Education
New Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Bipartisanship in Pa. Budget Process
Harrisburg, Pa., July 2, 2024 — As Gov. Josh Shapiro failed to enact the 2024–25 Pennsylvania budget by the June 30th deadline, voters overwhelmingly support increased bipartisanship in the budget process,…
Read More: New Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Bipartisanship in Pa. Budget ProcessPennsylvania’s complex state budget has enabled policymakers to keep taxpayers in the dark when it comes to state spending. Year after year, some elected officials use budget gimmicks to both make the budget appear balanced and to secure their own agendas. Pennsylvanians deserve reforms that bring true transparency to the budgeting process. We must limit spending growth to a sustainable rate, ensuring the state government—like hardworking taxpayers—live within its means.
2024 state budget resources
Education
Audio: Budget Impasse Debate
With the state budget impasse in its third month, funding for critical things such as education and social services remains in question. CF’s Elizabeth Stelle spoke with WHYY’s Marty Moss-Coane and opposite…
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Audio: Is Gov. Wolf Taking Hostages?
Gov. Wolf still refuses to back down from his budget demands–which include the largest tax hike in Pennsylvania’s history. Not only would this add an additional $1,425 in taxes on every family of…
Media
Read More: Audio: Is Gov. Wolf Taking Hostages?State Budget
Tax Hikes Threaten Debbie’s Flower Shop
Debbie is a small business owner. She operates Pealer's Flowers with her husband in Camp Hill, and they're worried about Gov. Tom Wolf's tax hikes. Debbie explains: “We're all doing…
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Audio: Weathering the Budget Impasse
Another day passes without a state budget in Pennsylvania, causing panic among public officials who can't pay the bills and among parents who have children attending schools unable to make payroll. Still, Gov.
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Audio: A Look at Gov. Wolf’s “Concessions”
As state budget negotiations drag on, Gov. Wolf is pointing the finger at Republicans, claiming they have refused to move after he made “concessions on everything.” So what compromises are included in…
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Read More: Audio: A Look at Gov. Wolf’s “Concessions”Education
Will Wolf Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer?
On June 30, state lawmakers passed a budget that offers $10.4 billion in state support for public schools. This represents an all-time high—indeed, an increase from last year’s all-time high—and…
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Read More: Will Wolf Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer?Regulation
Borrowing ‘Dumb’ Ideas on Pension Reform
Would you take out a second mortgage on your home to bet on the stock market? Such an idea deserves ridicule—if not alarm. You’d be putting your home and your…
Commentary
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Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Gambling Problem
There are numerous ways Gov. Wolf can balance the budget without raising taxes: reforming the pension system, cutting corporate welfare and selling the liquor business. Instead, he…
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Read More: Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Gambling ProblemState Budget
Audio: The Real Danger of a Severance Tax
The Pennsylvania state budget remains long overdue, mostly due to Gov. Wolf’s misconstrued idea of compromise. He continues to insist on a severance tax to increase education spending, but…
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Wolf’s ‘Compromise’ Rings Hollow
Wolf’s ‘Compromise’ Rings Hollow Who’s Really Being ‘Disingenuous’ During Budget Talks? As budget negotiations continue, Gov. Wolf recently called Republicans “disingenuous” for criticizing his pension “compromise.” But…
Press Release
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Gov. Wolf’s So-Called Compromise
Gov. Wolf proposed a new “compromise” on pensions and the budget last week, according to news reports. Here is what that compromise includes: A defined contribution plan for new…
Media
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Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Budget Blindspot
CF’s Nate Benefield joins Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT to discuss the budget impasse and Gov. Wolf’s misleading claims. During their conversation, Nate shed light on Gov.
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A Way Out of Budget Gridlock
With budget traffic at a standstill, how do we press through the roadblock to a resolution that benefits all Pennsylvanians?…
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Listen: Telephone Townhall on PA Budget and More
Matt Brouillette and Rich Zeoli of Talk Radio 1210 WPHT answer questions about the Pennsylvania budget during a telephone town hall. Matt explains how Gov. Wolf's tax plan that would smack…
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Read More: Listen: Telephone Townhall on PA Budget and MoreState Budget
Silly Talk with Gov. Wolf
Gov. Tom Wolf appeared on Radio Smart Talk yesterday morning. He mostly danced around host Scott LaMar's questions—claiming “You don't know what I’ve been supporting” on pension reform, and…
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Truth Lacking on ‘Schools That Teach’ Tour
Gov. Wolf’s 'Schools That Teach' public relations tour and statewide ad campaigns supporting him aren’t telling voters the truth about the budget impasse or the governor's tax proposal.
Commentary
Read More: Truth Lacking on ‘Schools That Teach’ TourRegulation
Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto Warns Wolf on Pension Bonds
This week, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto criticized Gov. Wolf’s plan to sell $3 billion in pension obligation bonds. In a meeting with editors and reporters from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,…
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Which States Have the Biggest Tax Increases?
Previously, we blogged on how Gov. Wolf’s tax proposal raises more revenue than the tax proposals in the 49 other states combined. To put this another way, Wolf’s $4.6 billion tax increase is nearly $4 billion more…
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Read More: Which States Have the Biggest Tax Increases?State Budget
Pay No Attention to Those Tax Increases!
The liberal Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center—an arm of the union-funded Keystone Research Center—has a new claim that Gov. Wolf's “property tax relief” is similiar to that in a bill passed…
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When Will Gov. Wolf Compromise?
My letter to the editor in the Times Leader today takes Gov. Wolf to task for claiming to compromise, while still insisting on his sales and income tax increases—the largest tax…
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Harrisburg is Ignoring the Biggest Budget Buster
Pop quiz: What’s the largest spending increase in Governor Tom Wolf’s budget proposal? You might assume education, as the governor has repeatedly insisted the state must reinvest in public schools.
Commentary
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