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.
Health Care
State Budget Crises?
Cato’s Chris Edwards blasts the Wall Street Journal (and other media outlets) for their uncritical coverage of state budget “shortfalls.” The Times “treats any needed spending restraint as a…
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Read More: State Budget Crises?State Budget
What Congress is up to
While the Pennsylvania General Assembly is on vacation, Congress is not – and they are up to no good. 1) The House passed the housing bailout bill, which backs…
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Read More: What Congress is up toState Budget
Congress’s Edifice Complex
John Fund borrows the epithet Edifice Complex to describe Congressman’s (along with Governor’s) penchant for using taxpayer funds to construct projects named for themselves – e.g. Paul…
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Read More: Congress’s Edifice ComplexState Budget
Kanjorski Earmark Denied
The US Department of Transportation is refusing to fund an earmark put in place by Rep. Kanjorski. The earmark was intended to fund a parking garage near Kanjorski’s monument…
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Read More: Kanjorski Earmark DeniedState Budget
Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budget
No one can say we didn’t warn lawmakers that their 4.06% increase in spending for the 2008-09 fiscal year was not fiscally prudent. The AP reports that Rendell,…
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Read More: Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budgetRegulation
Time to end earmarks and WAMs
Good op-ed in the Patriot News by William G. Williams on the need to end Congressional earmarks and WAMs by the PA General Assembly: For years in…
Media
Read More: Time to end earmarks and WAMsGovernment Accountability
What can we cut?
An anonymous poster to GrassrootsPA defends the recently enacted state budget against criticism from the Commonwealth Foundation, along with that in other comments. The budget…
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Read More: What can we cut?State Budget
Will this budget’s ink be red in 2009?
No, that’s not our headline, but Pete DeCoursey‘s at Capitolwire.com…
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Read More: Will this budget’s ink be red in 2009?Government Accountability
More Spending, More Debt, Less Transparency
Commonwealth Foundation expresses disappointment in overall budget deal HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation provided its perspective on the FY 2008-09 budget agreement making its way to the governor’s…
Press Release
Read More: More Spending, More Debt, Less TransparencyState Budget
New budget may mean deficit, higher taxes
Marc Levy of the AP reports that the new $28.2 budget agreement may, according to Senate officials (both Republicans and Democrats), result in a budget deficit of $1 billion…
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Read More: New budget may mean deficit, higher taxesState Budget
PA Budget Secrecy
Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire asks an interesting question. Since lawmakers are likely to vote on the budget tomorrow (given they don’t want to come in on the 4th and they…
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Read More: PA Budget SecrecyState Budget
New borrowing in budget deal
While we are still waiting to see many of the details on the budget agreement, here are the numbers on borrowing that have been revealed. The new agreement…
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Read More: New borrowing in budget dealGovernment Accountability
The state budget: Secret sham
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorializes on the secret nature of the budget negotiations and the wheeling and dealing that occurs behind closed doors.
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Read More: The state budget: Secret shamState Budget
Budget Deal Reached
While taxpayers and state workers slept, lawmakers shook hands on a budget deal. John Micek has some of the details, as does the Patriot News. General Fund budget:…
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Read More: Budget Deal ReachedState Budget
Stop the Borrowing: $110B is Enough!
HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation sounded an alarm today that both Governor Rendell and state lawmakers are poised to take citizens deeper into debt. “Putting the people of…
Press Release
Read More: Stop the Borrowing: $110B is Enough!Regulation
House Republicans Highlight Debt, Rendell Spending
AP article on House Republicans (at least some of them) noting the enormous burden of debt on Pennsylvania taxpayers before voting on more borrowing for corporate welfare.
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Read More: House Republicans Highlight Debt, Rendell SpendingGovernment Accountability
Perzel, Fumo at Secret Budget Negotiations
John Micek reports on the details of the secret budget negotiations: The players last night:House Dems: Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, Whip Keith McCall and Appropriations Chair Dwight…
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Read More: Perzel, Fumo at Secret Budget NegotiationsState Budget
Pennsylvania Senate Proposes Spending Diet
Low-growth budget is a step in the right direction, but will House and Governor agree? HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed a state spending plan for the upcoming…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Senate Proposes Spending DietState Budget
Senate Passes Trimmed Down Budget
Tired of waiting for the House Democrats to pass a budget bill, the Senate today passed their own version (as an amendment to supplemental appropriations for last year).
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Read More: Senate Passes Trimmed Down BudgetState Budget
Rendell: Furloughs to begin July 1
The Rendell administration has announced that furloughs of non-essential state workers (which includes everyone but state troopers, prison guards, liquor store clerks, casino regulators, and of course, legislative staffers…
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Read More: Rendell: Furloughs to begin July 1State Budget
Put Pennsylvania on a Spending Diet
The Burden of Taxes In 2008, the average working Pennsylvanian will labor 111 days just to pay his or her federal, state, and local taxes—the equivalent of working January 1…
Press Release
Read More: Put Pennsylvania on a Spending Diet