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

PA October tax collections $280 M short

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 31, 2008

The Pennsylvania Revenue Department released the October revenue collections showing state collections were $280 Million below estimate for the month, and now $560 Million short for the fiscal year…

Media

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Regulation

Personal Accounts for Social Security: Still the Best Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 31, 2008

Michael Tanner has a post on Cato-at-liberty noting that personal accounts for Social Security would still be good, even considering recent stock market losses. That is, stock market gains…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Why The Mortgage Crisis Happened

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 31, 2008

Here is a rather lengthy and detailed history of how government involvement in the mortgage and financial industries in the United States created…

Media

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Regulation

Government Spending Doesn’t Create Jobs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 31, 2008

The Heritage Foundation blog exposes one of the great myths of Washington (and Harrisburg) – that more government spending on transportation infrastructure (or economic development, or corporate welfare,…

Media

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State Budget

State Spending Cuts Continue

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 31, 2008

Governor Rendell has “discovered” an additional $111 million in spending cuts bringing the total up from $200 million to $311 million. The cuts are a result…

Media

Read More: State Spending Cuts Continue

Regulation

Did Pennsylvania taxpayers “pay” to make a porno?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 30, 2008

Insider Online raises an interesting question (the continuation of a dialogue between Americans for Tax Reform and the Tax Foundation): Are targeted tax breaks the…

Media

Read More: Did Pennsylvania taxpayers “pay” to make a porno?

Taxes & Economy

Lancaster County Home Rule Charter Vote

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 30, 2008

Here is some information I have compiled on the Lancaster County home rule ballot measure (per a request from a Lancaster County Resident). Currently six counties in Pennsylvania have…

Media

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Regulation

Did over-regulation cause the financial crisis?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 30, 2008

A new AEI publication addresses the myth that deregulation cause the financial crisis, but also notes that additional regulations by central planners did contribute to the crisis:…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Sanford: “Don’t Bail Us Out”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 30, 2008

Yesterday, the US House of Representatives invited a number of governors and mayors to parade through the halls of Congress and beg for more taxpayer money from Washington.  And then…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The Economy: Not a Zero-Sum Game

  • October 29, 2008

Thomas Sowell has a quality read in a recent column he wrote on the damaging affect that “taxing the rich” has on the whole nation, the…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Obama’s tax plans and small business

  • October 29, 2008

Originally posted at the Capitol Domes, a new blog from the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. Barack Obama says he’s for raising taxes on the Fat…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Please don’t vote

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 29, 2008

John Stossel’s latest column encourages uninformed people to practice their civic duty not to vote. At a HeadCount concert, “20/20” asked some future voters, “How…

Media

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Government Accountability

ACORN: The Shenanigans Continue

  • October 28, 2008

Tax evasion can now be added to the list of shady dealings with which ACORN has been associated in the recent weeks. Matthew Vadum, from Capital Research…

Media

Read More: ACORN: The Shenanigans Continue

State Budget

Water and Sewer Ballot Question

  • October 27, 2008

When Pennsylvania voters head to the polls on November 4, 2008, they will also be asked to vote "YES" or "NO" on a ballot measure which would allow the state…

Fact Sheet

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State Budget

The 400 Million Dollar Question

  • October 27, 2008

Originally posted at the Capitol Domes, a new blog from the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. How will you vote on November 4? No, I’m…

Media

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Regulation

Should PA taxpayers be subsidizing Hollywood?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 27, 2008

Lowman Henry weighs in on the $5.7 million tax credit awarded by Pennsylvania taxpayers to the raunchy comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Henry thinks…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The Age of Prosperity Is Over

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 27, 2008

Art Laffer in today’s Wall Street Journal on how the bailout mentality is bad news for our economy: Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always…

Media

Read More: The Age of Prosperity Is Over

Government Accountability

Pennsylvania Is Driving Its Doctors Away

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 25, 2008

Frederic Jarrett – a Pittsburgh doctor – editorializes in the Wall Street Journal as to how Governor Rendell is pushing doctors out a Pennsylvania by holding MCare abatement (a…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Greenspan’s “infinite monkey theorem”

  • October 24, 2008

Did the free market fail? Well, that seems to be what Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve System chairman, said yesterday to Congress. But before we follow the lead…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Rewarding Teachers

  • October 24, 2008

Former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, had a compelling article in the Washington Times yesterday on merit pay for teachers. He commented on the current system: Instead of rewarding…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Where has all the money for bridges gone?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 23, 2008

A Heritage Foundation analysis finds that the federal government has given more money to state for bridge repair than states are actually using, with a special mention of Pennsylvania:…

Media

Read More: Where has all the money for bridges gone?