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
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.
Media
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.
Media
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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Read More: Cost of Government DayTaxes & Economy
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
Read More: Minimum Rationality for Minimum WageTaxes & Economy
Stocking up on tax dollars
Meadville Tribune editorial on how the state is spending the “windfall” surplus instead of returning it to taxpayers.
Media
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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Read More: Mere CoincidenceTaxes & Economy
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…
Media
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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Read More: Minimum wage increase might hurt teensTaxes & Economy
Wal-Mart Tax Fizzle
Wall Street Journal article on how the “Wal-Mart tax” push is failing in almost every state. Read our analysis of why the Wal-Mart tax is bad for Pennsylvania…
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Read More: Wal-Mart Tax FizzleTaxes & Economy
Bill to raise minimum wage gets House’s OK
Economics is once again trumped by political rhetoric in Harrisburg. Who can be against boosting the pay of someone on the lowest rung of the wage ladder? Unfortunately, by raising…
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Read More: Bill to raise minimum wage gets House’s OKTaxes & Economy
State spending to jump in ’06-07
Alison Hawkes in the Herald-Standard on budget negotiations.
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Read More: State spending to jump in ’06-07Health Care
$1 Trillion Shock Awaits States, Local Governments
Joe Mysak asks on Bloomberg.com: “How much is it going to cost states and localities to pay for public employees’ health care and insurance after they retire? “Try between…
Media
Read More: $1 Trillion Shock Awaits States, Local GovernmentsRegulation
The Merits of a Judicial Pay Raise in Pennsylvania
On July 7, 2005, a political firestorm was ignited in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the form of a controversial pay raise for legislators, members of the executive branch, and…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Merits of a Judicial Pay Raise in PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Wage Wars
I discussed the Minimum Wage rhetoric and reality on SmartMoney.com.
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Read More: Wage WarsRegulation
Senators vs. Pork
Not a game between minor league baseball teams, but three State Senators (Jane Orie, R-Allison Park, Pat Vance, R-Silver Spring Twp, and Pat Browne, R-Allentown) trying to Shift Focus…
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Read More: Senators vs. PorkHealth Care
Accounting rule could bust state budgets
Stateline.org highlights the coming fiscal crisis in the states when governments are required to recognize medical benefits liabilities. Excerpt… Just when states found some breathing room after years…
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Read More: Accounting rule could bust state budgetsTaxes & Economy
State leaders won’t confront hard decisions
Columnist in New Jersey’s Express-Times nails it on the head–he writes: “It’s called a tax shift and has nothing to do with reducing the tax burden. In fact, ‘reducing’…
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Read More: State leaders won’t confront hard decisions