High 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

Helping the Uninsured

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 25, 2009

I had a brief debate via Twitter (I guess it is impossible to have anything but a brief debate on Twitter) with a staffer for the Pennsylvania House…

Media

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Health Care

Free Market Alternatives to the ObamaCare Informercial

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 24, 2009

If you are looking for some alternative programming to the Obamacare propaganda scheduled to air tonight, or just want a different point of view (which ABC has refused to…

Media

Read More: Free Market Alternatives to the ObamaCare Informercial

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvanians are Voting with Their Feet

  • June 24, 2009

I wonder how many believe that forgoing new taxes and cutting back spending would lead the state of Pennsylvania to the “post apocalyptic landscape of Cormac McCarthy’s novel soon-to-be-movie,…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvanians are Voting with Their Feet

Taxes & Economy

A Cap and Trade Call to Action

  • June 24, 2009

Although originally planned for debate after the 4th of July, Congressional Leaders met late Monday night to place H.R. 2454, also known as the “cap and tradeâ€? initiative, on the…

Media

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State Budget

Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the Tree

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 24, 2009

Gov. Rendell’s hypocrisy on tax policy is on full display this budget season. While Rendell is demanding higher taxes on individuals and most businesses, he is also working to preserve…

Commentary

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Taxes & Economy

Speaker McCall Throws Support behind Income Tax Hike

  • June 23, 2009

Pressured by a looming June 30th budget deadline and Gov. Ed Rendell’s economic team, House Speaker Keith McCall of Carbon County announced yesterday his support for a 16% increase…

Media

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State Budget

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes Pledge

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 22, 2009

Twenty-nine Pennsylvania Legislators have signed American for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge, including six Democrats.  Click here to see exactly what they pledged not to do.  Assuming politicians…

Media

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Health Care

Get Informed and Active on Health Care Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 22, 2009

On multiple occasions, we have suggested, or passed along the advice of others saying the same, that Republicans, conservatives, libertarians, and free market advocates need to get serious…

Media

Read More: Get Informed and Active on Health Care Reform

Taxes & Economy

Axe Taxes Not Jobs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 19, 2009

Here is a pretty cool site, with info based on your location, primarily on alcohol and liquor taxes.

Media

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State Budget

Cash for Rich People Who Drive Hummers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 19, 2009

It is pretty clear that the Cash for Clunkers proposal is a dumb idea to intervene government in the economy and distort the market (or as Charlie Dent…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Liberals Who OpposeTax Hikes During Recession

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 18, 2009

Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell renewed his call for higher taxes today, claiming it was ludicrous to think higher taxes would cost jobs. Who would argue with that? Well certainly…

Media

Read More: Liberals Who OpposeTax Hikes During Recession

Taxes & Economy

States Lose Jobs Due to Severance Tax

  • June 18, 2009

Florida’s legislature just passed new legislation to ease the severance tax burden on small oil and gas producers in the state. Drilling companies in the state have been forced…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest Winners

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 17, 2009

First Place: $2,500“Taxesâ€? by Colin Jones, Bethel Park PA (watch for a cameo from “Governor Rendell”) Second Place: $1,000“Where’d My Paycheck Go?â€? by Robert Madeley, Mohnton PA…

Media

Read More: Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest Winners

Government Accountability

State Spending Transparency

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 17, 2009

Testimony of Elizabeth Bryan to the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee, June 18, 2009 Good morning, I am Elizabeth Bryan, a research associate with the Commonwealth Foundation, a free-market public…

Testimony

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State Budget

Pennsylvania’s Income Tax Competitiveness

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • June 17, 2009

The New York Times covered Gov. Rendell’s proposed 16% increase in the Personal Income Tax. Immediately before citing the Commonwealth Foundation, the article states that “Pennsylvania currently has the…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Why 16% Tax Increase Would Cost Pennsylvania 24,000 Jobs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 16, 2009

I’ve gotten a couple of question on the “how” and “why” we estimate that Rendell’s personal income tax increase will cost 24,000 Pennsylvania jobs. The estimate of 24,000 jobs…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Commonwealth Foundation Joins Farmers in Fight Against Higher Taxes

  • June 16, 2009

Harrisburg, PA — Straight from the fields of their small, family farms, a contingent of Pennsylvania farmers today traveled to the state Capitol to join the Commonwealth Foundation in speaking…

Press Release

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Taxes & Economy

Gov. Rendell Proposes Firing 24,000 Pennsylvania Workers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 16, 2009

Governor Rendell announced today that to satisfy his appetite for more spending, he would like to increase Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax (PIT) by 0.5 percentage points – to…

Media

Read More: Gov. Rendell Proposes Firing 24,000 Pennsylvania Workers

Health Care

What not to like about ObamaCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 16, 2009

The Cato Institute has a recent publication out highlighting “Seven Bad Ideas” of President Obama’s health care plan. Here are some more on two of those bad ideas: Paying…

Media

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