Regulation
Cutting Red Tape in Pennsylvania
This report presents findings from Mercatus Center’s State RegData database, analyzing regulations in the Pennsylvania Code as of 2022. The report provides an overview of state regulations, how Pennsylvania’s regulatory…
Read More: Cutting Red Tape in 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
Big Government, Big Corruption
Dan Mitchell from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity links the connection between government growth and corruption in this clip. He notes that rather than promoting honest dealings,…
Media
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Privatizing PA’s Liquor Stores
State Sen. Rob Wonderling is starting again to push for the privatization of Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor stores. Here is Sen. Wonderling’s commentary on privatizing the state stores from…
Media
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Jobs and the Economy
Testimony of Mathew J. Brouillette, President & CEO, Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania House Majority Policy CommitteeApril 14, 2009 Thank you Chairman Sturla for the…
Testimony
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Pennsylvania Pie Fight
Wall Street Journal picks up on the fight over government regulation of homemade pies at church bake sales in Pennsylvania. My favorite part of the story is this:…
Media
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Federal Cigarette Tax Increase will Reduce PA Tax Collections by $140 Million
A new report from the Tax Foundation looks at the cost of the recent federal tax hike on cigarettes, an increase of 39 cents to $1.01 per pack, state…
Media
Read More: Federal Cigarette Tax Increase will Reduce PA Tax Collections by $140 MillionRegulation
A Tale of Three Cities: Pennsylvania’s Retiree and Medical Liability Challenges
Pennsylvania maintains over 3,000 public pension plans at the state, city and municipal levels, the most of any state and approximately 25% of all such plans in America. Over 2,200…
Fact Sheet
Read More: A Tale of Three Cities: Pennsylvania’s Retiree and Medical Liability ChallengesRegulation
Union Bosses Dupe “Unlicensed” Blogger
In his blog today, John Micek makes a couple of jokes about “Joe the Plumber” – probably to avoid being called “Rat Rat Rat” by union bosses (who promise…
Media
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Philadelphia’s “Pension Reform” is Generational Theft
Faced with significant budget deficits and the burden of ever-increasing pension contributions, Philadelphia is attempting to finesse itself out of a financial dilemma. In simple terms, the city cannot afford…
Commentary
Read More: Philadelphia’s “Pension Reform” is Generational TheftRegulation
Corporate Welfare Fails to Save PA Jobs
Amazon is closing distribution centers in three states, including one in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Just last year the state “helped” the world’s leading on-line retailer to open a new…
Media
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Union Intimidation in Action
Unions claim they won’t use intimidation as one of their tactics if the Employee Free Choice Act, a.k.a. “Card Check” is passed, eliminating the secret ballot in union elections. But…
Media
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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
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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 FireRegulation
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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