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
“Pork” database passed
Reuters Story on the passage of legislation that would create a new web database of all pork barrel grants. Hopefully transparency is but the first step in reducing wasteful…
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Read More: “Pork” database passedGovernment Accountability
Judicial pay raise outrage
WHP CBS21 coverage of the pay raise ruling, featuring video of our very own Matthew Brouillette talking with angry callers.
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Read More: Judicial pay raise outrageGovernment Accountability
Summary of Supreme Court Ruling on Pay Raise
The PA Supreme Court Opinion on the pay raise, issued today (view the last two pages for the Conclusion) makes the following decisions: 1) The repeal (Act 72 of…
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Read More: Summary of Supreme Court Ruling on Pay RaiseState Budget
Earmark Showdown
Wall Street Journal article on a couple of bills expected to come up in Congress this week that would address pork barrel spending. While these bills wouldn’t reduce spending,…
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Read More: Earmark ShowdownRegulation
Getting state legislators to work is costly
Post-Gazette article on the cost to taxpayers of the travel of several state lawmakers. Just another example of a failure of many in cover to be frugal when someone…
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Read More: Getting state legislators to work is costlyState Budget
States Looking to Spending Caps
While legislation limiting the growth of state spending in Pennsylvania (the “Taxpayer Fairness Act”) has stalled in the House Rules Committee, at least six states will be having ballot initiatives…
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Read More: States Looking to Spending CapsState Budget
Budgeting in Neverland
Policy Analysis from the Cato Institute on how Congress overspends because they only hear from the spending lobby, not taxpayers, during the budget process. The same can be said…
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Read More: Budgeting in NeverlandState Budget
Whiskey and Car Keys
Author P.J. O’Rourke once wrote: “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” He must have been thinking about Gov. Rendell and…
Commentary
Read More: Whiskey and Car KeysState Budget
Governor Rendell’s Sense of Irony
On the anniversary of the 2005 pay raise, Governor Rendell will be handing out pork in the Capitol … non-metaphorical pork in this case. From News Release: HARRISBURG…
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Read More: Governor Rendell’s Sense of IronyState Budget
Budget Coverage
Some press coverage of the late night/early morning state budget deal: Herald Standard (Commonwealth Foundation quoted)Pittsburgh TribPost Gazette (Commonwealth Foundation quoted)Philadelphia Inquirer (Commonwealth…
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Read More: Budget CoverageState Budget
Rendell: Budget Could Be Worse
Governor Rendell names states who will be increasing their budgets faster than PA. Ironically, his list is identical to our list of “States we least want to emulate.” From…
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Read More: Rendell: Budget Could Be WorseState Budget
Budget expected to win support
Budget story in the Patriot-News… “Democrats are having a field day watching the Republicans help negotiate a budget that spends more than the 4 percent increase Rendell proposed in…
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Read More: Budget expected to win supportRegulation
Senators vs. Pork
Not a game between minor league baseball teams, but three State Senators (Jane Orie, R-Allison Park, Pat Vance, R-Silver Spring Twp, and Pat Browne, R-Allentown) trying to Shift Focus…
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Read More: Senators vs. PorkRegulation
Oink-oink: Spend, spend, spend
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on corporate welfare and ‘walking around money’: “Better for Pennsylvanians if their money never ‘walked’ at all.”…
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Read More: Oink-oink: Spend, spend, spendPublic Union Democracy
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Fine tribute to public sector unions, paid for with your tax dollars. I guess we were wrong to identify the Historical and Museum Commission as an example of pork…
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Read More: Your Tax Dollars at WorkEducation
Arrogant PHEAA: More stonewalling
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial review on how the public agency PHEAA refuses to disclose how they spend their money. Hence we propose privatizing PHEAA in our Pennsylvania Piglet…
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Read More: Arrogant PHEAA: More stonewallingEducation
Cut the Fat
While Gov. Ed Rendell claims that his administration is “squeezing every nickel out of government,” an analysis of state spending released by the Commonwealth Foundation and Citizens Against Government Waste…
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Read More: Cut the FatState Budget
Don’t spend state surplus; instead trim the pork : The Morning Call Online
Commonwealth Foundation Fellow Grant Gulibon in today’s Morning Call.
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Read More: Don’t spend state surplus; instead trim the pork : The Morning Call OnlineState Budget
Cut (half) the Waste!
Williamsport Sun-Gazette editorial on the Pennsylvania Piglet Book 2006.
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Read More: Cut (half) the Waste!State Budget
Ending Pennsylvanias Business as Usual Budget
The General Assembly’s post-primary return to Harrisburg signals the start of budget season in Pennsylvania—and taxpayers all across the Commonwealth should be clutching their wallets a little tighter in nervous…
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Read More: Ending Pennsylvanias Business as Usual BudgetState Budget
When Fish is Really Pork
A press release from the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) attempts to justify the Fish Fund as a core function of government. However, we maintain our assertion…
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Read More: When Fish is Really Pork