Education
Governor Shapiro’s Massive Budget Brings Excessive Spending, New Taxes, and Future Tax Hikes
Video statements for broadcast media are available here. Harrisburg, Pa., February 4, 2025 — Today, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered his 2025 Pennsylvania budget address, proposing a $3.9 billion spending increase.
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s Massive Budget Brings Excessive Spending, New Taxes, and Future Tax HikesPennsylvania’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
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?State Budget
Pennsylvania Budget in Focus
The Commonwealth Foundation will be testifying on the state budget today. Here are some quick facts on the budget: PA Senate Budget by the Numbers Pennsylvania Deficit…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget in FocusState Budget
Video: “Driving” Federal Debt
Here is a great video explaining the growth in federal debt in an easy to understand metaphor – i.e. how fast presidents are driving. George W. Bush “drove” faster…
Media
Read More: Video: “Driving” Federal DebtState Budget
Taxing An Infant Industry to Death
Home to the first oil well in the United States, Pennsylvania has returned to the drilling scene in recent years, looking to tap into an estimated 50 trillion cubic feet…
Commentary
Read More: Taxing An Infant Industry to DeathState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget by Department Under Rendell
Critics (mainly, recipients of taxpayer funds) of the budget passed by the Pennsylvania Senate last week decry it for cutting spending, claiming it is “jeopardizing access to hospital care…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget by Department Under RendellState Budget
Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Budget
HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today applauded the state Senate for passing a General Fund budget that counters Governor Rendell’s proposal to continue along the failed and unsustainable path…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate BudgetState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget Deficit Grows by Nearly $1 Billion
Both the Pennsylvania House Democrats and Republicans are reporting an April General Fund revenue shortfall of $941.5 million. I am still waiting for the report from the Department of…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Deficit Grows by Nearly $1 BillionState Budget
PA House Dems to Introduce Budget
Dwight Evans, chair of the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee, is scheduled to introduce the 2009-10 budget legislation “using the Rendell budget proposal as the basis.” They are also estimating…
Media
Read More: PA House Dems to Introduce Budget