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

Fixing Health Care in the States

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 29, 2008

The Wall Street Journal has two articles about health insurance reform in other states. First, from Florida, where the state has enacted a law that will allow low-cost, mandate…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Taxing Porn Back in Vogue

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 28, 2008

For the 2nd time in a year a Pennsylvania lawmaker has proposed taxing strip clubs, this time it is Rep. Paul Clymer. (HT Grassroots PA) The Tax Foundation…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Tax Lessons from Michigan

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 28, 2008

Michigan’s recent experience in tax policy, summed up in today’s Wall Street Journal, should offer a lesson to other states. After raising taxes to fill in a budget shortfall,…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Republicans Are in Denial

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 27, 2008

Tom Coburn in the Wall Street Journal writes on how “Compassionate Conservativsm” destroyed the Republican Party, and how the GOP’s problem isn’t “messaging”, its following through on principles. His…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Federal Taxes and Household Income

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 26, 2008

The Congressional Budget Office has a new data page which shows the distribution of federal income taxes. Hat Tip to Government Bytes.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Gas Taxes By State

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 25, 2008

Mark J. Perry posted this map showing gas taxes by state. Note Pennsylvania is a red state on this map. The data source is API…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Economic “stimulus” to deliver?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 24, 2008

Bloomberg.com reports most economists think the “job creation” from the economic stimulus package are greatly overstated – if there will be any at all. Oh, now you tell us.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

How much of your workday goes to pay taxes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 24, 2008

The Tax Foundation has put their Tax Freedom Day calculations into an eight-hour workday: How Long America Works to Pay Taxes in…

Media

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Regulation

Take Us Out to the Ball Game

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 23, 2008

Reason TV has a new video on whether sports stadiums are really worth it. Nick Gillespie notes that stadium subsidies are just another example of the Edifice…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Conservative Movement, RIP … or Not

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 23, 2008

Dan Flynn writes that the “Conservative Movement” is dead: Eurocommunism is gone and party conservatives now openly question the utility of even limited government rhetoric in 21st-century America.

Media

Read More: Conservative Movement, RIP … or Not

Taxes & Economy

Scarnati’s Transportation Plan

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 22, 2008

Senate Pro Tem Joe Scarnati has announced his own transportation funding plan – which he promised to do in January, including a “hybrid” Turnpike lease plan (he backtracked…

Media

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State Budget

How Bad is the Farm Bill

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 22, 2008

In light of today’s front page commentary on the federal Farm Bill Fiasco, here are some more links describing how awful this legislation is. Citizen’s Against Government Waste…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Cappy & Castille Confuse Courage & Cowardice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 22, 2008

Tim Potts of Democracy Rising PA offers a commentary on the League of Women Voters lawsuit against former justice Ralph Cappy and Chief Justice Castille’s threats against…

Media

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Health Care

The New Big Dig

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 21, 2008

Wall Street Journal on the pitfalls of RomneyCare.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Money discriminates against blind people

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 20, 2008

A federal court ruled that paper money discriminates against blind people, since they can’t tell how much the money is worth. Note to Paulistas: This is because the blind…

Media

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Regulation

No Extra Money in the Fund

  • Richard Dreyfuss
  • May 20, 2008

"There is no extra money in the fund" for a pension Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA). That’s the analysis from the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS), not the Commonwealth Foundation…

Commentary

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Taxes & Economy

Freedom from Government Day

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 19, 2008

The American Institute for Economic Research has calculated that today, May 19, is the date at which Americans have earned enough income to pay for all governing spending. They…

Media

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Government Accountability

Pa. lawmakers fill up at your expense

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 19, 2008

Philadelphia Inquirer article covers the price of lawmakers buying gas at taxpayer expense. There is also a list of who drives taxpayer subsidized, non-hybrid SUVs (i.e. gas guzzlers).

Media

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Regulation

More Outrage at Pension COLA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 15, 2008

Tony Phyrillas has added to the number of voices noting that the proposed Pension COLA means higher property taxes.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Politicians and Economics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 15, 2008

While a number of people say that many economic policy issues are “too complex” for the general public Thomas Sowell argues that for the most part these concepts –…

Media

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Regulation

Big Business Loves Big Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 14, 2008

Michael G. Franc in NRO Online analyzes a seemingly suprising fundraising advantage by Democratic candidates among corporate CEOs – surprising given that Democrats continue to call for higher taxes,…

Media

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