Education
Governor Shapiro’s Reckless 2026–27 Budget Proposal
Overview Gov. Josh Shapiro’s unaffordable budget worsens Pennsylvania’s structural deficit. The governor proposes nearly $53.26 billion in general fund spending, a 6.3 percent increase over the 2025–26 enacted budget. He…
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s Reckless 2026–27 Budget ProposalPennsylvania’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
Check out Pork Parade
Congressman Jeff Flake has a new website to expose Pork from Washington. To contribute to the discussion, you can twitter with the code #pork. Twitter users can also…
Media
Read More: Check out Pork ParadeState Budget
Rendell orders budget cuts, hiring freeze
Following reports that tax revenue is well behind projections, Governor Rendell has announced plans to reduce state spending by $200 million, including ending (taxpayer funded) out-of-state travel by…
Media
Read More: Rendell orders budget cuts, hiring freezeState Budget
Why state governments spend too much
A report from the Rockefeller Institute at SUNY (news release) looks at state and local government spending on social welfare. After adjusting for inflation, they found that expenditures…
Media
Read More: Why state governments spend too muchState Budget
Lancaster County delegation doles out $3 million in WAMs
LancasterOnline breaks down the taxpayer-funded pork projects (WAMs) awarded by Lancaster County lawmakers. (HT: GrassrootsPA)…
Media
Read More: Lancaster County delegation doles out $3 million in WAMsState Budget
Who opposed the Bridge to Nowhere?
NTU sums up the “Bridge to Nowhere” opposition: Sarah Palin has declared she said “thanks, but no thanks” on the Bridge to Nowhere. And it’s true, that she stopped…
Media
Read More: Who opposed the Bridge to Nowhere?Regulation
Corporate Welfare 101
Philadelphia Inquirer story on how the Lancaster Convention Center project has spun out of control – with dramatic cost increases (from an initial $30 million to over $100 million),…
Media
Read More: Corporate Welfare 101State Budget
Most Pennsylvania Congressmen fail rating of pork votes
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste released their 2007 Congressional ratings, ranking members on their votes on pork-barrel spending. Among the Pennsylvania delegation, only Joe Pitts scores above…
Media
Read More: Most Pennsylvania Congressmen fail rating of pork votesState Budget
He’s not Santa Claus
The Herald Standard has an editorial about all of Governor Rendell’s taxpayer-funded “gifts” to Pennsylvania. While they don’t claim that any of these expenditures are misguided (though we pull…
Media
Read More: He’s not Santa ClausRegulation
Rendellconomics 101
Morning Call piece piece by Jarrett Renshaw debates the merits of Rendell’s economic policies – borrowing (to be paid by taxpayers) to give handouts to his favorite projects like…
Media
Read More: Rendellconomics 101State Budget
Is the “far right” a losing proposition?
Michael Smerconish – who gets mis-identified as a conservative due to his shaved head and glasses – calls for the GOP to act more “moderate” in order to win…
Media
Read More: Is the “far right” a losing proposition?State Budget
Spend Less on Pork, Voters Say
Pat Toomey comments in the Wall Street Journal on public opinion of pork spending: The idea that bringing home federal dollars is integral to a politician’s job…
Media
Read More: Spend Less on Pork, Voters SayHealth 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…
Media
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…
Media
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…
Media
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…
Media
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,…
Media
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…
Media
Read More: New budget may mean deficit, higher taxes