Education
Lawmakers can ease financial worries of Pennsylvanians
Originally published at LNP The struggle is real. When asked about their families’ financial situation, only 17% of Pennsylvanians see themselves as better off now than two years ago,…
Read More: Lawmakers can ease financial worries of PennsylvaniansHigh 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 Replay Of 1929? Don’t Count On It
Investor’s Business Daily editorial helps make the point that the panicked actions of President Bush and Congress to thwart another Great Depression were/are unsubstantiated, something Matt Brouillette also stated…
Media
Read More: A Replay Of 1929? Don’t Count On ItTaxes & Economy
Marx was Right (Groucho, that is)
Washington’s response to the current financial trouble has affirmed Groucho Marx’s definition of “Politics”: “The art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong…
Commentary
Read More: Marx was Right (Groucho, that is)Health Care
McCain’s Health Care Tax Credit
Following Joe Biden’s claim that McCain’s health care plan will result in millions of workers being dropped from employers’ health care plans a number of free-market thinkers have rebutted. …
Media
Read More: McCain’s Health Care Tax CreditTaxes & Economy
Bailout Passes, Stock Market Drops (and other myths debunked)
Remember how earlier today I said that those who point to the stock market as an indicator that the bailout needs to pass are being silly? The proponents of…
Media
Read More: Bailout Passes, Stock Market Drops (and other myths debunked)Government Accountability
Update: State Spending Transparency
A reader emailed to ask if there are examples of states with online spending databases. Indeed states across the country are adopting transparency legislation while state officials and think tanks…
Media
Read More: Update: State Spending TransparencyTaxes & Economy
Are bailout proponents con artists?
In addition to the rhetoric that we need a bailout now, or we will face a great depression (which has been debunked), bailout proponents are selling the idea…
Media
Read More: Are bailout proponents con artists?Health Care
Health care in US and Canada compared
I doubt this will surprise regular readers of this blog, but Canada’s single payer health system isn’t all that Michael Moore makes it out to be. From a new…
Media
Read More: Health care in US and Canada comparedTaxes & Economy
How Government Stoked the Mania
Great read in the Wall Street Journal on How Government Stoked the Mania, starting with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and later how the Community Reinvestment Act, and the…
Media
Read More: How Government Stoked the ManiaHealth Care
RendellCare 3.0
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has revised his proposal to increase government spending and eligibility for health insurance yet again. The latest edition has lowered the cost of the program…
Media
Read More: RendellCare 3.0Health Care
McCain is Right on Interstate Health Insurance
Merrill Matthews in the Wall Street Journal writes that John McCain’s plan to allow individuals and small businesses to buy insurance across state lines – a policy championed in…
Media
Read More: McCain is Right on Interstate Health InsuranceTaxes & Economy
That’s our General Assembly
With a budget deficit and possible tax increase looming, federal denial of I-80 tolling opening up a gap in transportation funding (and the Turnpike Commission borrowing against future…
Media
Read More: That’s our General AssemblyTaxes & Economy
Free market groups opposing bailout
A coalition of 27 organizations, including the Commonwealth Foundation, have signed on to an open letter to US Senators put together by NTU in opposition to the $700…
Media
Read More: Free market groups opposing bailoutState Budget
PA Budget Deficit Growing
The latest Pennsylvania Revenue Department report indicates that collections were $160 million below estimates in September, and $280 million below for the fiscal year which began in July.
Media
Read More: PA Budget Deficit GrowingState Budget
Reduce Spending Now, or Increase Taxes Later
$281 million budget shortfall puts taxpayers at risk HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation renewed its call for Governor Rendell and the General Assembly to take action to prevent a…
Press Release
Read More: Reduce Spending Now, or Increase Taxes LaterRegulation
Convention Center no economic savior
Post-Gazette looks at the failure of the $373 million Pittsburgh convention center to create an economic boom – or even to outdraw the old convention center (HT: Grassroots…
Media
Read More: Convention Center no economic saviorTaxes & Economy
Not facing a Great Depression
Here are a couple of good articles on the bailout (and the rhetoric in favor of it) by Cato scholars. Alan Reynolds writes that “saying we’re in for another…
Media
Read More: Not facing a Great DepressionTaxes & Economy
Never mind the Commission behind the curtain
Our news release today, What Will the General Assembly Do?, focuses on the need to consider the consequences of failing to act on the $12.8 billion bid to lease…
Media
Read More: Never mind the Commission behind the curtainHealth Care
Converting Medicaid into Premium Assistance
The Heritage Foundation has a new backgrounder (click here for PDF) on how states can convert Medicaid spending into premium assistance for insurance – a proposal which would…
Media
Read More: Converting Medicaid into Premium AssistanceHealth Care
Bailing Out Massachusetts
The Foundry Blog of the Heritage Foundation has discovered that the federal government will “bail out” Massachusetts troubled health care plan (e.g. RomneyCare) with a $4.2 billion increase…
Media
Read More: Bailing Out MassachusettsTaxes & Economy
Root causes of the financial “crisis”
I attended a conference late last week feature a number of economists, and was surprised to discover a great deal of disagreement about what caused the “crisis” in the financial…
Media
Read More: Root causes of the financial “crisis”Government Accountability
Perzel’s Parking Authority
Here is a funny video in which “Manatee” declares his desire to run the Philadelphia Parking Authority, so that he can work as little as possible, hire all his…
Media
Read More: Perzel’s Parking Authority