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
State Budget
Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the Tree
Gov. Rendell’s hypocrisy on tax policy is on full display this budget season. While Rendell is demanding higher taxes on individuals and most businesses, he is also working to preserve…
Commentary
Read More: Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the TreeState Budget
Why Don’t Men Like to Wear Condoms?
No, we haven’t been spammed. But if the question of ‘Why men don’t like to wear condoms?’ doesn’t seem an apt topic for PolicyBlog, does it seem an appropriate subject…
Media
Read More: Why Don’t Men Like to Wear Condoms?State Budget
Lawmakers Working Hard on the PA Budget?
If fundraising for the next campaign is considered working out the details of the state budget, Pennsylvania lawmakers are hard at it. John Micek points out no fewer than…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers Working Hard on the PA Budget?State Budget
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes Pledge
Twenty-nine Pennsylvania Legislators have signed American for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge, including six Democrats. Click here to see exactly what they pledged not to do. Assuming politicians…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes PledgeState Budget
Cash for Rich People Who Drive Hummers
It is pretty clear that the Cash for Clunkers proposal is a dumb idea to intervene government in the economy and distort the market (or as Charlie Dent…
Media
Read More: Cash for Rich People Who Drive HummersRegulation
Another $1.3 Billion In Cuts for Governor Rendell
At the cabinet meeting yesterday (which the Commonwealth Foundation was escorted out of by security, being told it was a “closed meeting”, while media and staff for the PA…
Media
Read More: Another $1.3 Billion In Cuts for Governor RendellState Budget
Pennsylvania’s Income Tax Competitiveness
The New York Times covered Gov. Rendell’s proposed 16% increase in the Personal Income Tax. Immediately before citing the Commonwealth Foundation, the article states that “Pennsylvania currently has the…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Income Tax CompetitivenessState Budget
Rendell’s propaganda machine
Brad Bumsted’s latest column wraps up some of the more absurd rhetoric coming from the Rendell administration about the Senate version of the Pennsylvania budget: The bill…
Media
Read More: Rendell’s propaganda machineState Budget
Gov. Rendell Calls the Kettle Black
The Sun-Gazette has a recent article on the Pennsylvania state budget titled “Rendell lashes out at Senate plan”. It didn’t sound like something that would surprise me – but…
Media
Read More: Gov. Rendell Calls the Kettle BlackState Budget
Do PA Democrats Really Want Higher Taxes? Probably Not.
While Gov. Rendell and House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans are talking up a potential increase in Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax, some of the rank and file Democrats are…
Media
Read More: Do PA Democrats Really Want Higher Taxes? Probably Not.Education
Bob Casey Still Needs to Read the Stimulus Bill
Sen. Bob Casey – in remarks designed to counter the facts laid out by the Commonwealth Foundation, namely that Pennsylvania school districts will get a dramatic increase in…
Media
Read More: Bob Casey Still Needs to Read the Stimulus BillEducation
Bonus Fact Check: Government Preschool
One point that has been raised during the Rendell administration’s taxpayer funding lobbying campaign for higher taxes was the benefits of the Pre-K Counts programs. On this, we…
Media
Read More: Bonus Fact Check: Government PreschoolEducation
Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850
While the Rendell administration is burning your tax dollars funding a bus tour across Pennsylvania to ask for more education spending (and the higher taxes needed to pay for…
Media
Read More: Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850State Budget
“Cuts First, Taxes Last”
The Philadelphia Inquirer comes out with an editorial calling for cutting wasteful spending in the state budget before talking about a tax increase. Here are some of the points…
Media
Read More: “Cuts First, Taxes Last”Education
Budget Facts 2009: Spending Increases by Department
Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Spending Increases by DepartmentEducation
Budget Facts 2009: State Education Spending
Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2009: State Education SpendingState Budget
PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher Taxes
Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans is again trumpeting the calls for a higher state income taxes in the Tribune Review. Despite billions in federal dollars flowing into…
Media
Read More: PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher TaxesGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget Debate
With the approach of June 30th and the end of the state’s fiscal year comes the annual argument in Harrisburg over Pennsylvania’s budget. With Senate Republicans having passed a spending…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget DebateState Budget
Need to Review Speed Limits in PA?
The Tribune Review has an article today noting that Pennsylvania is one of few states, and the only one of our neighbors, that doesn’t have a speed limit greater…
Media
Read More: Need to Review Speed Limits in PA?Regulation
Now is the Time to Practice Fiscal Restraint
Testimony of Mathew J. Brouillette President & CEO, Commonwealth Foundation, to the PA House Appropriations Committee Thank you for the invitation to share the Commonwealth Foundation’s analysis and perspective on…
Testimony
Read More: Now is the Time to Practice Fiscal RestraintState Budget
Budget Hearings a Taxpayer-Funded Sham?
The Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee is holding hearings on the vesion of the state budget passed by the Senate (see here for more on that) today and tomorrow. Yet…
Media
Read More: Budget Hearings a Taxpayer-Funded Sham?