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

Attacking the Messengers on Health Care Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 7, 2009

President Obama, Dick Durbin, the unions, and shills at MSNBC have taken to calling protesters who disagree with their health care agenda as shills for corporate interests or “the…

Media

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Regulation

Philadelphia Needs Neither Higher Taxes nor Generational Theft

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 6, 2009

The Pennsylvania House yesterday passed a bill that would allow Philadelphia to raise its sales tax another percentage point and to defer it pension payments for city employees further…

Media

Read More: Philadelphia Needs Neither Higher Taxes nor Generational Theft

Health Care

Is Dissent Still the Highest Form of Patriotism?

  • August 5, 2009

It seems that the President is very upset that people are actually questioning his health care plan. So much so that the White House wants to be informed…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Make Drill Here, Drill Now a Reality

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 5, 2009

Remember Drill Here Drill Now campaign? It’s one approval away from becoming a reality. As of October 1, 2008 no moratoriums exist on offshore oil and gas development, however,…

Media

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State Budget

Ed Rendell Demands More Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 5, 2009

At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Rendell says he will “compromise” on the budget – so long as he gets $1.6 billion in new revenue.  That he, he needs…

Media

Read More: Ed Rendell Demands More Taxes

Health Care

Universal Healthcare Will Render Us Poorer

  • August 4, 2009

The democrat health-care system is a systematic move toward a single payer universal health-care system. President Barack Obama has contended that the private system will continue to exist, but…

Media

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State Budget

States Have Only Themselves to Blame for Fiscal Mess

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2009

Steve Chapman writes on Reason.com that there’s nothing surprising about the crises in state budgets though it apparently caught many governors and legislators by surprise. States dramatically increased spending…

Media

Read More: States Have Only Themselves to Blame for Fiscal Mess

Health Care

The Two Big Lies of Health Care “Reform”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 3, 2009

Here are a couple of good readings on health care policy: The Hoover Institution has a “second opinion” with ten reasons why health care in the U.S. is…

Media

Read More: The Two Big Lies of Health Care “Reform”

Taxes & Economy

Where Were These Guys a Few Months Ago?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 3, 2009

At a recent town-hall meeting, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said he had to ‘hold my nose’ over bailouts. I wish he had expressed some of those misgivings when…

Media

Read More: Where Were These Guys a Few Months Ago?

Taxes & Economy

Energy Conservation Myth is a Vicious Cycle

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 3, 2009

Studies from the McKinsey group and National Research Council released this week claim that we can substantially reduce the country’s energy usage (15-32% by 2020) by replacing inefficient appliances…

Media

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Regulation

Pennsylvania’s Flawed Film Tax Credit: What the ERA study won’t tell you

  • July 31, 2009

The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee contracted with Economics Research Associates (ERA)1 to analyze Pennsylvania’s Film Tax Credit (FTC).  In general, the ERA report, “Pennsylvania’s Film Production Tax Credit…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pennsylvania’s Flawed Film Tax Credit: What the ERA study won’t tell you

Health Care

Reasons ObamaCare Is Wrong for America

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 31, 2009

The Heritage Foundation has, on their new health care website, the Top 10 Reasons Obamacare Is Wrong for America, starting with the fact that individuals would lose their current…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Federal Spending by the Numbers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 31, 2009

The Heritage Foundation has a new report on federal spending. The short document includes lots of good tables and charts showing the effects of Bush-Obama spending increases.

Media

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Energy

Electricity Restructuring and Rate Caps

  • July 30, 2009

With electricity rate caps expiring, state lawmakers are concerned that Pennsylvanians will see steep increases in their utility bills. What will happen as the electricity deregulation, which is more accurately…

Fact Sheet

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Education

Who’s For the Children?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 27, 2009

In the television comedy The Office, dim-witted boss Michael Scott remarks that he likes giving presents because they are “like this tangible thing that you can point to and say…

Commentary

Read More: Who’s For the Children?

Taxes & Economy

Do Voters Want Higher Taxes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 27, 2009

On his blog with the Times Herald, state Senator Daylin Leach makes a couple of absurd claims. First he suggests that residents are more concerned about potholes than high…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Gets Another Poor Grade for Business Climate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 27, 2009

CNBC has compiled a ranking of “America’s Best States for Business.” Pennsylvania ranks 33rd overall on their index, and gets very poor marks on categories “Cost of Business”, “Workforce”,…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Gets Another Poor Grade for Business Climate