State Budget
Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax Reform
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Today is Tax Day. Each year, April 15th reminds us of the costliness of government spending – and why lawmakers must reduce this financial burden on…
Read More: Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax ReformHigh 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
Bush: Drill Now
President Bush will repeal the executive order banning offshore drilling. Of course, the executive order was superseded by a law banning offshore drilling, which Congress will have to…
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Read More: Bush: Drill NowPublic Union Democracy
Port Authority Labor Negotiations Online
The Pittsburgh Port Authority has a website detailing the sticking points of the labor negotiation with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85. I think the lesson to be…
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Read More: Port Authority Labor Negotiations OnlineTaxes & Economy
PA Gets Mediocre Grade on Economic Freedom
Not suprisingly, given other state rankings, Pennsylvania gets a mediocre grade on the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America report for 2008. PA ranks tied for 26th…
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Read More: PA Gets Mediocre Grade on Economic FreedomTaxes & Economy
Philly population declines – only New Orleans loses more residents
A Philadelphia Inquirer article looks at Philadelphia’s population decline from 2000-2007, in which the city lost 68,000 residents (continuing a downward trend). The Post-Gazette has a related article…
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Read More: Philly population declines – only New Orleans loses more residentsState Budget
Kanjorski Earmark Denied
The US Department of Transportation is refusing to fund an earmark put in place by Rep. Kanjorski. The earmark was intended to fund a parking garage near Kanjorski’s monument…
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Read More: Kanjorski Earmark DeniedTaxes & Economy
Family friendly reforms
The NCPA has a new Brief Analysis highlighting “Five Family Friendly Policies” -l abor, tax, and health care reforms providing greater freedom, flexibility, and portablity for workers and employers.
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Read More: Family friendly reformsHealth Care
Is “universal health care” a religion?
Michael Cannon pulls a troubling quote from an advocate of SCHIP expansion, who admits his support is based on faith, not evidence. Of course Cannon is a well-known…
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Read More: Is “universal health care” a religion?Education
School boards have no control over teacher salaries?
Tony Phyrillas laughs at school board members complaining about not having control over things like teacher salaries – you know, the salaries school boards establish (typically through labor contracts)…
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Read More: School boards have no control over teacher salaries?Taxes & Economy
Steelers for sale?
In what may be a shock to Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the Wall Street Journal reports the Rooney family may be looking to sell the team (also see Tribune Review article).
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Read More: Steelers for sale?State Budget
Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budget
No one can say we didn’t warn lawmakers that their 4.06% increase in spending for the 2008-09 fiscal year was not fiscally prudent. The AP reports that Rendell,…
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Read More: Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budgetTaxes & Economy
Impeach JFK
Evergreen Freedom Foundation blog highlights the NEA convention adopting a resolution stating The National Education Association believes that any president who starts a war with another country without a…
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Read More: Impeach JFKTaxes & Economy
Silent Cal Speaks Loudly
The Wall Street Journal’s Notable & Quotable provides us with some nuggets from Calvin Coolidge’s marking of the 150th anniversary of the Delcaration of Independence. Coolidge gave us some…
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Read More: Silent Cal Speaks LoudlyGovernment Accountability
What can we cut?
An anonymous poster to GrassrootsPA defends the recently enacted state budget against criticism from the Commonwealth Foundation, along with that in other comments. The budget…
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Read More: What can we cut?Taxes & Economy
We hold these truths to be self evident
Independence Day video from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation…
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Read More: We hold these truths to be self evidentHealth 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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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