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.

Taxes & Economy

Libertarian ideas to stimulate economy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 7, 2009

Jeffrey A. Miron has a list of libertarian proposals to stimulate the economy (I would expect most self-described “conservatives” would agree with 8 of the 9 proposals): Repeal the…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The GOP Has a Dumb Mortgage Idea

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 5, 2009

In the Wall Street Journal, Ed Glaeser rips the US Senate GOP’s plans to underwrite mortgages and offer an additional tax credit for home-buyers More criticism of this…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Commonwealth Foundation Launches Please, No More Taxes! Campaign

  • February 5, 2009

HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today announced the launch of the Please, No More Taxes! campaign, a public education effort aimed at the elimination of wasteful state spending and…

Press Release

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Education

Economists Against Governor Rendell

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

In his budget address, Governor Rendell cited “conservative” economists who support the stimulus package and his spending proposals, even though they don’t. Here is Rendell: Economists from…

Media

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State Budget

Commonwealth Foundation Statement on Gov. Ed Rendell’s Budget Address

  • February 4, 2009

HARRISBURG, PA — Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Matthew J. Brouillette issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Rendell’s 2009-10 Budget Address: “Gov. Rendell’s reliance on one-time federal…

Press Release

Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Statement on Gov. Ed Rendell’s Budget Address

State Budget

PA Budget by the Numbers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

The 2009-10 budget is $28.97 billion, rather than the $26.6 billion as is being reported. The difference being that it relies on $2.4 billion in one-time federal “stimulus” money. That…

Media

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State Budget

PA budget address liveblog

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

I’ll be live blog-tweeting Governor Rendell’s budget address, beginning at 10:30 today you can follow the action here.

Media

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State Budget

We Can’t Spend Our Way to Prosperity

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 4, 2009

John Stossel has an op-ed up on the pork-laden “stimulus” package: President Obama has vowed that no earmarks — special appropriations to benefit particular congressmen — will…

Media

Read More: We Can’t Spend Our Way to Prosperity

State Budget

Cronyism Undermines Cargo Airport

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

It appears the Hazleton Airport project is now dead in the water, after Rep. Todd Eachus (the local sponsor and now Majority Leader) has dropped his support after…

Media

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Education

PA Budget Proposals: Cut the Fat, Play Poker

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

Sen. John Eichelberger unveiled a proposal today to issue a moratorium on “earmarks”, the legislative-controlled WAMs and other items.  The proposal also calls for a review of all…

Media

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Health Care

Try to Reform Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

The Senate Republican’s unveiled their caucus’s plan on health care, which is largely the same as they had last year, and thus my criticism of that plan still…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: February 2009

  • February 3, 2009

Updates on Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the January revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.08 billion short for the…

Press Release

Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: February 2009

State Budget

Even more reasons to oppose the stimulus

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2009

NTU’s blog has a long list (via Tom Coburn) of wasteful spending and bad policy in the federal “stimulus” bill, including: $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen,…

Media

Read More: Even more reasons to oppose the stimulus

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall Climbs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 2, 2009

The PA Department of Revenue released the January Revenue Collections this afternoon.  We’ll have the full “Deficit Watch” up on the website tomorrow, but here are the quick…

Media

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Education

Overspending Schools Don’t Need More Taxpayer Funding

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 2, 2009

NYTimes article (registration required) looks at how much of the federal “stimulus” money would go to school spending, particularly for school construction.  Critics and supporters alike…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Should government get bigger, or smaller?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 2, 2009

Richard Rahn has a commentary for the Cato Institute on the “optimal size of government”.  He takes the premise that we need some level of government (to protect our…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

501 added to Pa. payroll since state hiring freeze

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 1, 2009

AP story on the 501 employees hired since the hiring freeze, including several over $100,000 (former legislator Dan Surra, for whom a new $95,000 position was created, just missed…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The Super Bowl (Economic Version): Phoenix vs. Pittsburgh

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 1, 2009

Harold Miller has an interesting blog post, featuring a few graphs, comparing the economic growth of the Pittsburgh region to the Phoenix region – the two hometowns for tonight’s…

Media

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Regulation

PA Judge Overturns State Mercury Rule

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 31, 2009

A Pennsylvania judge ruled that a state-specific regulation on mercury emissions (one that was put into place by the Department of Environmental Protection over the objections of many…

Media

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Health Care

Stimulating Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 30, 2009

The Galen Institute has a new analysis of health care proposal in the propose “economic stimulus”, specifically proposals moving toward greater federalization of health care, which has indeed been…

Media

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