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
Gov. Unions Block Pension Reform
Lawmakers may have agreed on a no-new-taxes budget, but the cost drivers behind this year’s budget shortfall and Pennsylvania’s annual budget crisis remain unchanged. Chief among those cost drivers is…
Media
Read More: Gov. Unions Block Pension ReformRegulation
Union CEO Calls Majority Leader a Liar
Union CEO Wendell Young issued a press release Wednesday claiming, “there’s no nice way to put this but he [House Majority Leader Mike Turzai] is not telling the truth…
Media
Read More: Union CEO Calls Majority Leader a LiarRegulation
5 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Increasing Taxes
State spending is at an all-time high, but calls for even more spending persist, despite Pennsylvania’s precarious fiscal situation. Pennsylvania doesn’t need more government spending to improve the…
Media
Read More: 5 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Increasing TaxesPublic Union Democracy
Triple Threat Pension Debt
At more than $50 billion in debt our pension plans for state and school workers are among the worst funded in the country. Without reform, Pennsylvanians face cuts to services, teacher layoffs, higher…
Poll
Read More: Triple Threat Pension DebtRegulation
RCAP and Corporate Welfare Hurt Pennsylvanians
What would you do if the government spent your tax dollars on a project that could bankrupt your business? Would you fight back by pointing out the injustice? Hopefully you’re…
Media
Read More: RCAP and Corporate Welfare Hurt PennsylvaniansRegulation
Union Lobbyists Not Interested in Solving Pension Crisis
My latest letter to the editor in the Phoenix Reporter and Item corrects the record, noting that government union leaders have for years denied a pension crisis, supported underfunded pensions for…
Media
Read More: Union Lobbyists Not Interested in Solving Pension CrisisRegulation
Archaic Laws and Eight-Foot Walls
Pennsylvania’s Prohibition-era liquor laws did nothing but provide headaches for two entrepreneurs, demonstrating yet again the absurdity of our state liquor code. Danya Henninger at the Philadelphia Inquirer…
Media
Read More: Archaic Laws and Eight-Foot WallsEducation
Pension Reform Benefits Teachers & Taxpayers
Standard & Poor’s recently issued a stern warning that they would lower Pennsylvania’s bond rating—making it more expensive for the state to borrow money—unless they “adopt meaningful pension reform.” This…
Commentary
Read More: Pension Reform Benefits Teachers & TaxpayersRegulation
Use School Reserves to Fund Pensions
In 2013, Pennsylvania school districts increased their reserve funds by $445 million—to a total approaching $4 billion as of June 30, 2013—according to the latest data from…
Media
Read More: Use School Reserves to Fund PensionsRegulation
Pension Study: PA’s Economy Can Still Be Saved
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 It’s Not Too Late to Save PA’s Economy Pension Reform: Learning from Others May 27, 2014, Harrisburg, Pa. – Pennsylvania…
Press Release
Read More: Pension Study: PA’s Economy Can Still Be SavedRegulation
Stopping the Sinkhole
Evidence from the private sector and some reformed public sector pension programs shows that pension reform is possible and creates significant savings to firms in the private sector and taxpayers…
Report
Read More: Stopping the SinkholePublic Union Democracy
Government Union CEOs Make Their Own Rules
When questioned about why he failed to register as a lobbyist, UFCW president Wendell Young IV excused himself with a special exemption from the law that doesn’t exist. He told…
Media
Read More: Government Union CEOs Make Their Own RulesRegulation
PA Tops in Corporate Welfare
Pennsylvania’s system of economic development subsidies costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually, yet this spending does little to promote overall job growth. Given the state’s fiscal hurdles,…
Media
Read More: PA Tops in Corporate WelfareEducation
Ignoring Pension Costs Won’t Work
We’ve mentioned before the big lie of “$1 billion cut from education.” Part of the reason that lie continues is that union executives ignore a big chunk of education…
Media
Read More: Ignoring Pension Costs Won’t WorkRegulation
Will More Choice and Convenience Really Kill Your Kids?
In a move that reeks of desperation, the United Food and Commerical Workers Union (UFCW) released a new ad with a ridiculous message: liquor liberalization will kill your kids. …
Media
Read More: Will More Choice and Convenience Really Kill Your Kids?Regulation
Booze Monopoly Bad for Business
This winter, a snow storm knocked the power out at the Continental Tavern, but Frank used a generator to keep his doors open and his customers in good spirits. The…
Commentary
Read More: Booze Monopoly Bad for BusinessHealth Care
Protected from Obamacare
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act promised to provide more affordable and better health care for all. Unfortunately, the law has delivered just the opposite—so much so that President…
Media
Read More: Protected from ObamacareRegulation
NFIB Study Finds PA Minimum Wage Bills Kill Jobs
Thanks to a recent minimum wage increase, 61 percent of New Jersey businesses are likely to raise their prices. In addition, a Congressional Budget Office analysis found increasing…
Media
Read More: NFIB Study Finds PA Minimum Wage Bills Kill JobsRegulation
Wine, Dine, and Bribe
“Today’s featured wine has notes of bureacracy, boondoggles, and waste, with a lingering aftertaste of corruption. May I interest you in this PLCB blend?” Unlike a fine wine, the PLCB…
Media
Read More: Wine, Dine, and BribeRegulation
PLCB Monopoly Breeds Corruption and Cronyism
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 PLCB Officials Used Public Positions for Personal Gain State monopoly has culture of corruption and cronyism on the…
Press Release
Read More: PLCB Monopoly Breeds Corruption and CronyismRegulation
A Risk Too Great: Bonds Alone Could Worsen Pension Crisis
Is your family ready to bend their budget to pay for Pennsylvania’s pension crisis? State pension costs are set to drive up the average family’s taxes by nearly $900 annually,…
Media
Read More: A Risk Too Great: Bonds Alone Could Worsen Pension Crisis