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
How Much Would Cap and Trade Cost Your Family?
The Tax Foundation today released a calculator for families to estimate the annual household cost of a cap and trade system. It’s based on their recent study, “Who…
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Read More: How Much Would Cap and Trade Cost Your Family?Health Care
Warmed-Over RendellCare Includes a New Tax on Health Insurance
The Pennsylvania State House has been debating HB 1, which would expand the state’s Adult Basic program, to make more individuals eligible for government health care. The Commonwealth Foundation…
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Read More: Warmed-Over RendellCare Includes a New Tax on Health InsuranceState Budget
Do PA Democrats Really Want Higher Taxes? Probably Not.
While Gov. Rendell and House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans are talking up a potential increase in Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax, some of the rank and file Democrats are…
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Read More: Do PA Democrats Really Want Higher Taxes? Probably Not.Taxes & Economy
Cap and Trade: An Energy Tax
Pretty good video from American Solutions on Cap and Trade. They also have a place on their site to take action.
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Read More: Cap and Trade: An Energy TaxEducation
Bob Casey Still Needs to Read the Stimulus Bill
Sen. Bob Casey – in remarks designed to counter the facts laid out by the Commonwealth Foundation, namely that Pennsylvania school districts will get a dramatic increase in…
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Read More: Bob Casey Still Needs to Read the Stimulus BillTaxes & Economy
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Reading Eagle writer Mary Young opines that, in the state budget debate, both sides should simply get along. She advocates basically splitting the difference between the Senate’s $27.3…
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Read More: Can’t We All Just Get Along?Taxes & Economy
Good Thing We Got That Stimulus!
Gov. Rendell claimed Arlen Specter “saved the county” with his vote on the “stimulus” legislation. Here is a chart to turn your laughter into tears, courtesy of…
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Read More: Good Thing We Got That Stimulus!State Budget
“Cuts First, Taxes Last”
The Philadelphia Inquirer comes out with an editorial calling for cutting wasteful spending in the state budget before talking about a tax increase. Here are some of the points…
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Read More: “Cuts First, Taxes Last”Education
Budget Facts 2009: Spending Increases by Department
Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state’s General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Spending Increases by DepartmentTaxes & Economy
Are Higher Taxes a “Centrist” Position?
Sharon Ward of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) writes to the Tribune Review complaining about being a labeled “liberal” or “far left”. To be fair to Ward,…
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Read More: Are Higher Taxes a “Centrist” Position?Government Accountability
More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher Taxes
The Rendell administration is going on another taxpayer funded bus trip across the state for higher spending (and the higher taxes need to pay for them). The target this…
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Read More: More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher TaxesState Budget
PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher Taxes
Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans is again trumpeting the calls for a higher state income taxes in the Tribune Review. Despite billions in federal dollars flowing into…
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Read More: PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher TaxesTaxes & Economy
What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?
Bloomberg, via the Club for Growth, has a troubling lesson for those who want to hike business taxes. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that if Obama’s new corporate…
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Read More: What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?Public Union Democracy
Action Alert on Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Law
The Manufacturer & Business Association sent an action alert yesterday on Sen. Brubaker’s proposal to place a three-year moratorium on Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage requirement (SB 695). Click…
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Read More: Action Alert on Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage LawRegulation
New Study of Film Tax Credit Ignores Economics
The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issued a report on the state’s film tax credit, concluding that the $75 million program generates over $500 million in economic activity…
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Read More: New Study of Film Tax Credit Ignores EconomicsTaxes & Economy
Proposed Power Authority Would Manipulate the Market
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee last week held a hearing to discuss legislation proposed in 2008 to create a Pennsylvania Power Authority to oversee the state’s electricity…
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Read More: Proposed Power Authority Would Manipulate the MarketTaxes & Economy
Increasing Personal Income Tax Will Increase Volatility (Draft)
The Wall Street Journal ran an article today on the widespread state budget deficits and how this problem will not only persist but worsen in coming years.
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Read More: Increasing Personal Income Tax Will Increase Volatility (Draft)Taxes & Economy
Rendell Budget 2.0
In remarks yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced that he will cut at least $400 million from his earlier spending plan. He then went on to berate himself for being…
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Read More: Rendell Budget 2.0Taxes & Economy
Threat of State Park Closures “Ridiculous”
According to state Senator Mary Jo White, Gov. Rendell ordered every department secretary to issue press releases, blasting the Senate’s proposed budget and the “meanâ€? cuts that would ensue.
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Read More: Threat of State Park Closures “Ridiculous”Health Care
Still Looking for Free Market Health Care Proposals
Ryan Ellis has a good post over on RedState on the Congressional Republican health care plan (see previous post here) and offering much more serious proposal for transforming…
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Read More: Still Looking for Free Market Health Care ProposalsTaxes & Economy
Budget deficit was predicted, and ignored.
This was our blog post from July 04, 2008…yes, Independence Day, but also the day Gov. Ed Rendell signed the 2008-09 budget despite clear evidence that it was unrealistic in…
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Read More: Budget deficit was predicted, and ignored.