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.
Health Care
When a Tax Isn’t a Tax
In a post this morning, I criticized PA Senate Republicans for their loose definition of “broad-based taxes” with an emphasis on “broad…
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Read More: When a Tax Isn’t a TaxTaxes & Economy
Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a non-profit committed to education in America’s founding principles, recently debuted their First Principles Web Journal, an online resource for those interested in learning…
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Read More: Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative ThoughtTaxes & Economy
When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?
In a vote last week, the Pennsylvania House voted to increase the marriage license fee from $3 to $28 – only the increase was to be used for “domestic…
Media
Read More: When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?State Budget
What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?
Last week Matt Brouillette called out Senate Republicans for moving toward a budget deal with higher taxes, backing off their line in the…
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Read More: What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?State Budget
Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal
Gov. Rendell and legislative leaders from three caucuses (House Republicans were not involved) announced a deal on the Pennsylvania state budget. Via PLS and Capitolwire (subscription), here…
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Read More: Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget DealHealth Care
Evaluating the Baucus Health Care Proposal
The latest “leading” national health care reform proposal is a bill Sen. Baucus (already being panned by the left for getting rid of the “public option” and replacing it with…
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Read More: Evaluating the Baucus Health Care ProposalRegulation
Hockey Arenas Do Not Revitalize Cities
After faltering on there “no new taxes pledge“ Senate…
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Read More: Hockey Arenas Do Not Revitalize CitiesState Budget
Senate GOP Can Still Protect Taxpayers
Earlier this year, state Senate Republicans drew a line in the sand, stating they would not support a budget that: 1) spends more than last fiscal year; 2) includes broad-based…
Commentary
Read More: Senate GOP Can Still Protect TaxpayersTaxes & Economy
Death Tax Increase Would Cost Thousand of PA Jobs
Pennsylvania Family Institute joins the Family Research Council and the American Family Business Foundation in releasing a new report today analyzing the effects of the estate tax (“death tax”) on…
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Read More: Death Tax Increase Would Cost Thousand of PA JobsTaxes & Economy
Stimulus Didn’t Stimulate
Interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal by three economists on the effects of the federal “stimulus” to date. The authors find, not suprisingly, that the stimulus has not…
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Read More: Stimulus Didn’t StimulateState Budget
Braveheart and the PA State Budget
I’ve compared Pennsylvania policy-making to Braveheart before, but the move from a public conference committee to secret,…
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Read More: Braveheart and the PA State BudgetHealth Care
Ten More “You Lie” Opportunities
John Hawkins has a list of 10 more lies, mistruths, or inaccurate claims put out by President Obama on health care: The President is working with Republicans. Republicans haven’t…
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Read More: Ten More “You Lie” OpportunitiesTaxes & Economy
Are Tea Party Protesters Nut Jobs?
Reason TV interviews a number of attendees of the 9/12 Tea Party in DC in a new video asking whether they are “small group of radical freakazoids or a…
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Read More: Are Tea Party Protesters Nut Jobs?State Budget
Bad Budget for Business
Lowman Henry calls out the PA Senate GOP for its budget deal, from many of the same reasons we did – it…
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Read More: Bad Budget for BusinessRegulation
If You Don’t Like Pork, Don’t Vote for It
State Rep. James Casorio issued a news release today criticizing a taxpayer-funded loan to what he terms a “puppy mill”. The loan came from the Renewable Energy Program of…
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Read More: If You Don’t Like Pork, Don’t Vote for ItTaxes & Economy
Saving is Good for the Economy
The Freeman, the monthly publication of the Foundation for Economic Education, has a good article on the ridiculous economic argument that savings is bad for the economy. This…
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Read More: Saving is Good for the EconomyRegulation
Philly Pension “Reform”: A Vote to Raise Taxes Now and in the Future
The state budget impasse hinges on the inability of Governor Rendell and the House Democrat Majority to garner enough votes for state tax increases. Yet for now it seems enough…
Commentary
Read More: Philly Pension “Reform”: A Vote to Raise Taxes Now and in the FutureEducation
The Right Direction
A colleague of mine suggests that the budget deal (see our grade of the budget agreement) is better than we say it is,…
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Read More: The Right DirectionState Budget
Which New Taxes are Coming for Pennsylvania?
The new Pennsylvania state budget “deal”, which House Democrats, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats have agreed to – but which House Republicans have disavowed and Gov. Rendell has not signed…
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Read More: Which New Taxes are Coming for Pennsylvania?State Budget
PA Senate GOP Caving on Tax Hikes?
John Micek reports that there may be a compromise coming in the Pennsylvania state budget, but surprisingly (to me) it is not the $27.5 billion plan outlined by…
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Read More: PA Senate GOP Caving on Tax Hikes?Taxes & Economy
A Failure of Government
The Institute of Economic Affairs in Britain has a new paper on the role of government in economic contractions in the United States, noting the interventions policies of Hoover…
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Read More: A Failure of Government