State Budget
Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax Reform
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Today is Tax Day. Each year, April 15th reminds us of the costliness of government spending – and why lawmakers must reduce this financial burden on…
Read More: Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax ReformHigh 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
Obama Surtax Effects in Pennsylvania
The Heritage Foundation has the breakdown of how many Pennsylvania residents and small businesses would be effected by the “surtax” to pay for nationalize health care (HT to…
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Read More: Obama Surtax Effects in PennsylvaniaHealth Care
Coalition of Groups Against Government-Run Health Care
The Commonwealth Foundation has joined a coalition of national organizations in sendinga letter to members of Congress opposing government-run health insurance, individual or employer mandates, and government rationing of…
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ObamaCare vs. Free Market Solutions
The Heritage Foundation has a new analysis of the US House Democrats’ health care bill, showing that over 80 million people would lose their private insurance, and costs for…
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Read More: ObamaCare vs. Free Market SolutionsGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania, A Sinner In The Tort Liability Index
The Pacific Research Institute’s study of Tort Reform among states examines 25 reforms adopted by states in an effort to control tort law suit losses and tort insurance programs. According…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania, A Sinner In The Tort Liability IndexTaxes & Economy
Why Pennsylvania Should Not Build High-Speed Rail
Last week, Gov. Rendell submitted an application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a share of the $8 billion of stimulus money Congress allocated for high-speed rail. This raises…
Commentary
Read More: Why Pennsylvania Should Not Build High-Speed RailTaxes & Economy
Minimum wage up again
On Friday, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage will increase ten cents, to $7.25 an hour. During already troubling economic times, the increase in minimum wage will hurt business, and will not…
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Read More: Minimum wage up againState Budget
Pennsylvania Taxpayers Spend $1 Million to Entertain Lawmakers from Other States
This week, Philadelphia plays host to the National Conference of State Legislatures conference. No Pennsylvania legislators have been able to attend the gathering because they’re needed in Harrisburg for…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Taxpayers Spend $1 Million to Entertain Lawmakers from Other StatesState Budget
Best Budget Practices For Legislators
Scott Pattison, the executive director of National Association of Budget Officers, in an interview with the Mercatus Center brought to light the most important question he feels legislators…
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Read More: Best Budget Practices For LegislatorsState Budget
Tax Foundation Podcast: Pennsylvania Budget Battle
Matt Brouillette is interviewed in the latest Tax Policy Podcast from the Tax Foundation, giving an update of the Pennsylvania Budget Battle.
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Read More: Tax Foundation Podcast: Pennsylvania Budget BattleState Budget
“Blue Dog” Democrats Still Against Pennsylvania Tax Increase
State Rep. John Pallone, one of Pennsylvania’s “Blue Dog” Democrats, has penned a statewide letter to the editor noting that he, along with about 20 other unnamed House Democrats, should…
Media
Read More: “Blue Dog” Democrats Still Against Pennsylvania Tax IncreaseEducation
The Faulty Premise of the Budget Impasse
Governor Rendell wants the taxpayers to spend more on public schools. So do Republicans in the General Assembly—nearly 12 percent more. Yet education funding remains a major obstacle in the…
Commentary
Read More: The Faulty Premise of the Budget ImpasseHealth Care
Why We Must Ration Health Care
In a New York Times piece, a bioethics professor defends rationing in health care, stating we have to do it. He uses a number of examples in which the…
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Read More: Why We Must Ration Health CareHealth Care
ObamaCare will Raise Costs and Taxes
The Director of the Congressional Budget Office warned that the “public option” and other items in Congressional Democrats’ health care proposals would cause health care costs to increase, not…
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Read More: ObamaCare will Raise Costs and TaxesTaxes & Economy
Obama Reverses On Stimulus Promises
The GOP has a pretty hard hitting video on Obama’s stimulus promises. First it shows Obama’s promises that the stimulus would have an “immediate impact” on creating jobs. Then…
Media
Read More: Obama Reverses On Stimulus PromisesGovernment Accountability
Cost and Benefits of State Spending Transparency
The Mercatus Center has a new podcast on state online spending transparency. Jerry Brito, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, discusses the need for spending transparency in states…
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Read More: Cost and Benefits of State Spending TransparencyTaxes & Economy
Job Losses are Never “Good News”
A number of media outlets, such as the AP, are reporting Pennsylvania’s June job losses of 3,400 with a positive spin, as in the “smallest monthly job loss…
Media
Read More: Job Losses are Never “Good News”Regulation
Will Early Retirement Incentives Save PA Money, or Cost More?
Among the proposal of Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner to help balance the state budget without a tax increase. But Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Rick Dreyfuss suggests this is…
Media
Read More: Will Early Retirement Incentives Save PA Money, or Cost More?Health Care
Federal Government, M.D.
President Obama’s $1.5 trillion health care plan would make health insurance a “right” for all Americans. The proposed plan empowers the federal government to ensure that employers provide insurance…
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Read More: Federal Government, M.D.Education
Will “State-Related” Universities Get Stimulus Funding, No Stimulus Funding, or No Funding at All?
On June 26th the Governor submitted his application for federal stabilization funds, including the following phrase:”The Commonwealth’s “state-related universities” are excluded from all calculations for purposes of the State Fiscal…
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Read More: Will “State-Related” Universities Get Stimulus Funding, No Stimulus Funding, or No Funding at All?Taxes & Economy
Stop the PA Rip-off: End Rate Caps
Democratic candidate for Governor Tom Knox just launched a website to promote the extension of electric rate caps. The site, stoptheparipoff.com, ignores the cost of extending rate caps…
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Read More: Stop the PA Rip-off: End Rate CapsHealth Care
Socialized Health-Care Not Paying Off
There have been many claims that medical costs have led to bankruptcies across the United States. As a result, advocates of socialized medicine argue that the mixed public-private health…
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