Prosperity
Shapiro’s “Fast-Track” program is great for his allies, but bad for Pennsylvania
Originally published at The Patriot-News Is Josh Shapiro the future of the Democratic Party? He certainly wants to be, but he just failed an early test. This…
Read More: Shapiro’s “Fast-Track” program is great for his allies, but bad for PennsylvaniaPennsylvania’s notoriously high level of regulation is a burden on our state economy. To make the Keystone State a competitive place to live, work, or grow a business, reforms are needed to rein in the regulatory process. Taxpayers deserve a streamlined regulatory process that scrutinizes proposed regulations to ensure frivolous reforms do not overburden the state economy and do not prevent job-seekers from accessing employment.
Public Union Democracy
Pennsylvania’s Pension Funds Still on a Collision Course
If Pennsylvania were a ship, say the Titanic, then the iceberg that ship is bearing down on is the commonwealth’s public pension funds. At a combined $63.2 billion in debt,…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Pension Funds Still on a Collision CourseRegulation
Erase Corporate Welfare from the Budget
Pennsylvania’s tradition of concentrating economic power in the hands of a few has proven to be inadequate at best, and harmful at worst. Corporate welfare spending makes this concentration…
Media
Read More: Erase Corporate Welfare from the BudgetRegulation
Pennsylvania is Losing Ground
Pennsylvania’s economic performance wasn’t always subpar. In the first half of the twentieth century, the commonwealth’s personal income per capita exceeded the national average. It then descended into mediocrity. While Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania is Losing GroundEducation
An Easy Way to Give School Budgets a Boost
“I want to put more education dollars in our classrooms, not our school buses,” said Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, while releasing an analysis of 19 school districts that exceeded…
Media
Read More: An Easy Way to Give School Budgets a BoostRegulation
New Plan Doesn’t Protect Taxpayers from Pension Politics
Today, the House State Government Committee passed a pension reform bill featuring an unproven “stacked hybrid” plan. This proposal falls short of the pension reform taxpayers needs to protect…
Media
Read More: New Plan Doesn’t Protect Taxpayers from Pension PoliticsRegulation
Liquor Liberty Loophole for DNC
As Pennsylvania residents and visitors know quite well, our state's liquor laws are outdated. Pennsylvania remains one of only two states where the government completely controls the sale of wine and…
Media
Read More: Liquor Liberty Loophole for DNCHealth Care
Free Market Solution Expands Access to Care
Harmful regulations prevent Pennsylvania’s nurse practitioners—highly-trained medical professionals who interpret diagnostic tests, treat chronic conditions, and prescribe medication—from doing what they do best: providing quality health care for patients in…
Media
Read More: Free Market Solution Expands Access to CareRegulation
The Consequences of Concentrated Power
We aren't the type of people to begrudge anyone a well-deserved raise. But when it's a $9,000 raise for an inessential position running a government booze monopoly…well, that raises some…
Media
Read More: The Consequences of Concentrated PowerPublic Union Democracy
Pension Debt Grows by Another Billion
Last week the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) announced its total unfunded liability increased from $18.44 billion in 2015 to $18.79 billion. In truth, SERS'…
Media
Read More: Pension Debt Grows by Another BillionRegulation
Time to End Corporate Welfare Handouts
Conservatives loathe government handouts. Liberals denounce special favors to corporations. One thing can unify these two sides: ending Pennsylvania’s budget-busting corporate welfare handouts.
Commentary
Read More: Time to End Corporate Welfare HandoutsRegulation
How Ridesharing Helps the Poor and Disabled
Earlier this week, I used Uber to get a ride in downtown Philadelphia. Curious, I asked my driver how long he’d been driving for Uber. “Two years,” he told me,…
Media
Read More: How Ridesharing Helps the Poor and DisabledRegulation
Wolf’s False Choice
If lawmakers don’t raise taxes, Pennsylvanians should brace for drastic cuts to education and human services. This myth is promoted endlessly by the Wolf Administration to justify taking…
Media
Read More: Wolf’s False ChoiceRegulation
Rhetoric vs. Reality
Pennsylvania’s nine-month budget saga has concluded, but not everyone is pleased with the ending. The Philadelphia Inquirer published a caustic editorial criticizing state lawmakers for failing to surrender…
Media
Read More: Rhetoric vs. RealityRegulation
Audio: State Worker Costs & EPA Mandates Burden Pennsylvanians
State employee compensation costs have soared to nearly $93,000 per worker per year, with health care and pensions the largest contributors. Meanwhile, costly EPA mandates on carbon and mercury…
Media
Read More: Audio: State Worker Costs & EPA Mandates Burden PennsylvaniansHealth Care
Improving Health Care Access While Cutting Costs
Is it possible to improve health care access while also cutting a costs? Yes—according to a recent study by Edward Timmons of the Mercatus Center. Writing in U.S.
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Read More: Improving Health Care Access While Cutting CostsHealth Care
6 Reasons Not to Celebrate Obamacare’s 6th Anniversary
6 Reasons Not to Celebrate Obamacare’s 6th Anniversary Problems Persist as Health Care System Flounders March 21, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Lower costs? Improved access? Promises made—and broken—in the…
Press Release
Read More: 6 Reasons Not to Celebrate Obamacare’s 6th AnniversaryRegulation
PA Faces Another Costly EPA Mandate
President Obama’s energy tax—also known as the Clean Power Plan—is just one of many EPA mandates stifling Pennsylvania’s economy. One mandate in particular imposes enormous costs on Pennsylvania farmers and…
Media
Read More: PA Faces Another Costly EPA MandateRegulation
Taxpayers on the Hook for Wolf’s Spending Binge
Despite the lack of a completed state budget, and no support for his unpopular tax hike proposals, Gov. Wolf continues to rack up additional costs for taxpayers: Wolf's…
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Read More: Taxpayers on the Hook for Wolf’s Spending BingeRegulation
Breaking Promises to Fund Broken Programs
During his gubernatorial campaign, Tom Wolf promised to reduce taxes on working people. As a matter of fact, his campaign attacked Gov. Corbett for raising taxes. An October 2014 campaign blog…
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Read More: Breaking Promises to Fund Broken ProgramsRegulation
$56 Billion & Counting: PA’s Pension Liability
The state pension boards testified before the General Assembly this week and reported a combined unfunded liability of more than $56 billion. Contrary to claims that “we should let…
Media
Read More: $56 Billion & Counting: PA’s Pension LiabilityRegulation
Poll: How Can Pennsylvania Beat Florida?
In the Wall Street Journal, Florida Governor Rick Scott makes a mockery of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and his quest to raise taxes, calling Wolf one of his “favorite governors.”…
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Read More: Poll: How Can Pennsylvania Beat Florida?