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
A Cap and Trade Call to Action
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
Read More: A Cap and Trade Call to ActionState Budget
Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the Tree
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
Read More: Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the TreeHealth Care
Democrats’ Health Care Plan: Tax the Middle Class, Loophole for Unions
We mentioned last week that a tax on employer-provided health care benefits would likely be part of ObamaCare. This despite the fact that Obama’s campaign criticized McCain for proposing…
Media
Read More: Democrats’ Health Care Plan: Tax the Middle Class, Loophole for UnionsTaxes & Economy
Speaker McCall Throws Support behind Income Tax Hike
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
Read More: Speaker McCall Throws Support behind Income Tax HikeState Budget
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes Pledge
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
Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes PledgeHealth Care
Get Informed and Active on Health Care Reform
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 ReformTaxes & Economy
Axe Taxes Not Jobs
Here is a pretty cool site, with info based on your location, primarily on alcohol and liquor taxes.
Media
Read More: Axe Taxes Not JobsState Budget
Cash for Rich People Who Drive Hummers
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
Read More: Cash for Rich People Who Drive HummersTaxes & Economy
Liberals Who OpposeTax Hikes During Recession
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 RecessionTaxes & Economy
States Lose Jobs Due to Severance Tax
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
Read More: States Lose Jobs Due to Severance TaxTaxes & Economy
Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest Winners
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 WinnersTaxes & Economy
Commonwealth Foundation Announces Winners of Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest
HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today announced the winners of the Please, No More Taxes! video contest: First Prize ($2,500): Colin Jones of Bethel ParkSecond Prize: ($1,000): Robert…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Announces Winners of Please, No More Taxes! Video ContestGovernment Accountability
State Spending Transparency
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
Read More: State Spending TransparencyState Budget
Pennsylvania’s Income Tax Competitiveness
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
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Income Tax CompetitivenessTaxes & Economy
Why 16% Tax Increase Would Cost Pennsylvania 24,000 Jobs
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
Read More: Why 16% Tax Increase Would Cost Pennsylvania 24,000 JobsTaxes & Economy
Commonwealth Foundation Joins Farmers in Fight Against Higher Taxes
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
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Joins Farmers in Fight Against Higher TaxesTaxes & Economy
Gov. Rendell Proposes Firing 24,000 Pennsylvania Workers
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 WorkersHealth Care
What not to like about ObamaCare
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
Read More: What not to like about ObamaCareRegulation
Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy
A coalition of business groups released their proposals aimed at improving Pennsylvania’s economic climate. Among the top of their list were state spending limits, lower business taxes, health care reform,…
Media
Read More: Growing Pennsylvania’s EconomyTaxes & Economy
“Stimulus” Kills Pennsylvania Steel Jobs
Redstate notes how the “buy American” provision of the so-called stimulus bill is already putting some Pennsylvania’s out of of work. See the original Canadian Press article here.
Media
Read More: “Stimulus” Kills Pennsylvania Steel JobsEducation
“Is public education socialism?”
In defense of a single-payer health care system, possible U.S. Senate candidate and state Rep. Bill Kortz (D-Dravosburg) asked, “Is public education socialism? No. This is the same thing.”…
Media
Read More: “Is public education socialism?”