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.
Health Care
Free Markets: An Unknown Ideal
President Obama, Governor Rendell, and many in the media have been echoing a similar refrain recently, "Conservatives had their chance. We tried free markets, and they failed." When exactly they…
Commentary
Read More: Free Markets: An Unknown IdealRegulation
Representatives Propose Putting State Government on a Diet
State Representatives Mike Turzai and Tom Quigley unveiled a plan to cut about $170 million wasteful spending from the Pennsylvania state budget ($130 million relative to Gov. Rendell’s proposed…
Media
Read More: Representatives Propose Putting State Government on a DietRegulation
State Employees Take Taxpayer-Funded Trips
Team 4 has an amazing exposé of taxpayer-funded travel by Pennsylvania state employees, in particular the gaming control board–after a travel ban was implement. Here are some of the…
Media
Read More: State Employees Take Taxpayer-Funded TripsTaxes & Economy
Scotland Students Need More Educational Choices
To plug a $2.3 billion deficit caused by overspending, Gov. Rendell has proposed closing the Scotland School for Veterans' Children. Although the $13 million in state funds the school received…
Commentary
Read More: Scotland Students Need More Educational ChoicesState Budget
Obama’s Budget: More of the Same You Can Believe In
The Cato Institute’s Chris Edwards has the latest Tax and Budget bulletin, with an updated analysis of spending by president. The bulletin reiterates what Cato has been saying…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Budget: More of the Same You Can Believe InState Budget
Sanford to Refuse Stimulus Funds – Example for Rendell
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has announced he will reject much of the federal stimulus dollars coming to his state. Like Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, he recognizes that…
Media
Read More: Sanford to Refuse Stimulus Funds – Example for RendellEducation
Upcoming Opportunities for Students
The Commonwealth Foundation has a number of great opportunities for students to learn more about economics, public policy, and the importance of liberty. Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest- Win…
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Establishing the “Facts” about Pennsylvania’s Economy
Chuck Ardo – spokesman for Gov. Rendell – has an op-ed in Sunday’s Patriot News about what a great success Gov. Rendell’s economic policy has been. This taxpayer-funded propaganda…
Media
Read More: Establishing the “Facts” about Pennsylvania’s EconomyHealth Care
Will Rendell Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs?
Governor Rendell announced a number of new proposals increasing the number of people in Adult Basic health care, shifting funds to help with mortgage assistance and home heating cost.
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Read More: Will Rendell Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs?Taxes & Economy
On Specter’s Economic Remarks
Roxbury News has posted video of Arlen Specter’s remarks yesterday (part II here) at the State Capitol. Three things really bother me regarding his defense of his vote…
Media
Read More: On Specter’s Economic RemarksTaxes & Economy
Money Squanderers
Brad Bumsted has an excellent op-ed on why Pennsylvania lawmakers’ Bibles, gifts from the speaker, legal fees, and the like are just a few among many…
Media
Read More: Money SquanderersTaxes & Economy
Freedom in Pennsylvania and the 50 states
The Mercatus Center has a new report ranking freedom – both personal and economic – in the 50 states. Overall, they rank Pennsylvania 20th. See a related story…
Media
Read More: Freedom in Pennsylvania and the 50 statesState Budget
Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too High
A poll conducted by the NFIB shows that Pennsylvania voters think that taxes are too high – no surprise there, except to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, who…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too HighTaxes & Economy
Average American Household Pays $3,190 in Corporate Income Taxes
The Tax Foundation has a new campaign to raise awareness of the cost of corporate taxes, starting with the fact that corporate income taxes cost the average American family…
Media
Read More: Average American Household Pays $3,190 in Corporate Income TaxesTaxes & Economy
More of the Same Failed Policies of the Past
Here is a spot-on blog post from the Cato Institute that I originally missed, but it is one of my favorite themes – that government spending dramatically increased…
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Read More: More of the Same Failed Policies of the PastTaxes & Economy
Rendell: Unemployment Benefits will Cost State
As we have noted previously, the federal stimulus includes an increase to unemployment compensation that would also drive up state costs, and leave states on the hook once the…
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Read More: Rendell: Unemployment Benefits will Cost StateTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2009
Updates on Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the February revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.27 billion short for…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2009Taxes & Economy
New PA International Business Strategy
Last week, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on the state of international business in Pennsylvania. Their conclusion: Central PA needs more international…
Media
Read More: New PA International Business StrategyTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Revenue Short Grows to $1.2 billion – Already Largest in PA History
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the February revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.27 billion short for the fiscal year to date. Governor Rendell estimated…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Revenue Short Grows to $1.2 billion – Already Largest in PA HistoryEducation
The Scotland School, the State Budget, and School Choice
The Morning Call has a story on Governor Rendell’s proposal to close down the Scotland School for Veterans Children, asking if it is a “pawn in the budget game”. …
Media
Read More: The Scotland School, the State Budget, and School ChoiceRegulation
Pennsylvanias Spending Problem
Imagine our economy is a pond. In the name of “economic stimulation,” Gov. Ed Rendell goes to one side of the pond, dips in a bucket, pulls it out and…
Commentary
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