on the people’s time,…

Media

Read More: Why Are State Budget Negotiations Secret Meetings?

Taxes & Economy

Upcoming Pennsylvania Tea Parties

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 1, 2009

The are a number of upcoming “Tea Parties” in Pennsylvania coming up in the near future, many on or around July 4. Here are some listings to find the event…

Media

Read More: Upcoming Pennsylvania Tea Parties

State Budget

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax Hikes

  • July 1, 2009

The Commonwealth Foundation today launched a new effort to collect names of Pennsylvania lawmakers who agree with President Obama when he said “In an economy like this, the…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax Hikes

Taxes & Economy

EPA Internal Report Skeptical of “Global Warming”

  • July 1, 2009

The Competitive Enterprise Institute has revealed private emails they had obtained from the EPA skeptical of the science behind the global warming phenomena. In the emails, Alan Carlin and…

Media

Read More: EPA Internal Report Skeptical of “Global Warming”