Education
Lawmakers can ease financial worries of Pennsylvanians
Originally published at LNP The struggle is real. When asked about their families’ financial situation, only 17% of Pennsylvanians see themselves as better off now than two years ago,…
Read More: Lawmakers can ease financial worries of PennsylvaniansHigh taxes make for a slow-growing economy. And communities feel the pinch of high taxes as more and more native Pennsylvanians leave the Keystone State to prosper elsewhere. To remain economically competitive, Pennsylvania must lower state taxes and ensure businesses have the opportunity to succeed. Lower taxes will incentivize more individuals to call Pennsylvania their home, ultimately spurring our statewide economy forward.
Regulation
Paper or Plastic?
This morning I came across a ridiculous piece of legislation. Rep. McGeehan has proposed HB 2200, which would ban paper and plastic bags in grocery stores. Forget subtle…
Media
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Climategate & Penn State
Just days after news broke about what has been dubbed "Climategate," Penn State University (PSU) announced that it would investigate the conduct of Michael Mann, a professor in PSU's Department…
Fact Sheet
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Government Spending on Transportation Not Creating Jobs
The AP has a new story out today on how “stimulus” road spending has had little effect on unemployment. Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it…
Media
Read More: Government Spending on Transportation Not Creating JobsTaxes & Economy
Why are Electricity Rates Increasing? Has Competition Failed?
In the past few weeks ConEdison, MX Energy, and now Dominion Energy are raising their rates (this only affects those who haven’t switched). Far from failure, the…
Media
Read More: Why are Electricity Rates Increasing? Has Competition Failed?Regulation
Pennsylvania’s Gold Rush
In economically depressed Northeast Pennsylvania shale drilling has reinvigorated local economies creating thousands of jobs (29,000) last year. Yesterday, Fox News featured the region and the Marcellus Shale “gold rush”.
Media
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Still Movin’ Out
The Billy Joel song Movin’ Out sounds more eerie and more depressing every year that Pennsylvania continues to lose people. Allied Van Lines has released its 42nd Annual Magnet…
Media
Read More: Still Movin’ OutEnergy
Citizen’s Guide to Electric Choice & Competition
In the late 1990s, Pennsylvania's electricity rates were 15% above the national average, despite the abundance of low-cost coal generation in the Commonwealth. At that time, electricity was sold by…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Citizen’s Guide to Electric Choice & CompetitionTaxes & Economy
Financial Crisis: What Went Wrong
In December, Big Think, an online global forum released its series ‘What Went Wrong’, an eight week web-based series examining the causes of the financial crisis. This series brings…
Media
Read More: Financial Crisis: What Went WrongState Budget
The Stimulus and State Budgets
The Wall Street Journal had a recent editorial on the impact of the stimulus on state budgets – noting that while the legislation create a one-time bailout to states,…
Media
Read More: The Stimulus and State BudgetsTaxes & Economy
Climategate Investigator Seeks Whistleblowers at Penn State
An investigator into the “climategate” controversy has emailed all of Penn State professor Michael Mann’s colleagues, highlighting the reward for those who blow the whistle on misuse of federal…
Media
Read More: Climategate Investigator Seeks Whistleblowers at Penn StateHealth Care
Attorneys General Threaten Lawsuit over Federal Health Care Bill
Attorneys General from 13 states, including Pennsylvania’s Tom Corbett, have threatened a lawsuit over pending health care legislation. (HT Tony…
Media
Read More: Attorneys General Threaten Lawsuit over Federal Health Care BillTaxes & Economy
The Success of Electricity Deregulation in Texas
Here are some recent numbers, from our friends at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, illustrating the success of electricity deregulation. Since 2007 Texas’ electricity market has been fully deregulated…
Media
Read More: The Success of Electricity Deregulation in TexasHealth Care
Cynics on Why to Support the Health Care Bill
Quiet Declarations has a good blog post on why to support the Senate health care bill, basically outlining three rationales. One, if you want to pass any bill to…
Media
Read More: Cynics on Why to Support the Health Care BillTaxes & Economy
Major Victory for Electricity Generators on Mercury Rule
Last Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld a decision made earlier this year by a Pennsylvania Court Judge who decided the Department of Environmental Protection’s attempt to regulate statewide…
Media
Read More: Major Victory for Electricity Generators on Mercury RuleTaxes & Economy
A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The top-heavy PTC, with more than 2,000 employees, is responsible for overseeing an exponentially smaller infrastructure than PennDOT. The PTC manages 537 miles of turnpike highways; PennDOT manages nearly 40,000…
Commentary
Read More: A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike CommissionHealth Care
Challenging the Constitutionality of Health Care Legislation
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is joining with a number of other state AG‘s (latest count is 10 attorneys general) to challenge the “Nebraska Compromise” in the latest…
Media
Read More: Challenging the Constitutionality of Health Care LegislationTaxes & Economy
Climate Change Action Plan Fails to Balance Evidence
HARRISBURG, PA – The Commonwealth Foundation today expressed dissatisfaction with the process and conclusion of the Climate Change Advisory Committee’s (CCAC) action plan for Pennsylvania. The plan deviates from key…
Press Release
Read More: Climate Change Action Plan Fails to Balance EvidenceHealth Care
Legislators Pack Health Care Legislation with Christmas Presents – For Themselves
This is the time of the year when most people are so busy with holiday preparations they lose track of what the government is doing with their hard-earned tax money.
Media
Read More: Legislators Pack Health Care Legislation with Christmas Presents – For ThemselvesTaxes & Economy
Lessons of Scrooge
Tony Phyrillas points to a DotPenn article on “Why Scrooge is a Progressive.” While DotPenn is typically a satire/humor blog, the the lesson of Ebenezer Scrooge is…
Media
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Final Numbers: Bush Biggest Spender Since LBJ
Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute updates the numbers on federal spending under George W. Bush with the final spending for FY 2009 in the books. While some of…
Media
Read More: Final Numbers: Bush Biggest Spender Since LBJTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvanians More Unhappy Than Most
As the winter rolls around there is a lot to be unhappy about especially in the northeast regions of the United States. It is no wonder the a new…
Media
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