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

RendellCare: What Would Jesus Do?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 24, 2008

Remember the passage in the Bible where Jesus called upon the Roman Empire to provide universal, government-run health insurance? What! There’s no such passage? Perhaps someone should point that…

Commentary

Read More: RendellCare: What Would Jesus Do?

Health Care

Semonizing on RendellCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 24, 2008

Morning Call article and Post-Gazette piece on the planned “CAP Sunday” and campaign to use sermons to promote RendellCare. (HT: GrassrootsPA) I’ve written on Jesus and…

Media

Read More: Semonizing on RendellCare

Regulation

Corporate Welfare responsible for 125% of new jobs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2008

A new study and press conference today by the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association (PEDA) takes credit for helping to “create” 186,000 jobs in PA from 2003 through…

Media

Read More: Corporate Welfare responsible for 125% of new jobs

Taxes & Economy

The Running Total Of Our Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2008

One blog I have been following is Taxation With Representation, in which “Danny” keeps a running total of the total taxes his family has paid – income, Social Security,…

Media

Read More: The Running Total Of Our Taxes

Health Care

Wal-Mart can be good for your health

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2008

Salon.com article on the growth of retail clinics in providing low-cost health care services – and the opposition from entrenched special interests.

Media

Read More: Wal-Mart can be good for your health

State Budget

CAGW Names Rep. John Murtha Porker of the Year

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 20, 2008

Pennsylvania’s own Congresman John Murtha was named Porker of the Year by Citizens Against Government Waste: In fiscal year 2008, he brought home 72 pork projects worth $149.2…

Media

Read More: CAGW Names Rep. John Murtha Porker of the Year

Regulation

Legislators plan hearings on privatizing liquor stores

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 20, 2008

Post-Gazette on the push for privatization of state-run liquor stores. More on State Store privatization: “Public Benefits of Private Liquor” news release and testimony from Reason Foundation…

Media

Read More: Legislators plan hearings on privatizing liquor stores

Taxes & Economy

The ACLU gets it right for once

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 20, 2008

Tony Phyrillas on the ACLU’s defense of property owners’ right to put campaign signs in their yard in South Park (not that South Park).

Media

Read More: The ACLU gets it right for once

Government Accountability

Mickey Goes to Washington

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 19, 2008

Washington Post article on Walt Disney and other lobbyists pushing for taxpayer subsidies for tourism. If you don’t want to know how the sausage is made, don’t read this…

Media

Read More: Mickey Goes to Washington

Regulation

Lackawanna County: Where’s the Film?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 19, 2008

Another case study on corporate welfare for the film industry was featured in the Morning Call. Lackwanna County officials are wondering what happened to the $500,000 of taxpayer money…

Media

Read More: Lackawanna County: Where’s the Film?

State Budget

State’s economy, budget are at odds

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 18, 2008

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review question the Rendell administration’s glorious reviews of the state’s economy. The size of the state’s economy grew about 20 percent from 1997 to 2006, but…

Media

Read More: State’s economy, budget are at odds

Taxes & Economy

Is Rendell’s rebate legal?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 16, 2008

John Micek in the Morning Call raises some key issues as to Governor Rendell’s proposed “rebate” for low-income Pennsylvanians. First, that the using the Budget Stabilization Reserve (or “Rainy…

Media

Read More: Is Rendell’s rebate legal?

Regulation

Study: Smoking Bans increase drunk driving

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 15, 2008

A new study in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Public Economics finds that “smoking bans increase drunken-driving fatalities”; reported on the Marginal Revolution blog. This effect is…

Media

Read More: Study: Smoking Bans increase drunk driving

Taxes & Economy

Ethanol: Another dose of snake oil?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2008

Another article, from the Star-Tribune, on the hype of ethanol, which summarizes the issue pretty well: 1)Ethanol results in more carbon emissions – “By clearing forests and grasslands…

Media

Read More: Ethanol: Another dose of snake oil?

Taxes & Economy

Federal “Stimulus” Rebate Calculator

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2008

Here is a tool to calculate for federal rebate under the federal “stimulus” package, courtesy of Consumerism Commentary Blog. (You will need to have or know your 2007 federal…

Media

Read More: Federal “Stimulus” Rebate Calculator

State Budget

Borrowing in 2008-09 Budget

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2008

Below is some more analysis of the proposed borrowing in Governor Rendell’s proposed budget – $2.6 billion in debt will be issued in 2008-09. (More on PA’s Total Debt…

Media

Read More: Borrowing in 2008-09 Budget

Taxes & Economy

‘Stimulus’ Nonsense

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 13, 2008

Arthur Laffer in the Wall Street Journal on the Stimulus Nonsense of robbing Peter to pay Paul: All of the stimulative effects of the rebate to the recipients…

Media

Read More: ‘Stimulus’ Nonsense

Taxes & Economy

States of Opportunity

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 12, 2008

Wall Street Journal on the net domestic migration from high-tax to low-tax states.

Media

Read More: States of Opportunity

Health Care

The “Cost of the Uninsured”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 11, 2008

Many proposals for “universal health care”, including RendellCare, claim that there will be savings by eliminating what everyone pays on “costs for the uninsured”, or uncompensated care.But a new…

Media

Read More: The “Cost of the Uninsured”

Taxes & Economy

Consumption of the Rich and Poor

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 10, 2008

Interesting analysis in the New York Times of consumption by income category (for a quick summary, click on the chart): If we look at consumption per person,…

Media

Read More: Consumption of the Rich and Poor