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.
Government Accountability
Pay Raise is Back
The Patriot News reports that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reinstated last July’s pay raise, for judges–a ruling which raises the pay of the Supreme Court Justices. The ruling also…
Media
Read More: Pay Raise is BackRegulation
Hair Braiding Drama
Patriot News article on the fear of unlicensed hair-braiders vs. the danger in regulatory professions (though they emphasize the former). Read Stephen Albert’s commentary on the burdens of…
Media
Read More: Hair Braiding DramaRegulation
Fines for Sex without a License
Legislation proposed by State Rep. Keith McCall would require prospective massage therapists to take 600 hours of classroom training, have instruction in CPR and HIV, pass an exam, and…
Media
Read More: Fines for Sex without a LicenseRegulation
Pa. bureaucracy pursues a love of licensing
Read Commonwealth Foundation intern Stephen Albert’s commentary on the regulation of economic freedom in today’s York Dispatch.
Media
Read More: Pa. bureaucracy pursues a love of licensingRegulation
The 1% Solution
Read Commonwealth Foundation senior fellow Rick Dreyfuss’s latest commentary on senate health care cost sharing in today’s Patriot News.
Media
Read More: The 1% SolutionRegulation
The Burden of Over-Regulation
Summer’s Best Two Weeks (SB2W) is a non-profit summer camp located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Mountains for children ages 8 to 18. SB2W counselors have led campers on…
Commentary
Read More: The Burden of Over-RegulationRegulation
$13,000 fees for new homes?
The Patriot News reports on a PA House committee hearing on charging impact fees on new homes – of $13,000 per home – in growing areas. Why would we…
Media
Read More: $13,000 fees for new homes?Regulation
Public Pension Price Tag
Wall Street Journal piece on the difficulties facing pension plans for state and local government employees.
Media
Read More: Public Pension Price TagRegulation
The Other Pension Crisis
Wall Street Journal editorial on the underfunding and looming crisis in pensions for state and local government workers.
Media
Read More: The Other Pension CrisisRegulation
Automatic 401(k)s
NCPA Brief Analysis describing the 401(k) reforms contained in the recently passed federal pension bill. Among the main reforms are that employees will have to “opt out” of their…
Media
Read More: Automatic 401(k)sRegulation
Gaming board raking in fat paychecks
Even without slot machines up and running in Pennsylvania, there have already been some big winners from gambling – the Gaming Control Board. The Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice reports that…
Media
Read More: Gaming board raking in fat paychecksRegulation
Federal pay, benefits double private sector’s
New data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, summarized on GovExec.com, finds that the average pay and benefits for federal civilian workers was more than double that of…
Media
Read More: Federal pay, benefits double private sector’sHealth Care
The 1% Solution
In the daily travails of state government, it appears the Senate is prepared to take action best described as “self-reform.” According to reports, beginning as early as September, employees of…
Commentary
Read More: The 1% SolutionRegulation
Record Number of Lottery Losers
Governor Rendell issued a news release on the state lottery. Proud of what he calls “a success story of good government and an organization of which all Pennsylvanians can…
Media
Read More: Record Number of Lottery LosersRegulation
Getting state legislators to work is costly
Post-Gazette article on the cost to taxpayers of the travel of several state lawmakers. Just another example of a failure of many in cover to be frugal when someone…
Media
Read More: Getting state legislators to work is costlyRegulation
Manufacturing Job Loss in the Great Lakes Region
The Brookings Institution released a study on manufacturing jobs lost in the Great Lakes region. The numbers and findings are interesting: many of the nation’s manufacturing jobs “lost” were…
Media
Read More: Manufacturing Job Loss in the Great Lakes RegionRegulation
Pay raise still helps Stetler
The York Daily Record highlights how Rep. Steve Stetler from York will garner $2,000 more per year in pension payouts because he kept more than $9K in “unvouchered expenses”–unconstitutionally…
Media
Read More: Pay raise still helps StetlerRegulation
Pension system ‘a perfect storm’
More on the coming pension crisis in the York Daily Record. Side note: Democratic Rep. Steve Stetler–who is retiring in September to become the new Executive Director of the…
Media
Read More: Pension system ‘a perfect storm’Regulation
Sweet, sour of lawmaker pensions
More on lawmaker’s pensions and the coming crisis in the York Daily Record.
Media
Read More: Sweet, sour of lawmaker pensionsRegulation
Harrisburg pensions: 50 lawmakers leaving seats this year
Chambersburg Public Opinion on retiring lawmakers’ pensions and the need to fix the pension system.
Media
Read More: Harrisburg pensions: 50 lawmakers leaving seats this yearRegulation
21st Retiring Rep to Profit from Repealed Pay Raise
Rock the Capital reports that Rep. Steven Stetler, who announced this week he would be retiring from office in September, will receive a pension increase of over $2,000/year from…
Media
Read More: 21st Retiring Rep to Profit from Repealed Pay Raise