Regulation
Harris’s Price Controls Ignore Basic Economics
Originally published at Delaware Valley Journal Vice President Kamala Harris wants to make groceries cheaper. However, her vague proposal to ban “price gouging” will have the opposite effect. Economists,…
Read More: Harris’s Price Controls Ignore Basic EconomicsEvery 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.
Related Issues
State Budget
Pennsylvania Senate Proposes Spending Diet
Low-growth budget is a step in the right direction, but will House and Governor agree? HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed a state spending plan for the upcoming…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Senate Proposes Spending DietTaxes & Economy
Power surge in Nashville
Shortly after the release of Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth, one of our sister think tanks, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, discovered Gore’s home energy…
Media
Read More: Power surge in NashvilleTaxes & Economy
State Personal Income and Ethanol Policy
The BEA issued their quarterly update of state personal income. Normally, my comments on these reports are limited to how Pennsylvania is lagging behind the national average (true again…
Media
Read More: State Personal Income and Ethanol PolicyTaxes & Economy
Obama: NAFTA not so bad after all
Barack Obama tells Fortune magazine that NAFTA hasn’t been as bad as he said it was. It may have been that he was pandering during the campaign, or it…
Media
Read More: Obama: NAFTA not so bad after allState Budget
Senate Passes Trimmed Down Budget
Tired of waiting for the House Democrats to pass a budget bill, the Senate today passed their own version (as an amendment to supplemental appropriations for last year).
Media
Read More: Senate Passes Trimmed Down BudgetRegulation
Pensions ‘spike’ troubles state officials
Deb Erdley has an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on how lawmakers are starting to pay attention to the looming crisis in state pension plans. The only quibble…
Media
Read More: Pensions ‘spike’ troubles state officialsRegulation
Tax credits and stupid Hollywood movies
M. Knight Shyamalan came to Harrisburg yesterday to promote the state’s film tax credit. He basically said, “more money for me is good for you.” The Tax Foundation…
Media
Read More: Tax credits and stupid Hollywood moviesRegulation
Smoking bans and individual rights
Given the title, and the link from GrassrootsPA, I expected Eric Heyl’s column on the smoking ban to be a good read. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
Media
Read More: Smoking bans and individual rightsTaxes & Economy
Biofuels Are Indefensible
Scathing editorial by the chairman of Nestle in the Wall Street Journal on the push for biofuels (including massive subsidies and mandates from government) If there’s one certainty,…
Media
Read More: Biofuels Are IndefensibleTaxes & Economy
Economic Benefits of NAFTA
National Center for Policy Analysis has a new analysis on the economic benefits of NAFTA. NAFTA critics most frequently point to the “lost jobs” but here are some facts:…
Media
Read More: Economic Benefits of NAFTATaxes & Economy
Reagonomics Works!
A new comparative study of economic growth among countries finds that big government results in slower economic growth, whereas countries with smaller government have greater growth. They also note that…
Media
Read More: Reagonomics Works!Regulation
Corporate Welfare In, Fiscal Restraint Out
Commonwealth Foundation calls House budget irresponsible and misguided HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation charged that proposals by the Pennsylvania House Democrats to increase Governor Rendell’s proposed budget by…
Press Release
Read More: Corporate Welfare In, Fiscal Restraint OutRegulation
Tenant unlikely for $250 million airport
A LBFC study on the Hazleton area airport proposal finds that prospect of attracting a major client is remote (FedEx and DHL said “heck no”, while UPS said “very…
Media
Read More: Tenant unlikely for $250 million airportHealth Care
Voters Send Mixed Messages on Health Care
Michael Tanner on polls about health care and the divergent proposals , concluding, “as November approaches, voters will reach a fork in the road, and as Yogi Berra says,…
Media
Read More: Voters Send Mixed Messages on Health CareTaxes & Economy
How late will the budget be this year?
With the debate over furloughs heating up (also see here), House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans announced that the House will begin debating the budget the week of…
Media
Read More: How late will the budget be this year?Regulation
Budget: WAMs in, Rainy Day Fund to be Raided
The House Appropriations Committee passed an amendment that increases the Governor’s proposed budget by $148 million (which, according to Evans’ news release, isn’t much money). This raises the…
Media
Read More: Budget: WAMs in, Rainy Day Fund to be RaidedTaxes & Economy
$4 Gasbags
Wall Street Journal looks at the absurdity of Congress’ posturing to “do something” about high gas prices – except allow increased US production of gasoline. “Pain at the Pump”…
Media
Read More: $4 GasbagsRegulation
Did slots hurt lottery collections?
A new report by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee find that slots gambling has hurt lottery revenue. Not only has lottery revenue and participation seen almost no growth…
Media
Read More: Did slots hurt lottery collections?Taxes & Economy
Movin’ Out/Migration Resource and Data
Here are some resource and links related to my commentary on interstate migration: Census Data and migration report United Van Lines Data and…
Media
Read More: Movin’ Out/Migration Resource and DataTaxes & Economy
Movin’ Out
With all due respect to Billy Joel’s "Allentown," the tune which best describes Pennsylvania today would likely be "Movin' Out." For years, Pennsylvania has seen residents (particularly younger ones) move…
Commentary
Read More: Movin’ OutRegulation
Will MacGyver rescue the smoking ban?
John Micek thinks the Senate Dems plan to pass a smoking ban that includes everything the conference committee bill did, plus exemptions so Scranton and Pittsburgh could pass their own…
Media
Read More: Will MacGyver rescue the smoking ban?