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.
Public Union Democracy
Nobody should be forced to pay for someone elses politics!
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you Mr. Chairman and Members of the House Labor Relations Committee for the invitation to testify this morning on an important…
Commentary
Read More: Nobody should be forced to pay for someone elses politics!Education
Waiting at the Cradle
"Hey, what about the kids?" That is the slogan for a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign called "Focus Five for Kids," created to highlight children's issues during the Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign.
Commentary
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Property Tax & School Funding Reform: The Michigan Experience and Principles for Pennsylvania
Executive Summary After decades of relative inaction, Pennsylvania policymakers may finally tackle the issue of property-tax and school-funding reform. While states such as Michigan have already substantively addressed the problem…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Property Tax & School Funding Reform: The Michigan Experience and Principles for PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Special Session on Property Tax Relief
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you, Chairman Wenger and members of the Committee for the invitation to testify this afternoon. My name is Matthew Brouillette and…
Commentary
Read More: Special Session on Property Tax ReliefEducation
The Pennsylvania State (Everything But) Education Association
Almost as predictable as the beginning of the football season is the start of the strike season by public school employees in Pennsylvania. And the kick-off to the 2002-03 school…
Commentary
Read More: The Pennsylvania State (Everything But) Education AssociationTaxes & Economy
R. A. D. is Bad for Pennsylvania
Executive Summary A quiet campaign is currently underway to increase taxes on consumers in four central Pennsylvania counties. By granting elected officials in those counties the power to create a…
Fact Sheet
Read More: R. A. D. is Bad for PennsylvaniaEducation
Pennsylvania’s Under-Funded Public Schools and the Special Education Burden
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you members of the Committee for the invitation to testify this morning. My name is Matthew Brouillette and I am the…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Under-Funded Public Schools and the Special Education BurdenEducation
The Myth of the Special Education Burden
Executive Summary Over the past thirty years, school property taxes in Pennsylvania have increased at a rate more than twice the concurrent rate of inflation. Local school boards—those elected officials…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Myth of the Special Education BurdenEducation
Three Principles for Necessary for Successful Property-Tax/School-Funding Reform in Pennsylvania
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you members of the Committee for the invitation to testify this morning. My name is Matthew Brouillette and I am the…
Commentary
Read More: Three Principles for Necessary for Successful Property-Tax/School-Funding Reform in PennsylvaniaEducation
Dispelling the Myth of Pennsylvanias Under-Funded Public Schools
Executive Summary The perennial debate over education funding in Pennsylvania—when it is not about how much more schools should get—is about how the taxpayers should fund the schools. Current discussions…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Dispelling the Myth of Pennsylvanias Under-Funded Public SchoolsPublic Union Democracy
Pennsylvania Businesses Can Now Spend Less Time In The Courtroom
By their very nature, businesspeople are willing to take significant risks to compete in the marketplace. Indeed, every day the profit motive compels people to invest their life savings in…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania Businesses Can Now Spend Less Time In The CourtroomEducation
More Dollars Will Not Produce More Scholars
Just one day after Pennsylvania celebrated Tax Freedom Day 2002—the day when citizens stop toiling just to pay their federal, state, and local taxes and are finally free to work…
Commentary
Read More: More Dollars Will Not Produce More ScholarsTaxes & Economy
Budget Basic: Pennsylvanias Economy Loses When Policymakers Try to Pick Winners
Executive Summary For too long, Pennsylvania has relied too heavily on generously funded but ultimately ineffectual taxpayer-funded government subsidy programs in an attempt to stimulate economic growth. The strategy of…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Basic: Pennsylvanias Economy Loses When Policymakers Try to Pick WinnersState Budget
Barriers to Entrepreneurship: How Pennsylvanias Government Stifles Job Creation
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There is no doubt that Pennsylvania benefited from the booming national economy of the 1990s. But when compared to the rest of the United States, the Commonwealth’s economic…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Barriers to Entrepreneurship: How Pennsylvanias Government Stifles Job CreationTaxes & Economy
Private InvestorsNot TaxpayersShould Fund Lancaster Baseball Stadium
The siren song of professional baseball is seducing yet another Pennsylvania community. This time the object of affection is Lancaster, and taxpayers had better hope this love affair hits the…
Commentary
Read More: Private InvestorsNot TaxpayersShould Fund Lancaster Baseball StadiumTaxes & Economy
National Sales Tax Scheme Would Cost PA Consumers $381 Million in First Year; Would Forfeit Up To 94,000 PA Jobs
A high-pressure push is on to add Pennsylvania to the list of states that agree to force consumers to pay more for all purchases they make online or from catalogues.
Commentary
Read More: National Sales Tax Scheme Would Cost PA Consumers $381 Million in First Year; Would Forfeit Up To 94,000 PA JobsTaxes & Economy
Philadelphia Stadium Deal: Great for Teams, Not for Taxpayers
After years of asking Santa for shiny new stadiums, the Phillies and Eagles may finally fulfill that Christmas wish courtesy of Philadelphia Mayor John Street and his merry band of…
Commentary
Read More: Philadelphia Stadium Deal: Great for Teams, Not for TaxpayersTaxes & Economy
Kvaerner Audit On Course With Details, Sails By Larger Question
A new state audit is re-aggravating a seasickness that has been plaguing Pennsylvanians since the launch of the deal to bring a Norwegian shipbuilding company to the former Philadelphia Naval…
Commentary
Read More: Kvaerner Audit On Course With Details, Sails By Larger QuestionTaxes & Economy
Stadiums Don’t Deliver On Promises
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this hearing. My name is Grant Gulibon, and I am Senior Policy Analyst with The Commonwealth Foundation…
Commentary
Read More: Stadiums Don’t Deliver On PromisesTaxes & Economy
Growth and Pennsylvanias Environment: The Facts
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY …
Fact Sheet
Read More: Growth and Pennsylvanias Environment: The FactsTaxes & Economy
If You Build It, They Will Still Leave
After months of wrangling, City Council and the Street Administration have finally agreed on a blueprint to put deals in place for taxpayer-funded stadiums for the Phillies and Eagles. While…
Commentary
Read More: If You Build It, They Will Still Leave