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
Groups target legislative spending
From the Courier Times: “Asked about the WAMS — legislative grants for economic development — Rep. Scott Petri, R-178, said, “I don’t know any one of them I would…
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Read More: Groups target legislative spendingRegulation
Groups identify $4.3 billion in ‘wasteful’ spending
Public Radio Capitol News on our Piglet Book 2006. Although reporter Damon Baughmer probably doesn’t appreciate the fact that we think his employer (we, the taxpayers) should be funding…
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Read More: Groups identify $4.3 billion in ‘wasteful’ spendingTaxes & Economy
Swann plan requires work …
So says our friend Jake Haulk of the Allegheny Institute in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Dr. Haulk concludes that “it’s still tax-shifting, relies on magic money, wrongly disses property tax…
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Read More: Swann plan requires work …Taxes & Economy
Minimum Wages Politics vs. Economics
The push for a minimum wage increase is going on in North Carolina as well as here in PA. A piece in the Raleigh News Observer looks at the…
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Read More: Minimum Wages Politics vs. EconomicsRegulation
Govenment benefits for retirees grow into ‘monster’
An article in today’s USA TODAY points out that future unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Social Security, and govenment employees pensions and retirement benefits have grown to $57.8 trillion. To…
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Read More: Govenment benefits for retirees grow into ‘monster’State Budget
Return the Windfall Profits
There is a massive organization imposing a financial burden on the Pennsylvania economy. It is consuming an ever larger portion of the average person’s income. The costs for what it…
Commentary
Read More: Return the Windfall ProfitsTaxes & Economy
Government made bumper stickers
The Pennsylvania Office of Tourism (part of the Department of Community and Economic Development) have started voting for a PA Bumper Sticker. Not only is developing an “official state…
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Read More: Government made bumper stickersTaxes & Economy
Building excise fees will not mean property-tax relief
Read Grant Gulibon’s commentary in the latest News Item.
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Read More: Building excise fees will not mean property-tax reliefTaxes & Economy
Building Excise Fees are Not Property Tax Relief
Henry David Thoreau said, “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.” In Pennsylvania, that “evil” is the school property…
Commentary
Read More: Building Excise Fees are Not Property Tax ReliefTaxes & Economy
PUC: Free market is OK
As reported in the Central Penn Business Journal, the Public Utility Commission will not stop a new taxicab company from competing with existing companies. It always heartwarming when a…
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Read More: PUC: Free market is OKTaxes & Economy
Tax hike referendum sinks like a stone
The Bristol Township School District signed on to Act 72, the property tax shift proposal that 80% of school districts rejected. To my knowledge Bristol was the only district out…
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Read More: Tax hike referendum sinks like a stoneTaxes & Economy
‘Live Free or Move’
Jobs are flocking to low-tax states for a reason. Commentary in today’s Wall Street Journal says, “new data is out and it shows that the states that embraced supply-side…
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Read More: ‘Live Free or Move’Taxes & Economy
Tax no fix for rising gas prices
Read Matthew Brouillette’s commentary in Friday’s Pittsburgh Business Times.
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Read More: Tax no fix for rising gas pricesTaxes & Economy
For Now, Gasoline Is Our Only Cheap Fuel
Cato Commentary by Jerry Taylor: “Mandating a switch given current technology would increase, not decrease, pump prices.”…
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Read More: For Now, Gasoline Is Our Only Cheap FuelEducation
Property Tax Relief through School Choice
Pennsylvanians deserve property tax reform and relief—not a shift and a sham. But the only way to relieve all homeowners while not burdening other taxpayers is to reduce public school…
Commentary
Read More: Property Tax Relief through School ChoiceTaxes & Economy
Gov. Rendell’s Plan to raise gas prices and subsidize Big Ethanol
Gas prices are high. As previously noted in this blog, part of the reason for high prices is the mandated use of ethanol fuels – forcing refineries to retool.
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Read More: Gov. Rendell’s Plan to raise gas prices and subsidize Big EthanolTaxes & Economy
State Quashes Economic Freedom
The Pennsylvania State Department’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs release their list of disciplinary actions yesterday. Among the egregious violations were: auctioning without an auctioneers license, cutting hair…
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Read More: State Quashes Economic FreedomEnergy
The Governments Gas Problem
Government’s energy policies and regulations have been leading us down the wrong road for years, yet the only solution Governor Ed Rendell and plenty of Republicans like Sen. Arlen Specter…
Commentary
Read More: The Governments Gas ProblemTaxes & Economy
The Gas-Tax Hustle
by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. I’ll have my own take on “The Government’s Gas Problem” on Monday. Check out the main article at www.CommonwealthFoundation.org then!…
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How to Soak the Rich (the George Bush Way)
Good piece in the Wall Street Journal on the effects of tax cuts.
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Read More: How to Soak the Rich (the George Bush Way)Taxes & Economy
Property tax proposal has lots of loopholes
Good coverage by Christina Gostomski (and John Micek) of the Allentown Morning Call on the faux taxpayer protections in the bill moving to the House today.
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Read More: Property tax proposal has lots of loopholes