Prosperity
New Year, New Taxes in Pennsylvania
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania The new year is always a great opportunity to shed vices like smoking and binge eating. For state and local lawmakers, their guilty pleasure tends…
Read More: New Year, New Taxes in PennsylvaniaHigh 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.
Taxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Voters Reject Property Tax Hikes
With an already-weakened economy that has put Pennsylvania families on a tight budget, Monroe County taxpayers finally said “enough is enough!” when confronted with two referendums on Tuesday’s ballot calling…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Voters Reject Property Tax HikesTaxes & Economy
Testimony on Proposed Pennsylvania High-Speed MagLev
Testimony of Randal O’Toole On the Proposed Pennsylvania High-Speed MagLev Before the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee, November 6, 2009…
Testimony
Read More: Testimony on Proposed Pennsylvania High-Speed MagLevTaxes & Economy
V and American Politics
While attending a conference in North Carolina, and staying in the same room Yogi Berra did (though not on the same night), Joe Sterns and I caught the premier…
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Read More: V and American PoliticsHealth Care
Guide to Pelosi-Care
The Heritage Foundation has some resources on the latest health care bill being pushed by US House Democrats, including a summary of the legislation, and the full…
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Read More: Guide to Pelosi-CareTaxes & Economy
Lies, More Lies, and Statistics
On Oct 10, Pennsylvania released a preliminary report on received ARRA (i.e. “simulus”) funds. The study concluded that “$262,592,907.68 has been spent to date and 1,408 direct full-time equivalent…
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Read More: Lies, More Lies, and StatisticsRegulation
PA Homeowners Come Second To Horse Racing Industry
The Pennsylvania Legislature’s willingness to succumb to special interests has been well documented by the Commonwealth Foundation, but the amount of attention given to the horse racing industry is…
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Read More: PA Homeowners Come Second To Horse Racing IndustryRegulation
Rendell Teaches Obama How to Create Phony Jobs
A report released on Friday by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services shows 7,400 jobs have been either created or retained(Capitolwire Subscription) in Pennsylvania using federal stimulus dollars. Jim…
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Read More: Rendell Teaches Obama How to Create Phony JobsTaxes & Economy
Turnpike Drama Continues
Turnpike Officials have admitted that a grand jury has been investigating the commission for at least five months. Although this investigation is separate from the shady dealings surrounding the Valley…
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Read More: Turnpike Drama ContinuesTaxes & Economy
How Valuable is I-80 Tolling?
When the Federal Highway Administration rejected the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s proposal to toll I-80, one of the numerous reasons was there had been no…
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Read More: How Valuable is I-80 Tolling?State Budget
Spending Limits: Not Special Exemptions
Yesterday, Republican state Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County introduced legislation to help local governments cope with declining revenues, ever-increasing amounts of regulation and new programs from…
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Read More: Spending Limits: Not Special ExemptionsCriminal Justice Reform
Mandatory Minimum Sentences Increase Costs
A study by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing found that mandatory minimum sentences increase the cost of the corrections system without decreasing crime. Corrections costs are already a major…
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Read More: Mandatory Minimum Sentences Increase CostsTaxes & Economy
Taxpayers Flee High Tax States
Our friends at the Empire Center for New York State Policy has a new report on the “exodus” of residents from New York to other states. The report is…
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Read More: Taxpayers Flee High Tax StatesTaxes & Economy
How Scary is Global Warming?
Recent empirical data indicates global warming is not the imminent crisis some make it out to be. Christopher Monckton highlights recent trends which buck the U.N. projections. Of particular…
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Read More: How Scary is Global Warming?Regulation
$80 Million from Stimulus for Norfolk Southern Freight Rail in PA
With only 25% of the $787 billion dollar federal stimulus package spent thus far, the remaining $593 billion has many states coming to the table for a piece of…
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Read More: $80 Million from Stimulus for Norfolk Southern Freight Rail in PAHealth Care
Is Mackey Wacky?
In August, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, penned a Wall Street Journal piece outlining his ideas for health care reform – these include equalizing the tax code, interstate…
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Read More: Is Mackey Wacky?Taxes & Economy
Coburn vs. Levy on Funding Political Science
In the American, Philip Levy of the American Enterprise Institute defends federal funding of political science research against charges that it represents wasteful spending from Sen. Tom Coburn. As…
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Read More: Coburn vs. Levy on Funding Political ScienceTaxes & Economy
Time to Eat the Dog
According to a book by Brenda and Robert Vale; dogs equivalent to the size of German Shepherds have the same “carbon footprint” as a typical SUV driving 10,000 miles/year. “A lot of…
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Read More: Time to Eat the DogHealth Care
Government Health Care Still Kills
A couple of PA state legislators have recently cited a recent Harvard study to make the claim that thousands “are dying because of a lack of insurance”…
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Read More: Government Health Care Still KillsTaxes & Economy
Yet Another Rendell No-Bid Contract
Just as it seemed the dust was settling in the fight to lease state land for shale exploration, recent closed-door meetings (Capitolwire, subscription needed) conducted by the Rendell Administration…
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Read More: Yet Another Rendell No-Bid ContractState Budget
Yes, We Really Do Mistrust Lawmakers
Gerald Prante of the Tax Foundation raises a philosophical question about state spending limits. Namely he wonders, if we don’t trust how legislators spend money now – a…
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Read More: Yes, We Really Do Mistrust LawmakersGovernment Accountability
Auditor General Says No-Bid Contracts are Costing State Taxpayers
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner issued a scathing rebuke of the Rendell administration’s use of no-bid contracts, specifically in relation to over a half-billion dollars given to Deloitte for…
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Read More: Auditor General Says No-Bid Contracts are Costing State Taxpayers