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.
State Budget
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2009
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the April revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $2.55 billion short for the fiscal year to date. Governor Rendell had estimated…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2009Government Accountability
Audit: PA Not Ready for Stimulus Oversight
Auditor General Jack Wagner believes Pennsylvania is ill-suited to provide transparency and oversight on the stimulus money coming to the state in a letter he sent to the federal Government…
Media
Read More: Audit: PA Not Ready for Stimulus OversightTaxes & Economy
Energy Facts and Myths
The Manhattan Institute has release an new edition of their publication, Energy and the Environment: Facts and Myths. A great tool for both interested citizens and for policy makers,…
Media
Read More: Energy Facts and MythsTaxes & Economy
Polling on Tea Parties
Rasmussen has an interesting poll on people’s attitudes toward recent tea parties (top line results), finding that 51% of respondents have favorable views of Tea Parties (vs 33%…
Media
Read More: Polling on Tea PartiesTaxes & Economy
The Un-Silent Majority
Nearly 10,000 Pennsylvanians rallied on Tax Day, April 15th, against wasteful government spending, high and rising taxes, and burgeoning government debt and deficits. The nonpartisan, anti-establishment “Tea Parties” were held…
Commentary
Read More: The Un-Silent MajorityTaxes & Economy
Latest Pennsylvania Job Numbers (March 2009)
According to the State Department of Labor and Industry, Pennsylvania lost 30,500 jobs in March alone. The data indicate that since the recession began – officially in…
Media
Read More: Latest Pennsylvania Job Numbers (March 2009)Taxes & Economy
Wage Tax Increase in Philadelphia
Three of the four legislative caucuses in Harrisburg have taken opposition to Philadelphia’s council move for a wage tax increase. Although Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia opposes a wage tax increase,…
Media
Read More: Wage Tax Increase in PhiladelphiaGovernment Accountability
Schroder Bills to Save PA Taxpayers Over $600 Million
State Rep. Curt Schroder has unveiled a number of legislative proposals which, by his estimates would save Pennsylvania taxpayers well over $600 million annually. House Bill 1056…
Media
Read More: Schroder Bills to Save PA Taxpayers Over $600 MillionTaxes & Economy
Even more on taxes, spending, and the stimulus
Americans for Tax Reform has a new fact page on “Tax Bites” – showing how much taxes take up for the cost of goods and services we buy, from…
Media
Read More: Even more on taxes, spending, and the stimulusHealth Care
Facts About the Uninsured
Keith Hennessey has a great post breaking down the number of people lacking health insurance, finding that only a small number of the reported 46 million uninsured are those…
Media
Read More: Facts About the UninsuredTaxes & Economy
More on Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
The Tax Foundation has released a recent poll on voters’ attitudes toward taxes. Not surprisingly, 56% say that taxes are “too high” (vs. 2% saying they are too low). …
Media
Read More: More on Taxes, Taxes, TaxesTaxes & Economy
Harrisburg Tea Party Attracts Estimated 2000
An estimated 2,000 protesters showed up for the tea party in Harrisburg. Not only was the crowd impressive, but the number of food items collected for Bethesda…
Media
Read More: Harrisburg Tea Party Attracts Estimated 2000Taxes & Economy
Thousands Attend Harrisburg Tax Day Tea Party to Protest Wasteful Spending in Harrisburg and Washington
One of hundreds of events held across the state and nation Harrisburg, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today hosted the Harrisburg Tax Day Tea Party on the State Capitol steps. …
Press Release
Read More: Thousands Attend Harrisburg Tax Day Tea Party to Protest Wasteful Spending in Harrisburg and WashingtonTaxes & Economy
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
Here are some good resources on taxes: 1) Freedomworks has a new site, Scrap the Code, highlighting the flaws in the complex tax code, and calling for a simpler…
Media
Read More: Taxes, Taxes, TaxesPublic Union Democracy
PA Businesses Feeling the Affects of Recession
According to the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. and it’s Keystone Business Climate Survey, 76% of respondents said business conditions in PA have deteriorated over the past…
Media
Read More: PA Businesses Feeling the Affects of RecessionState Budget
Oink, Oink
Today, Citizens Against Government Waste released its 2009 Congressional Pig Book. The report identifies over 10,000 pork-barrel projects in the federal budget, costing hard-working American’s over $19 billion. Examples…
Media
Read More: Oink, OinkTaxes & Economy
Twenty-seven Pennsylvania Cities to Host Tea Parties
By my count, 27 cities will be hosting “tea parties” tomorrow, April 15, in protest of high taxes and wasteful government spending (an additional five events will be taking…
Media
Read More: Twenty-seven Pennsylvania Cities to Host Tea PartiesTaxes & Economy
State Spending Binges
The latest Reason Magazine has a fine article on why state governments needed a bailout and why they will again – overspending. In 2002 the National…
Media
Read More: State Spending BingesTaxes & Economy
Tax Freedom Day 2009
Circle April 14th on your calendar this year as Tax Freedom Day for Pennsylvania. While tomorrow is the deadline for filing income tax forms, today is the day Pennsylvanians can…
Commentary
Read More: Tax Freedom Day 2009Regulation
Jobs and the Economy
Testimony of Mathew J. Brouillette, President & CEO, Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Pennsylvania House Majority Policy CommitteeApril 14, 2009 Thank you Chairman Sturla for the…
Testimony
Read More: Jobs and the EconomyHealth Care
Is Health Care a ‘Right’?
Many advocates of a single-payer, government run health care system use the argument that “health care is a right.” But as John Graham points out on State House Call,…
Media
Read More: Is Health Care a ‘Right’?