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

Putting Rendell’s Layoffs in Perspective

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 11, 2009

Yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced layoffs for 255 state workers at a press conference, and said more might be coming if lawmakers don’t pass a budget to Rendell’s liking. But…

Media

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Health Care

Effect of ObamaCare on Pennsylvania

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 11, 2009

The Heritage Foundation has a new analysis from the Lewin Group on the impact in Pennsylvania on private health care coverage, the uninsured, and physicians and hospitals of the…

Media

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Health Care

Rendell Declares Autism Mandate a Failure

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2009

In 2008, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed, and Gov. Rendell signed, a new mandate that private insurers would have to cover autism services. At the time, we said the new…

Media

Read More: Rendell Declares Autism Mandate a Failure

State Budget

Cash for Clunkers Falls Prey to Laws of Economics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2009

Congress’s  ill-named “cash for clunkers” program has, like so many programs before it, failed to defy the laws of economics. As typically happens when government subsidizes something – the…

Media

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Health Care

Join the “Mob”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2009

You might find it interesting that the special interests who denounce individuals voicing opposition to ObamaCare as “astroturf,” a “mob,” and part of a vast right-wing conspiracy (and occasionally…

Media

Read More: Join the “Mob”

Government Accountability

Dwight Evan’s Favorite WAM Recipient Has Plenty of Problems

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 7, 2009

The Philadelphia Inquirer exposes another nonprofit with ties to a state lawmaker – this time House Democrat Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans – whose use of tax dollars seems sketchy…

Media

Read More: Dwight Evan’s Favorite WAM Recipient Has Plenty of Problems

Health Care

Attacking the Messengers on Health Care Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 7, 2009

President Obama, Dick Durbin, the unions, and shills at MSNBC have taken to calling protesters who disagree with their health care agenda as shills for corporate interests or “the…

Media

Read More: Attacking the Messengers on Health Care Reform

Regulation

Philadelphia Needs Neither Higher Taxes nor Generational Theft

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 6, 2009

The Pennsylvania House yesterday passed a bill that would allow Philadelphia to raise its sales tax another percentage point and to defer it pension payments for city employees further…

Media

Read More: Philadelphia Needs Neither Higher Taxes nor Generational Theft

Health Care

Is Dissent Still the Highest Form of Patriotism?

  • August 5, 2009

It seems that the President is very upset that people are actually questioning his health care plan. So much so that the White House wants to be informed…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Make Drill Here, Drill Now a Reality

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 5, 2009

Remember Drill Here Drill Now campaign? It’s one approval away from becoming a reality. As of October 1, 2008 no moratoriums exist on offshore oil and gas development, however,…

Media

Read More: Make Drill Here, Drill Now a Reality

State Budget

Ed Rendell Demands More Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 5, 2009

At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Rendell says he will “compromise” on the budget – so long as he gets $1.6 billion in new revenue.  That he, he needs…

Media

Read More: Ed Rendell Demands More Taxes

Health Care

Universal Healthcare Will Render Us Poorer

  • August 4, 2009

The democrat health-care system is a systematic move toward a single payer universal health-care system. President Barack Obama has contended that the private system will continue to exist, but…

Media

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State Budget

State of Pennsylvania has 5,000 Vacant Positions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2009

In response to a recent question posed us – about how many actual workers vs. unfilled positions Gov. Rendell would have to eliminate when he talks about cutting state…

Media

Read More: State of Pennsylvania has 5,000 Vacant Positions

State Budget

What Do July Revenue Collections Mean?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2009

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the July 2009 revenue collections yesterday.  The state collected $1.65 billion in General Fund revenue in July. Normally, this report would include how…

Media

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State Budget

States Have Only Themselves to Blame for Fiscal Mess

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2009

Steve Chapman writes on Reason.com that there’s nothing surprising about the crises in state budgets though it apparently caught many governors and legislators by surprise. States dramatically increased spending…

Media

Read More: States Have Only Themselves to Blame for Fiscal Mess

State Budget

What the #$#! is Going on with Pennsylvania Budget?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 3, 2009

If you are following any of the proceedings on the Pennsylvania budget – such as #pabudget on Twitter – you will find a lot has changed with nothing really…

Media

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Health Care

The Two Big Lies of Health Care “Reform”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 3, 2009

Here are a couple of good readings on health care policy: The Hoover Institution has a “second opinion” with ten reasons why health care in the U.S. is…

Media

Read More: The Two Big Lies of Health Care “Reform”

Taxes & Economy

Where Were These Guys a Few Months Ago?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 3, 2009

At a recent town-hall meeting, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said he had to ‘hold my nose’ over bailouts. I wish he had expressed some of those misgivings when…

Media

Read More: Where Were These Guys a Few Months Ago?