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.
Regulation
State Regulation of Bake Sales Goes Too Far
Hat Tip to Tom Shaheen of the PA Family Institute for this story of the weird/big government. It turns out that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has been…
Media
Read More: State Regulation of Bake Sales Goes Too FarRegulation
No “Property Tax Relief” This Year?
Sharon Smith writes that the slots taxes may not generate enough revenue to trigger property relief this year. By law, the Property Tax Relief Fund must have $570 million…
Media
Read More: No “Property Tax Relief” This Year?Regulation
Gaming Control Board Under Fire
Sen. Jane Orie, Rep. Mike Vereb, and a few other Republican lawmakers teed off on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control board, for their travel habits during a travel ban. …
Media
Read More: Gaming Control Board Under FireHealth Care
Free Markets: An Unknown Ideal
President Obama, Governor Rendell, and many in the media have been echoing a similar refrain recently, "Conservatives had their chance. We tried free markets, and they failed." When exactly they…
Commentary
Read More: Free Markets: An Unknown IdealRegulation
Representatives Propose Putting State Government on a Diet
State Representatives Mike Turzai and Tom Quigley unveiled a plan to cut about $170 million wasteful spending from the Pennsylvania state budget ($130 million relative to Gov. Rendell’s proposed…
Media
Read More: Representatives Propose Putting State Government on a DietRegulation
State Employees Take Taxpayer-Funded Trips
Team 4 has an amazing exposé of taxpayer-funded travel by Pennsylvania state employees, in particular the gaming control board–after a travel ban was implement. Here are some of the…
Media
Read More: State Employees Take Taxpayer-Funded TripsRegulation
Government liquor store monopoly hates perception of government monopoly
The quote of the day does to Joe Conti, head of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, who said in a story about customer service training for LCB clerks,…
Media
Read More: Government liquor store monopoly hates perception of government monopolyRegulation
State Bus Tour to Promote PA Lottery
From the “Are you kidding me?” department is this announcement that, despite a massive budget deficit, the state is launching a statewide bus tour to promote a new Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: State Bus Tour to Promote PA LotteryRegulation
Pennsylvanias Spending Problem
Imagine our economy is a pond. In the name of “economic stimulation,” Gov. Ed Rendell goes to one side of the pond, dips in a bucket, pulls it out and…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvanias Spending ProblemRegulation
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Eliminating Film Tax Credit
The Tax Foundation points out that at least one governor is proposing eliminating his state’s tax credit for Hollywood films. As we have noted, tax credits for movies…
Media
Read More: Wisconsin Governor Proposes Eliminating Film Tax CreditRegulation
Do we need to subsidize our 22nd largest industry?
A news story on Philly.com covers some Republican lawmakers complaints that Governor Rendell budget cuts are too steep, at least in regard to agriculture subsidies (HT Grassroots PA). …
Media
Read More: Do we need to subsidize our 22nd largest industry?Regulation
State and local owe enormous obligations to retirees
The Allegheny Institute has a new policy report examining the pension plans of the 10 largest Pennsylvania cities. They find these plans have a combined unfunded liability of $4.5…
Media
Read More: State and local owe enormous obligations to retireesRegulation
More on the PA Pension “Spike”
A couple of editorials on the crisis in Pennsylvania’s public pension crisis from the Daily Review and the Courier Express. Both called for depoliticizing the plans by moving…
Media
Read More: More on the PA Pension “Spike”Regulation
Rendell administration: Commonwealth Foundation is right about government spending
A Capitolwire (subscription) headline reads “DCED acting secretary says little state can do to create jobs,” after a hearing in which Secretary Cornelius notes that “economic development” programs have…
Media
Read More: Rendell administration: Commonwealth Foundation is right about government spendingRegulation
Update on the Boscov’s Bailout
John Micek has a summary of the new PA DCED secretary’s explanation of the Boscov’s bailout, during a hearing today. Secretary Cornelius noted that bailouts encourage companies to start…
Media
Read More: Update on the Boscov’s BailoutRegulation
PA pension funds report major losses
Mark Scolforo summarizes the reports from Pennsylvania two statewide pension funds SERS (for state workers) and PSERS (for school district employees): The percentage losses on investments were similar.
Media
Read More: PA pension funds report major lossesRegulation
Philadelphia’s Pension Non-Reform
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing addressing the city’s unfunded pension liability by, essentially, not paying as much as the city should (HT GrassrootsPA). Like Pennsylvania’s state…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia’s Pension Non-ReformGovernment Accountability
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009 identifies $5 billion in unhealthy state spending in FY 2008-09 and offers a series of recommendations to both resolve the current revenue shortfall…
Report
Read More: Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009Regulation
CF Report Finds $5 billion in Gov’t Waste
State gov’t overspending is impeding prosperity and burdening taxpayers HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today released Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009, a report that spotlights how the…
Press Release
Read More: CF Report Finds $5 billion in Gov’t WasteEducation
PA Budget Proposals: Cut the Fat, Play Poker
Sen. John Eichelberger unveiled a proposal today to issue a moratorium on “earmarks”, the legislative-controlled WAMs and other items. The proposal also calls for a review of all…
Media
Read More: PA Budget Proposals: Cut the Fat, Play PokerRegulation
PA Judge Overturns State Mercury Rule
A Pennsylvania judge ruled that a state-specific regulation on mercury emissions (one that was put into place by the Department of Environmental Protection over the objections of many…
Media
Read More: PA Judge Overturns State Mercury Rule