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
Transportation Letter to Gov. Rendell and the General Assembly
CF expresses concerns over transportation bill July 14, 2007 The Honorable Edward G. RendellOffice of the GovernorCommonwealth of PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, PA 17120 Members of the General AssemblyCommonwealth…
Press Release
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Rushed Legislation is Usually Flawed Legislation
Commonwealth Foundation and Reason Foundation urge lawmakers to slow down on the transportation proposal MEMORANDUM TO: Members of the Pennsylvania State Senate, Members of the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesFROM:…
Press Release
Read More: Rushed Legislation is Usually Flawed LegislationTaxes & Economy
Spending Diet Step #3: Stop Over-Taxing
Commonwealth Foundation calls on lawmakers to return the state’s $650 million surplus to taxpayers HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation called upon the General Assembly to return the state’s…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Spending Diet Step #3: Stop Over-TaxingTaxes & Economy
Higher Taxes, More Debt Coming Down the Pike
Commonwealth Foundation warns against transportation funding proposal Harrisburg, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation warned against the higher fees and long-term debt encompassed in the transportation funding proposals winding their…
Press Release
Read More: Higher Taxes, More Debt Coming Down the PikeEnergy
Energy Depletion
Ed Rendell has been in politics for too long. That is the only way to explain his apparent belief that Harrisburg politicians know more about which alternative energy prospects are…
Commentary
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Property Seizures Threaten PA Small Business
Being a small business owner in Pennsylvania is not easy. There’s the punishing tax burden levied by state and local governments that see small firms not so much as vital…
Commentary
Read More: Property Seizures Threaten PA Small BusinessTaxes & Economy
How to Fix Mass Transit
In their final report, the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission wrote: The Commission concludes that no additional funding should be provided for highways, bridges and transit unless a series…
Commentary
Read More: How to Fix Mass TransitTaxes & Economy
Mass Transit Reform: Lessons for Pennsylvania
Executive Summary Pennsylvania’s two major public transit agencies, the Philadelphia-area Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Pittsburgh-based Port Authority Transit (PAT), have been in financial crisis for years, with…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Mass Transit Reform: Lessons for PennsylvaniaState Budget
Pennsylvania Families Need Government to Prioritize Spending
All families must learn to live within a budget. They understand that they can’t spend more than what they earn—at least not for very long. Frequently this means saying “No”…
Commentary
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Ideas to Improve Pennsylvania’s Fiscal and Economic Health
:: Fat Facts of the Week ::…
Commentary
Read More: Ideas to Improve Pennsylvania’s Fiscal and Economic HealthTaxes & Economy
Ideas to Improve Pennsylvania’s Fiscal and Economic Health
:: Fat Facts of the Week :: Taxpayer-funded handouts to major corporations are just one reason why state government spending is so obese. Consider just four examples of corporate welfare:…
Commentary
Read More: Ideas to Improve Pennsylvania’s Fiscal and Economic HealthEducation
Taxpayer-Funded Preschool: Count the Costs
Governor Ed Rendell’s budget proposal for the 2007-08 fiscal year includes $75 million for “Pre-K Counts”—a taxpayer-funded program which would provide grants to school districts, Head Start programs, and government-approved…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Taxpayer-Funded Preschool: Count the CostsEducation
Count the Costs of Pre-K Counts
Academic and financial costs of taxpayer-funded preschool questioned, alternatives proposed at news conference HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation joined with a coalition of organizations to call on lawmakers…
Press Release
Read More: Count the Costs of Pre-K CountsTaxes & Economy
Is State Government Ready for a Spending Diet?
Taxpayer Protection bills sent to Senate floor HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the State Senate Finance Committee voted to send the Taxpayer Protection Act (SB 707) and the Taxpayer Protection Amendment…
Press Release
Read More: Is State Government Ready for a Spending Diet?Taxes & Economy
Protecting the Taxpayers
Thank you Senator Corman, Senator Folmer, and members of the Senate Majority Policy Committee for the opportunity to testify on the proposed Taxpayer Protection Act (SB 7) and Taxpayer Protection…
Commentary
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Lost Jobs, Lost Opportunities: The Reality of the Minimum Wage Hike
In 2006, Governor Ed Rendell argued that hiking Pennsylvania’s minimum wage by 39% would not lead to lost jobs and opportunities for low-wage workers. Unfortunately, Mr. Rendell has already been…
Commentary
Read More: Lost Jobs, Lost Opportunities: The Reality of the Minimum Wage HikeTaxes & Economy
Act 1 Property-to-Income Tax Shift
On May 15, 2007, voters across the Commonwealth will be asked to vote on a property-to-income tax shift to pay for public education expenditures. The Property Tax Relief Act of…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Act 1 Property-to-Income Tax ShiftTaxes & Economy
Happy Tax Freedom Day, Pennsylvania!
April 27, 2007 won’t appear as a holiday on anyone’s calendar. Few workers will get the day off. But it will be the first day Pennsylvania’s workers stop working to…
Commentary
Read More: Happy Tax Freedom Day, Pennsylvania!Taxes & Economy
Taxpayer Protections
Commonwealth Foundation applauds efforts to control spending and taxes HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation applauded today’s introduction of a package of proposals designed to reduce the tax burden on…
Press Release
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Prospering In Pennsylvania
Are Pennsylvania’s workers worse off than they were three decades ago? A report prepared by the labor union-backed Keystone Research Center claims they are. Their data indicate that average real…
Commentary
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Free-Market Approaches to Fiscal Policy
Good morning. My name is Nathan Benefield; I am the Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation, a research and policy institute in Harrisburg. I want to thank the…
Testimony
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