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
Rate Caps: Extend or End?
At a recent meeting of the House Republican Policy Committee legislators heard testimony concerning the expiration of electric rate caps. The original Electric Generation Choice and Competition Act…
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Read More: Rate Caps: Extend or End?Regulation
Gov. Rendell to play rich uncle to Valley
Nice headline for the Morning Call story about Gov. Rendell’s “Card Board Check Tour”. Unfortunately for Pennsylvanians, though, the rich uncle Rendell is pretending to be isn’t reaching into…
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Read More: Gov. Rendell to play rich uncle to ValleyTaxes & Economy
Ranking the Roads
Reason Foundation has released their annual ranking on the peformance of state highway systems. Pennsylvania ranks middle to low on most performance measures, but – this may suprise many who listen to Governor…
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Read More: Ranking the RoadsState Budget
Is the “far right” a losing proposition?
Michael Smerconish – who gets mis-identified as a conservative due to his shaved head and glasses – calls for the GOP to act more “moderate” in order to win…
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Read More: Is the “far right” a losing proposition?Taxes & Economy
Give Exxon a break
The Los Angeles Times editorializes about why Exxon is getting a bad rap for “record profits“. Although crude oil is selling for almost twice as much a…
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Read More: Give Exxon a breakTaxes & Economy
Comments on the Milton Friedman Institute Protest letter
A U of Chicago faculty member responds to the absurd protest objecting to a Milton Friedman Institute, pointing out not only the blatant hypocrisy and misguided economic assumptions,…
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Read More: Comments on the Milton Friedman Institute Protest letterTaxes & Economy
Even heroes can misspend other people’s money
Two separate letters to the editor in the Patriot News denounce the Commonwealth Foundation for commenting on Colonel Miller’s flights to other states. Here is Matt Brouillette’s quote in…
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Read More: Even heroes can misspend other people’s moneyTaxes & Economy
Get the Feds out of Transportation Funding
While Governor Rendell is calling on more money from the federal government for bridge repair (while refusing to address over-spending, which his own Transportation Funding Commission said should…
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Read More: Get the Feds out of Transportation FundingHealth Care
The Price of RomneyCare
Wall Street Journal on the escalating costs of the Massachusetts health care plan (RomneyCare): Thus the extra tab of $129 million, which may need to go higher…
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Read More: The Price of RomneyCareRegulation
Notes on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Bailout
The Beacon (blog of the Independent Institute) has a post by Robert Higgs summing up the horrendous bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
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Read More: Notes on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac BailoutTaxes & Economy
Drilling Now Will Impact Oil Prices Today
American Solutions Blog points to a new study that demonstrates that new drilling – even if it won’t bring oil to the market for several years – will have…
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Read More: Drilling Now Will Impact Oil Prices TodayHealth Care
State Budget Crises?
Cato’s Chris Edwards blasts the Wall Street Journal (and other media outlets) for their uncritical coverage of state budget “shortfalls.” The Times “treats any needed spending restraint as a…
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Read More: State Budget Crises?Taxes & Economy
Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be Rejected
The Commonwealth Foundation submitted a letter to the Federal Highway Administration in opposition to granting any authority to the Turnpike Commission to toll additional highways. Click here for our…
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Read More: Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be RejectedTaxes & Economy
New analysis of where I-80 tolls will go
While I have previously posted that I-80 tolls will mostly go to other projects, rather than stay on I-80, the Turnpike Commissions new application for tolling I-80 changes that…
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Read More: New analysis of where I-80 tolls will goEducation
Construction Woes
A few schools in Pennsylvania are experiencing a money crunch–not because property taxes are too low, but because of school boards’ Edifice Complex. The Bethlehem School District and Danville…
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Read More: Construction WoesTaxes & Economy
Morality and libertarianism in The Dark Knight
Review of The Dark Knight on, of all places, the Mises Economics Blog (spoilers). Jeffrey Tucker notes that the movie is awesome (agreed), praises how the movie addresses the…
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Read More: Morality and libertarianism in The Dark KnightTaxes & Economy
Turnpike Commission Resubmits I-80 Application
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has resubmitted their proposal to toll I-80 – full application, letter from the Governor, and Appendices A through L are available for download here. Readers…
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Read More: Turnpike Commission Resubmits I-80 ApplicationRegulation
PA Lottery lags overall economic growth
There have been seemingly conflicting media reports on the Pennsylvania’s Lottery growth. Tom Barnes in the Post Gazette repeats, without analysis, the state revenue department’s self-congratulatory release by writing…
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Read More: PA Lottery lags overall economic growthTaxes & Economy
Government is the problem (by Edward Inghrim)
On the air today on WHP 580 AM, Matt read a commentary by Edward Inghrim, a school board member from the Saucon Valley School District. It first appeared in the…
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Read More: Government is the problem (by Edward Inghrim)Taxes & Economy
Lower energy costs by raising energy taxes?
The state’s move to lease 74,000 acres in Tioga and Lycoming counties for natural gas drilling has inspired some to call for new energy taxes. One suggestion…
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Read More: Lower energy costs by raising energy taxes?Taxes & Economy
High Today: 96, Al Gore to blame
Americans for Prosperity video highlights Nobel Prize/Oscar winner Al Gore showing up with a motorcade, leaving one car running, before giving a speech demanding audience ride bikes home,…
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