Education
Governor Shapiro’s 2025 Budget Proposal: An Extreme Spending Binge
Overview Gov. Josh Shapiro’s radical overspending exacerbates what is already a massive budget deficit. His plan imposes new taxes this year and will force extreme tax hikes on working families…
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s 2025 Budget Proposal: An Extreme Spending BingePennsylvania’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.
State Budget
Are There WAMs in the PA Budget?
A reader called our office today, following a conversation with his local lawmakers, who denied there were any WAMs in the budget, and claimed there had not been in many…
Media
Read More: Are There WAMs in the PA Budget?State Budget
Voters Blame Politicians’ Overspending for Budget Woes
Reason highlights a new Rasmussen Poll on state budget crises. A whopping 75% of voters blame current budget crises on politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending. Only 13% think…
Media
Read More: Voters Blame Politicians’ Overspending for Budget WoesRegulation
Pet Projects Lap Up Funds
State Legislators awarding funds to pet projects flies in the faces of Pennsylvanians who want their state to eliminate a deficit before tapping revenue for pet projects. Capitolwire (subscription)…
Media
Read More: Pet Projects Lap Up FundsRegulation
The Real Problem with the Specter Library
As part of the state budget deal, Gov. Rendell secured $600 million in new borrowing for pork-barrel projects, including $10 million for the "Arlen Specter Library" at Philadelphia University and…
Commentary
Read More: The Real Problem with the Specter LibraryGovernment Accountability
Gubernatorial Candidates Criticize RCAP
In a somewhat welcome surprise, both candidates for governor (Onorato and Corbett) criticized Rendell’s RCAP projects in the budget amounting to some $300 million dollars. The political legacy projects are the…
Media
Read More: Gubernatorial Candidates Criticize RCAPState Budget
PA Relies on Federal Bailout of Unemployment Fund
A tsunami of debt is scheduled to hit the state in the next two years. One aspect, the pension bomb, has been well publicized, but the $3 billion in…
Media
Read More: PA Relies on Federal Bailout of Unemployment FundRegulation
PA Taxpayers to Build Specter Library, Murtha Center
Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire (subscription) reports today that the line items from the RACP legislation ($600 million in borrowing for corporate welfare, included as part of the budget deal),…
Media
Read More: PA Taxpayers to Build Specter Library, Murtha CenterGovernment Accountability
Will the Budget Include an Independent Fiscal Office?
With much to jeer in this year’s budget one silver lining is the proposed Independent Fiscal Office. That is, if House Democrats don’t kill the proposal. Language to create…
Media
Read More: Will the Budget Include an Independent Fiscal Office?Regulation
Another Budget Trick Revealed
During our PA Budget Chat yesterday, we were commenting on how the the line item for School Employees’ Retirement – i.e., the state’s contribution to teacher’s pensions – was…
Media
Read More: Another Budget Trick RevealedState Budget
PA Senate Passes State Budget
Today, the the Pennsylvania Senate passed the state budget by a vote of 37-13. The no votes were: Alloway, Argall, Earll, Eichelberger,…
Media
Read More: PA Senate Passes State BudgetState Budget
Ten Facts about the PA Budget Deal
Legislative leaders and Gov. Rendell reached an agreement on a PA state budget deal yesterday. Here are some facts about the $28.05 billion new spending plan: Lawmakers were able…
Media
Read More: Ten Facts about the PA Budget DealEducation
Politics Making a Mess of Education
It appears Gov. Rendell has succeeded in getting an increase in education spending for the FY 2010-11 budget. Despite the fact that enrollment is down across the Commonwealth…
Media
Read More: Politics Making a Mess of EducationRegulation
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Corporate Taxes
The Commonwealth has the second highest state corporate income tax (behind Iowa, which has more generous deductions and exemptions). When compounding state and federal corporate taxes, Pennsylvania's corporate income tax…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Corporate TaxesEducation
Pennsylvania Education Spending
Pennsylvania's education spending increased from $4 billion in 1980 to over $25 billion in 2009-a 133% increase in per-pupil spending, after adjusting for inflation. School construction and debt spending has…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Education SpendingGovernment Accountability
PA Senate Commission IDs Spending Cuts
In February, the Senate established a bipartisan commission to identify cost-savings measure for the Pennsylvania state budget could save money. David Argall, the chairman of…
Media
Read More: PA Senate Commission IDs Spending CutsState Budget
Latest PA Budget Update from Sen. Pileggi
PA Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi was the speaker at today’s Press Club in Harrisburg, offering some updates on the budget negotiations, and some comments on the fiscal cliff Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: Latest PA Budget Update from Sen. PileggiState Budget
RE: Balancing the PA Budget with Gimmicks
Lawmakers have found new opposition to their plan to taked money from other funds to balance the budget. The Executive Director of Renew Growing Greener, Andrew Heath, encouraged…
Media
Read More: RE: Balancing the PA Budget with GimmicksState Budget
Balancing the PA Budget with Gimmicks
The temperature is in the 90s in Harrisburg this week, and most folks are wearing short sleeves. One exception is budget negotiators, who are still keeping plenty of tricks up…
Media
Read More: Balancing the PA Budget with GimmicksGovernment Accountability
How to Discourage Accounting Gimmicks in the Budget
The Rendell administration celebrated the end of the tax amnesty program bringing in $261 million, well above projected revenues. But Capitolwire (subscription only) reminds us the Governor was originally…
Media
Read More: How to Discourage Accounting Gimmicks in the BudgetState Budget
Time for A Taxpayer’s Budget
HARRISBURG, PA —The Commonwealth Foundation today released A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania, a report identifying $4 billion in…
Press Release
Read More: Time for A Taxpayer’s BudgetEducation
A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania
A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania identifies opportunities to cut over $4 billion in wasteful state spending in Gov. Rendell's proposed FY 2010-11 budget. The report also offers…
Report
Read More: A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania