Prosperity
Time for Shapiro to Ditch Corporate Welfare and Cut Red Tape
Originally published at The Philadelphia Citizen For two years, Gov. Josh Shapiro has talked about the need for government to “move at the speed of business.” Though…
Read More: Time for Shapiro to Ditch Corporate Welfare and Cut Red TapePennsylvania’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
The O-Zone Hole
State and national governments sometimes designate “Economic Opportunity Zones,” geographic areas wherein they give tax breaks to incentivize investment. If opportunity zones are such a great idea, though, why not…
Media
Read More: The O-Zone HoleHealth Care
The Administrative Cost of Community Engagement Requirements in Medicaid
This is the first in a series of policy briefs looking at the common objections to implementing community engagement requirements, or work expectations, for healthy adults receiving benefits under Medicaid…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Administrative Cost of Community Engagement Requirements in MedicaidRegulation
Sparks Fly Over Creating a Carbon Tax in Pa.
Walk outs, tin foil hats, and shouts from the audience characterized a tense House Energy and Environmental Resources hearing on Governor Wolf’s executive order to join the Regional…
Media
Read More: Sparks Fly Over Creating a Carbon Tax in Pa.Regulation
Wolf’s Wage Mandate will Harm Workers
Fewer jobs, reduced hours, cuts to take home pay. That’s what Pennsylvanians are facing now that Gov. Wolf’s overtime wage mandates are moving forward. Initially, Wolf wanted to increase the…
Media
Read More: Wolf’s Wage Mandate will Harm WorkersRegulation
Fleeing Philly
Roughly 60,000 people leave Philadelphia every year, significantly more than those who move in from other towns or cities according to a Pew Charitable Trusts survey.[1]…
Media
Read More: Fleeing PhillyRegulation
Good Returns Won’t Close the Gap
The state teachers’ pension fund, PSERS, just reported a 6.7% return over the past twelve months. That is a very good investment return. Sadly, when starting from a deep…
Media
Read More: Good Returns Won’t Close the GapRegulation
RGGI Would Hurt Pennsylvanians
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a network of nine surrounding states that have imposed caps on CO2 emissions in a failed attempt to impact climate trends. Current member states have experienced increased…
Media
Read More: RGGI Would Hurt PennsylvaniansRegulation
Pensions and Pa’s Poor Fiscal Health
Pennsylvania recently underwent a “fiscal physical’ and didn’t exactly come out with a clean bill of health. Truth in Accounting, an economic think tank, recently released its report on the…
Media
Read More: Pensions and Pa’s Poor Fiscal HealthRegulation
Mimosa Monopoly
Pennsylvania is waging a secret war on millennials. Okay, maybe not on millennials, but definitely on brunch, and that’s pretty much the same thing. The deleterious effect of Pennsylvania’s sky-high…
Media
Read More: Mimosa MonopolyRegulation
The Liquor Control Board is a Jobs Program, Not a Business
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) recently announced “record sales and record net income” for the year ended June 30th. Such wording is the language of a business proudly…
Media
Read More: The Liquor Control Board is a Jobs Program, Not a BusinessRegulation
The Broken Promise of Flexible Liquor Pricing
The Liquor Control Board told the public it would use its expanded pricing powers for consumer benefit. Instead it has used them to benefit only itself.
Memo
Read More: The Broken Promise of Flexible Liquor PricingRegulation
Employment for Disabled Workers is Up, but Regulations are Holding Them Back
Lyft, a major ride sharing company, rolled out a feature to make it easier for those who are deaf or hard of hearing to be employed as a driver. The labor…
Media
Read More: Employment for Disabled Workers is Up, but Regulations are Holding Them BackRegulation
Black Market Lemonade
Lemonade stands are about as American as apple pie and baseball. Kids all over the country set up their stands hoping to earn a little spending money. Often, this is…
Media
Read More: Black Market LemonadeRegulation
Cigarette Taxes Target the Poor
The founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, believed strong liberty of conscience was essential to a flourishing society. But Pennsylvania’s current slough of sin taxes shrug off Penn’s warning. Pennsylvania’s sin…
Media
Read More: Cigarette Taxes Target the PoorRegulation
Corporate Welfare Is the Gift That Just Keeps Taking
Less than a year ago Pennsylvania’s state government offered Amazon billions in tax incentives to bring its HQ-2 location here. Amazon said no. But, when the commerce giant decided to open…
Media
Read More: Corporate Welfare Is the Gift That Just Keeps TakingRegulation
No More Food Stamps for Millionaires
Leroy Fick won $2 million playing the Michigan lottery. He bought a new home and a costly car, all while collecting taxpayer-funded food stamps. Fick and stories like his…
Media
Read More: No More Food Stamps for MillionairesRegulation
Government-Run Booze Losing Across the Nation: Will Pa. be Next?
The Supreme Court delivered several high-profile rulings this summer on issues including partisan gerrymandering and the census citizenship question. A lesser-known case, Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas, will also…
Media
Read More: Government-Run Booze Losing Across the Nation: Will Pa. be Next?Regulation
Only Six Months in and Pension Reform Is Already Making a Difference
Planting a fruit tree. Saving up for a cruise. Raising kids. Good results take time and patience. That’s definitely been true for pension reform. Passed back in 2017, the impacts…
Media
Read More: Only Six Months in and Pension Reform Is Already Making a DifferenceGovernment Accountability
Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and Unconstitutional
A wise buyer should always read the fine print, but it isn’t easy. Documents like cell phone contracts and software user agreements can be hard to read, often by design. The dense language…
Media
Read More: Budget Earmarks: Sneaky and UnconstitutionalRegulation
Consumers not Bureaucrats Should Determine the Number of Liquor Licenses
The return of expired liquor licenses—miraculous resurrection or terrifying zombification? Well, depends on who you ask. Since 2016, when Act 39 allowed expired liquor licenses to return to the…
Media
Read More: Consumers not Bureaucrats Should Determine the Number of Liquor LicensesRegulation
Liquor Privatization: Time to Push Again
A Pennsylvania grocery or convenience store can be a confusing place. Out-of-state visitors are puzzled when they first encounter separate checkout lines for alcohol and non-alcoholic items. Last-minute party planners…
Media
Read More: Liquor Privatization: Time to Push Again