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
Questionable Benefits of State Mandates for Health Insurance
The Pacific Research Institute a new study on the cost of health insurance mandates. As would be expected (see our commentary on autism and slacker mandates), they find…
Media
Read More: Questionable Benefits of State Mandates for Health InsuranceHealth Care
New Mandates A Step Backwards in Health Care Reform
State lawmakers claim to hear the cries of Pennsylvania residents about the escalating costs of health care. Unfortunately, instead of pushing reforms to help lower the costs of care, some…
Commentary
Read More: New Mandates A Step Backwards in Health Care ReformTaxes & Economy
Congressional Guardian of Worker Freedom Rankings
Alliance for Worker Freedomhas released an index rating members of Congress by their votes on worker freedom or for the big labor agenda. Here are the House ratings.
Media
Read More: Congressional Guardian of Worker Freedom RankingsRegulation
Senate passes transporation P3 bill
The Senate yesterday passed a bill allowing for Public Private Partnerships in transportation (bill text). The big Kahuna, the Turnpike lease, is exempted from the legislation, but it…
Media
Read More: Senate passes transporation P3 billTaxes & Economy
Mexicans and Machines
The latest Drew Carey video on Reason TV tackles NAFTA, robots stealing jobs, and the benefits of creative descrution. I don’t know whether I laughed harder at the machines…
Media
Read More: Mexicans and MachinesTaxes & Economy
House passes divestment legislation . . . Third times a charm
The Pennsylvania House, by a vote of 185-15, approved the latest divestiture legislation. The bill (HB1086), sponsored by Rep. Shapiro, calls for the PERS and SERS…
Media
Read More: House passes divestment legislation . . . Third times a charmRegulation
Soccer Stadium Plans: No Goal
Recently, Governor Rendell and Republican state lawmakers stood side-by-side to announce a multi-million dollar taxpayer grant to build a soccer stadium in Chester, under the guise of "economic development." Major…
Commentary
Read More: Soccer Stadium Plans: No GoalState Budget
Stop the Borrowing: $110B is Enough!
HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation sounded an alarm today that both Governor Rendell and state lawmakers are poised to take citizens deeper into debt. “Putting the people of…
Press Release
Read More: Stop the Borrowing: $110B is Enough!Taxes & Economy
Right to Bear Arms Still Exists
The Supreme Court ruled that individuals have the right to own guns. Click here for the Patriot News story. Some early commentary from Reason Foundation, Amanda Carpenter,…
Media
Read More: Right to Bear Arms Still ExistsHealth Care
How much will an autism mandate cost?
The PA Health Care Containment Council allegedly has a study (it hasn’t been released, but some media are reporting on it) claiming that a new mandate that insurance companies…
Media
Read More: How much will an autism mandate cost?Health Care
Do Democrats want people to die?
Yesterday, I got an email from a lobbying organization, which masquerades as a grassroots organization, led by Governor Rendell’s campaign manager with the subject, “As The Senate Delays, People…
Media
Read More: Do Democrats want people to die?Health Care
Address Health Care, Not Health Insurance
Letter to the editor in The Daily Item focus on the Senate Republican’s health care reform plan, specifically their proposal to aid free clinics. While I agree with…
Media
Read More: Address Health Care, Not Health InsuranceRegulation
House Republicans Highlight Debt, Rendell Spending
AP article on House Republicans (at least some of them) noting the enormous burden of debt on Pennsylvania taxpayers before voting on more borrowing for corporate welfare.
Media
Read More: House Republicans Highlight Debt, Rendell SpendingRegulation
The State’s Rosy Scenarios
We live in uncertain times. This maxim is often heard in the corridors of the state Capitol where Excel spreadsheets support the marketing of new initiatives based on long-term financial…
Commentary
Read More: The State’s Rosy ScenariosEducation
“Intellectual Diversity” means no Milton Friedman?
Several University of Chicago professors are protesting the university’s plan to unveil a Milton Friedman Institute, because that would “reinforce among the public a perception that the university’s faculty…
Media
Read More: “Intellectual Diversity” means no Milton Friedman?Taxes & Economy
Two charts worth 1,000 words or more
HT: Greg Mankiw HT: Club for Growth…
Media
Read More: Two charts worth 1,000 words or moreTaxes & Economy
Electricity Deregulation in Pennsylvania
In 2010, PPL rate caps will expire, which is expected to result in a sudden rise in the price of electricity. Ending government regulation signals an end to artificial…
Media
Read More: Electricity Deregulation in PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Economic Illiteracy of Presidential Candidates
Here is a good editorial in the Wall Street Journal on the economic illiteracy (or perhaps pandering with economic nonsense) of McCain and Obama. I should mention the author…
Media
Read More: Economic Illiteracy of Presidential CandidatesTaxes & Economy
Power surge in Nashville
Shortly after the release of Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth, one of our sister think tanks, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, discovered Gore’s home energy…
Media
Read More: Power surge in NashvilleTaxes & Economy
State Personal Income and Ethanol Policy
The BEA issued their quarterly update of state personal income. Normally, my comments on these reports are limited to how Pennsylvania is lagging behind the national average (true again…
Media
Read More: State Personal Income and Ethanol PolicyTaxes & Economy
Obama: NAFTA not so bad after all
Barack Obama tells Fortune magazine that NAFTA hasn’t been as bad as he said it was. It may have been that he was pandering during the campaign, or it…
Media
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