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
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 BudgetRegulation
Public Television Subsidies
Testimony from the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania House State Government CommitteeApril 28, 2008 We would like to thank the members of the House State…
Testimony
Read More: Public Television SubsidiesState Budget
More on Murtha Airport
Congressman John Murtha’s monument to himself – John Murtha airport – has gotten a lot of coverage lately. First, here is the CNN Clip, in which the airport…
Media
Read More: More on Murtha AirportState Budget
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2009
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the April revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $2.55 billion short for the fiscal year to date. Governor Rendell had estimated…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2009State Budget
Murtha Gets Earmark for Murtha Airport
This has been making the rounds, but the Washington Post has a detailed article about how Congressman Jack Murtha has gotten hundreds of millions of dollars over the years,…
Media
Read More: Murtha Gets Earmark for Murtha AirportGovernment Accountability
Schroder Bills to Save PA Taxpayers Over $600 Million
State Rep. Curt Schroder has unveiled a number of legislative proposals which, by his estimates would save Pennsylvania taxpayers well over $600 million annually. House Bill 1056…
Media
Read More: Schroder Bills to Save PA Taxpayers Over $600 MillionState Budget
Oink, Oink
Today, Citizens Against Government Waste released its 2009 Congressional Pig Book. The report identifies over 10,000 pork-barrel projects in the federal budget, costing hard-working American’s over $19 billion. Examples…
Media
Read More: Oink, OinkRegulation
Jobs and the Economy
Testimony of Mathew J. Brouillette, President & CEO, Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania House Majority Policy CommitteeApril 14, 2009 Thank you Chairman Sturla for the…
Testimony
Read More: Jobs and the EconomyState Budget
Updated Pennsylvania Revenue Shortfall Projections
Following an Open Records request, the PA Office of the Budget provided us the their latest projections for General Fund revenue collections. The number for media, lawmakers, and policy nerds…
Media
Read More: Updated Pennsylvania Revenue Shortfall ProjectionsState Budget
Obama’s Budget: More of the Same You Can Believe In
The Cato Institute’s Chris Edwards has the latest Tax and Budget bulletin, with an updated analysis of spending by president. The bulletin reiterates what Cato has been saying…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Budget: More of the Same You Can Believe InState Budget
Sanford to Refuse Stimulus Funds – Example for Rendell
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has announced he will reject much of the federal stimulus dollars coming to his state. Like Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, he recognizes that…
Media
Read More: Sanford to Refuse Stimulus Funds – Example for RendellState Budget
Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too High
A poll conducted by the NFIB shows that Pennsylvania voters think that taxes are too high – no surprise there, except to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, who…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too HighState Budget
What do Economists Agree On?
Greg Mankiw posts a selection from his textbook on what economists agree on, from a survey. I am not suprised to see economists overwhelmingly support free trade, as that…
Media
Read More: What do Economists Agree On?Government Accountability
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009 identifies $5 billion in unhealthy state spending in FY 2008-09 and offers a series of recommendations to both resolve the current revenue shortfall…
Report
Read More: Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009Regulation
CF Report Finds $5 billion in Gov’t Waste
State gov’t overspending is impeding prosperity and burdening taxpayers HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today released Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009, a report that spotlights how the…
Press Release
Read More: CF Report Finds $5 billion in Gov’t WasteState Budget
Commonwealth Foundation Statement on Gov. Ed Rendell’s Budget Address
HARRISBURG, PA — Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Matthew J. Brouillette issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Rendell’s 2009-10 Budget Address: “Gov. Rendell’s reliance on one-time federal…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Statement on Gov. Ed Rendell’s Budget Address