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
Big Oil vs. Big Ethanol
Everyone in Pennsylvania (save the Amish, who are also unlikely to be reading this blog) must have heard or seen the Barack Obama, anti-“Big Oil” ad dozens of…
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Read More: Big Oil vs. Big EthanolState Budget
The Merits of Pork Barrel spending
Tom Barnes of the Post-Gazette has a story on the state capital budget, covering some of the projects in the Pittsburgh area. The Rendell administration tries to take…
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Read More: The Merits of Pork Barrel spendingHealth Care
Why McCain has the best health-care plan
Fortune Magazine article on the health care proposals of the presidential candidates, along with the overarching question of whether we should move to government-run insurance or offer consumers greater…
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Read More: Why McCain has the best health-care planTaxes & Economy
Electricity deregulation a success in Texas
Dallas Morning News story on a report showing how competition flourished and prices declined once Texas Electrity Deregulation took effect in January of last year. The full report…
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Read More: Electricity deregulation a success in TexasGovernment Accountability
Why the capital budget process needs to be reformed
Here is a response I posted on GrassrootsPA to the defenders of the $13 billion in capital budget projects who state essentially “It isn’t that bad, because not all…
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Read More: Why the capital budget process needs to be reformedTaxes & Economy
Hoover’s Heirs
Wall Street Journal editorial on what not to do facing a possible recession, i.e. follow the lead of Herbert Hoover: In 1930, he signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act,…
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Read More: Hoover’s HeirsState Budget
$13 Billion capital budget flies under radar
The $12.7 billion in borrowing for the state Capital Budget has become a hot topic on GrassrootsPA. Otherwise, it has merited a blurb in the Patriot News, and…
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Read More: $13 Billion capital budget flies under radarTaxes & Economy
Is the GOP Still the Party of Economic Growth?
John Tamny has a scathing RealClearMarkets column on the national economic policy of the last 7 years, implying that, had you been stuck on an island with Jack, Sawyer,…
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Read More: Is the GOP Still the Party of Economic Growth?Taxes & Economy
The Clean Energy Scam
Time Magazine blasts the ethanol craze that has politicians (including Governor Rendell) demanding more subsidies and mandates for biofuels than they already get (HT: Carpe Diem):…
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Read More: The Clean Energy ScamHealth Care
MCare: End it, Don’t Extend It
Governor Rendell and House Democrats have refused to extend the MCare abatements unless it is tied to their Cover All Pennsylvania’s/PA ABC plan (read my commentary…
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Give Consumers Choices in Health Care
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed a modified version of Governor Rendell’s "Cover All Pennsylvanians"—renaming it PA ABC (Access to Basic Care). Despite the clever acronym, the program…
Commentary
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NTU: Return Legislative Surplus to Taxpayers
The National Taxpayers Union sent an open letter to Pennsylvania legislators urging them to return the estimated $240 million surplus in legislative leadership accounts in the form of tax…
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Those wacky truckers
As anyone in the Harrisburg area would have noticed this morning, the Truck Drivers are coming into town to protest high diesel prices. Without even addressing their proposal (a…
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Read More: Those wacky truckersTaxes & Economy
What’s a Charity?
A recent blog post on the Tax Foundation blog points to an analysis they did on the tax treatment of charities, which I found to be quite intriguing.
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Read More: What’s a Charity?Health Care
Affordable Health Care Agenda
The Commonwealth Foundation has joined with over two dozen organizations to form the Health Care Freedom Coalition. Below is a Statement of Principles. We, the Health Care Freedom Coalition, believe…
Commentary
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RendellCare lobbyists push socialist pricing
The lobbyists charged with pushing RendellCare InsurePANow has fired off another missive advocating more of Rendell’s health care agenda. They tout a bill that they proclaim will “make insurance…
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Read More: RendellCare lobbyists push socialist pricingState Budget
$100 Trillion Dollars in Debt!
John Goodman analyzes the latest report of unfunded Social Security and Medicare liabilities and come up with the grand total of $102 Trillion for the “infinite horizon” (after reducing…
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Read More: $100 Trillion Dollars in Debt!Taxes & Economy
Rendell pleads for more spending
Tony Phyrillas comments on Governor Rendell’s latest plea for legislators to borrow, tax, and spend more. Rendell claims that for a few dollars more, he can fix all our…
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Read More: Rendell pleads for more spendingTaxes & Economy
Higher Fuel Taxes Won’t Help Anything
John Hood editorial in Investor’s Business Daily on fuel taxes – pointing to both the absurd earmarks that the federal gas tax funds and the need to…
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Read More: Higher Fuel Taxes Won’t Help AnythingTaxes & Economy
Tax Freedom Day for PA is April 21
The Tax Foundation released their annual report on Tax Freedom Day today. The national Tax Freedom day will be April 23 – the number of days it takes for…
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Read More: Tax Freedom Day for PA is April 21Taxes & Economy
Book of Charts – Federal Revenue and Spending
The Heritage Foundation has released their “Book of Charts” on federal taxes and spending, and other data, for 2008.
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