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.

State Budget

Cash for Clunkers Crash and Burns

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 21, 2009

The New York Times reports that car dealers in New York have pulled out of the government’s cost-shifting program to aid automakers in Detroit under the banner…

Media

Read More: Cash for Clunkers Crash and Burns

Taxes & Economy

Auditor General Finds More Waste and Fraud in Pennsylvania Welfare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 20, 2009

A new report from Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner finds that the Special Allowances program in the Department of Public Welfare is “rife with mismanagement and potential for fraud.” …

Media

Read More: Auditor General Finds More Waste and Fraud in Pennsylvania Welfare

Health Care

Obama’s “Co-operative” Trojan Horse

  • August 20, 2009

With the public voicing overwhelming concern over the potential effects Obama’s “public option” could have on America’s healthcare industry, the White House now has its back against the wall. Progressives…

Media

Read More: Obama’s “Co-operative” Trojan Horse

Health Care

Report: National Healthcare Would Harm PA

  • August 19, 2009

HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation released a report today showing that President Obama’s proposed takeover of health care by the federal government would have dramatically negative effects on Pennsylvanians.

Press Release

Read More: Report: National Healthcare Would Harm PA

Health Care

Lots More Reasons why ObamaCare isn’t Popular

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 18, 2009

Pete DeCoursey has an interesting column on Capitowire (subscription) about why people oppose ObamaCare. He hits the main point correct — most people are satisfied with their coverage (…

Media

Read More: Lots More Reasons why ObamaCare isn’t Popular

Health Care

Scrutinize the Health Care Bill

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 17, 2009

We’ve gotten a few calls over the last few days asking where to get and read the 1,200 page health care bill being debated in Congress.  Here are some resources:…

Media

Read More: Scrutinize the Health Care Bill

Education

Dramatic Government Spending Increases are Never Enough

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 17, 2009

The Patriot News has an AP story by Marc Levy, highlighting recipients of taxpayer funding that want more taxpayer funding.  It seems these groups are living in another world. …

Media

Read More: Dramatic Government Spending Increases are Never Enough

Health Care

RightOnline Health Care Panel

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 14, 2009

Right Online held a panel on health care reform today, which I had the honor of speaking at, along with Amy Menefee of Americans for Prosperity and the…

Media

Read More: RightOnline Health Care Panel

Public Union Democracy

Tolling I-80 is a Recipe for Disaster

  • August 14, 2009

With a renewed interest in tolling Interstate 80, I find it necessary to reiterate several points of concern surrounding Act 44 and its implications on Pennsylvania’s economic future: Act…

Media

Read More: Tolling I-80 is a Recipe for Disaster

Health Care

Universal Health Care is for Primitive Societies

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 14, 2009

The Wynnewood Institute has a great article on government run health care by Thomas Patrick Burke. It argues that since civilizations value freedom over coercion universal health care…

Media

Read More: Universal Health Care is for Primitive Societies

Taxes & Economy

Is the Stimulus Working?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 13, 2009

Over at Cato, Chris Edwards asks Is the Stimulus Working?, taking a look at the components of GDP. As Edwards notes, “Government expansions usually cause private sector contractions” and…

Media

Read More: Is the Stimulus Working?

Health Care

Government Managed Health Care isn’t the “Reform” We Need

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 13, 2009

The Independence Institute has another great video on the problems when government makes health care decisions – this time use Oregon as an example, and how they prioritize Medicaid…

Media

Read More: Government Managed Health Care isn’t the “Reform” We Need

Health Care

Lebanon Health Care Town Hall Anything but Un-American

  • August 11, 2009

I attended the Patient’s First rally in conjunction to with Arlen Specter’s today’s town hall rally at Harrisburg Area Community College in Lebanon today.  The vast majority of the crowd  (inside…

Media

Read More: Lebanon Health Care Town Hall Anything but Un-American

State Budget

How Do Pennsylvania Taxes Stack Up?

  • August 11, 2009

Since 1990, Pennsylvania has gone from 24th in state and local tax burden to 11th.  Yet Gov. Rendell has proposed another round of tax hikes—including raising the state…

Fact Sheet

Read More: How Do Pennsylvania Taxes Stack Up?

State Budget

Putting Rendell’s Layoffs in Perspective

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 11, 2009

Yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced layoffs for 255 state workers at a press conference, and said more might be coming if lawmakers don’t pass a budget to Rendell’s liking. But…

Media

Read More: Putting Rendell’s Layoffs in Perspective

Health Care

Effect of ObamaCare on Pennsylvania

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 11, 2009

The Heritage Foundation has a new analysis from the Lewin Group on the impact in Pennsylvania on private health care coverage, the uninsured, and physicians and hospitals of the…

Media

Read More: Effect of ObamaCare on Pennsylvania

Health Care

Rendell Declares Autism Mandate a Failure

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2009

In 2008, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed, and Gov. Rendell signed, a new mandate that private insurers would have to cover autism services. At the time, we said the new…

Media

Read More: Rendell Declares Autism Mandate a Failure

State Budget

Cash for Clunkers Falls Prey to Laws of Economics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2009

Congress’s  ill-named “cash for clunkers” program has, like so many programs before it, failed to defy the laws of economics. As typically happens when government subsidizes something – the…

Media

Read More: Cash for Clunkers Falls Prey to Laws of Economics

Health Care

Join the “Mob”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 10, 2009

You might find it interesting that the special interests who denounce individuals voicing opposition to ObamaCare as “astroturf,” a “mob,” and part of a vast right-wing conspiracy (and occasionally…

Media

Read More: Join the “Mob”