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
Repealing the Federal Estate Tax
Facts about the estate tax from the Cato Institute.
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Time to Kill Castroism
Peggy Noonan in today’s Wall Street Journal suggests that it is time to “seize the moment for some wise, judicious, free-market love-bombing” of Cuba.
Media
Read More: Time to Kill CastroismTaxes & Economy
Why Congress Should Reject a Minimum Wage Increase
Two articles from the Heritage Foundation: The first details how a minimum wage increase will hurt job prospects among low skill workers, and won’t reduce poverty. The second…
Media
Read More: Why Congress Should Reject a Minimum Wage IncreaseRegulation
Getting state legislators to work is costly
Post-Gazette article on the cost to taxpayers of the travel of several state lawmakers. Just another example of a failure of many in cover to be frugal when someone…
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Politics trumps economics in Chicago
The Chicago city council passed a law which would mandate “Big-Box” retailers pay a minimum wage of $10/hour and $3 in fringe benefits, essentially an effort to keep Wal-Mart out…
Media
Read More: Politics trumps economics in ChicagoRegulation
Manufacturing Job Loss in the Great Lakes Region
The Brookings Institution released a study on manufacturing jobs lost in the Great Lakes region. The numbers and findings are interesting: many of the nation’s manufacturing jobs “lost” were…
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Read More: Manufacturing Job Loss in the Great Lakes RegionTaxes & Economy
More Vinsanity
A press release from Senator Vince Fumo’s office dismisses any notion that Pennsylvania business taxes are too high, citing select data showing Pennsylvania has merely a mediocre economic record…
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Read More: More VinsanityTaxes & Economy
Dukakis on Minimum Wage and Immigration
Editorial by Michael Dukakis in today’s New York Times. Dukakis claims that if we raise the minimum wage to $8 hour, businesses will stop hiring illegal immigrants. Essentially…
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Tax Cuts are Good for Everyone
And (almost) everyone understands that, from today’s Wall Street Journal.
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Read More: Tax Cuts are Good for EveryoneTaxes & Economy
PA Businesses to See Tax Cuts?
A report released today by The Tax Foundation looks at legislation expected to be voted on by the US House tomorrow on business taxes. This bill (HR 1956) would…
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Read More: PA Businesses to See Tax Cuts?Taxes & Economy
Politicians are failing to tax and spend state to prosperity : The Morning Call Online
Read Matthew Brouillette’s latest commentary in today’s Allentown Morning Call.
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Read More: Politicians are failing to tax and spend state to prosperity : The Morning Call OnlineTaxes & Economy
Businesses are becoming “sick of Pennsylvania”
Article in The Republican & Herald on the tax climate in PA.
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Read More: Businesses are becoming “sick of Pennsylvania”Taxes & Economy
Friedman(s) talk current issues
Wall Street Journal intervew with Milton and Rose Friedman coverring illegal immigration, Iraq, and government spending.
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Read More: Friedman(s) talk current issuesHealth Care
Judge overturns Wal-Mart law
AP Story on the overturning of Maryland’s “Wal-Mart” Health Care law. This law would have required all businesses with 10,000 or more workers to spend at least 8% of…
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Read More: Judge overturns Wal-Mart lawTaxes & Economy
Cost of Government Day
Americans for Tax Reform released their Cost of Government Day Report yesterday, which was coincidently the national Cost of Government Day. This represents the day in which American earned…
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Minimum Rationality for Minimum Wage
In an election year, legislators do irrational things, such as spend more money than the budget supports, fund pork projects for their districts, and raise the minimum wage.
Commentary
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Stocking up on tax dollars
Meadville Tribune editorial on how the state is spending the “windfall” surplus instead of returning it to taxpayers.
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Read More: Stocking up on tax dollarsGovernment Accountability
Mere Coincidence
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on the six-figure government job awarded to Joseph Hoeffel – who earlier this year dropped out of the Lt. Gov. race after a meeting with Governor…
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Analysis shows that school-tax reform was just a gesture from Harrisburg : The Morning Call Online
Morning Call editorial on “referendum in name only” as well as “tax reform in name only.” We only wish that more editorial boards would have listened to us…
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Read More: Analysis shows that school-tax reform was just a gesture from Harrisburg : The Morning Call OnlineState Budget
Whiskey and Car Keys
Author P.J. O’Rourke once wrote: “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” He must have been thinking about Gov. Rendell and…
Commentary
Read More: Whiskey and Car KeysTaxes & Economy
Minimum wage increase might hurt teens
“Might”? Hmmm… When the cost of something goes up, don’t we buy less? Oh, our politicians in Harrisburg are passing a law to nullify the laws of economics. Good luck…
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