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.
State Budget
A Brief History of Wolf’s Tax Hikes
Yesterday, the State House of Representatives announced they were moving off the latest Wolf tax hike proposal and onto a new plan that called for less spending and fewer…
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Read More: A Brief History of Wolf’s Tax HikesState Budget
Taxes: Isn’t $17,000 Per Family of Four Enough?
Taxes: Isn’t $17,000 Per Family of Four Enough? Pennsylvanians Already Overburdened with State & Local Taxes December 4, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Did you know Pennsylvania’s state and local tax burden…
Press Release
Read More: Taxes: Isn’t $17,000 Per Family of Four Enough?State Budget
Wolf’s “Pressure” Causes Real Pain
After five months without a state budget, three failed tax hike plans, and two vetoed stop-gap plans, Gov. Wolf refuses to abandon his harmful strategy of holding children, abuse victims,…
Media
Read More: Wolf’s “Pressure” Causes Real PainRegulation
Pension Reform Saves Another City
A few weeks ago Clairton became the second Pennsylvania city to leave the Act 47 program for distressed municipalities. Nanticoke was the first city to leave earlier this year. Instrumental…
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Read More: Pension Reform Saves Another CityState Budget
Yet Another Tax Hike Proposal
Details are slowly emerging about a potential fifth tax hike proposal in state budget negotiations. This comes after Gov. Wolf’s most recent plan to raise the state sales tax…
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Read More: Yet Another Tax Hike ProposalState Budget
No One Wants Higher Taxes
The latest reports out of the state Capitol suggest that including a sales tax increase in the budget framework—which we addressed earlier—is off the table. Turns out, lawmakers weren’t too keen on…
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Read More: No One Wants Higher TaxesTaxes & Economy
Minimum Wage
Pennsylvanians dodged a lot of bad policy in the final budget deal. One less talked about issue was the Governor's $10.10 minimum wage proposal. In the waning days of the…
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Read More: Minimum WageState Budget
Stopgap Budget Could Avoid Thanksgiving Pain
Stopgap Budget Could Avoid Thanksgiving Pain Emergency Funding Needed for Vulnerable Pennsylvanians November 19, 2015, HARRISBURG, Pa.—One week from Thanksgiving, the state budget impasse has forced the Mercer…
Press Release
Read More: Stopgap Budget Could Avoid Thanksgiving PainEducation
Tax Shifts and Education Spending
As proposals to reduce, reform, or (mostly) eliminate school property taxes continue to be debated in Harrisburg, many readers have asked about our position on a dollar-for-dollar tax shift,…
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Read More: Tax Shifts and Education SpendingRegulation
How is Property Tax Relief Doled Out?
Among the many questions in a tentative state budget deal is how revenue from the sales tax increase would be distributed. The Associated Press notes this will be…
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Read More: How is Property Tax Relief Doled Out?Education
For Property Tax Relief, Give Voters Control
Should voters have the right to approve property tax increases? This is a central point of contention within a rumored budget framework that purports to provide Pennsylvanians with property tax…
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Read More: For Property Tax Relief, Give Voters ControlState Budget
Horse Racing Subsidies vs. Property Tax Relief
Is a $600 million tax increase needed to end a five month-long budget impasse? Lawmakers are considering it. Yet, a shortage of tax revenue is not the source of…
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Read More: Horse Racing Subsidies vs. Property Tax ReliefState Budget
Budget Hope on the Horizon?
After nearly five months of gridlock, a new state budget framework was announced this week. At this point, it’s tempting to call any progress on budget agreement a victory, but…
Commentary
Read More: Budget Hope on the Horizon?Regulation
Pa. Could Face 2nd-Highest Sales Tax in America
Pa. Could Face 2nd-Highest Sales Tax in America Latest Budget Plan Seeks Biggest Sales Tax Hike Since 1956 November 10, 2015, Harrisburg, Pa.—Pennsylvanians may soon pay more for…
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Read More: Pa. Could Face 2nd-Highest Sales Tax in AmericaTaxes & Economy
New Details on Proposed Tax Increase
As movement towards a budget deal progresses, more details have emerged regarding the sales tax increase we reported on yesterday. Let's remember that before we ask working families…
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Read More: New Details on Proposed Tax IncreaseRegulation
Backdoor $600 Million Tax Increase in Rumored Deal
Backdoor $600 Million Tax Increase in Rumored Budget Deal Sales Tax for Property Tax Swap Rumor Leaves Taxpayers on the Hook November 9, 2015, Harrisburg, Pa.—The…
Press Release
Read More: Backdoor $600 Million Tax Increase in Rumored DealState Budget
A Stealth Tax Increase?
Rumors about a proposed budget continue to swirl in Harrisburg. One such rumor is that the deal would include an increase in the sales tax rate to be used for…
Media
Read More: A Stealth Tax Increase?Regulation
Corporate Welfare and Cronyism in Bethlehem
Election day was a quiet affair in most communities, but in Bethlehem residents used the a local election to protest the appearance of cronyism in connection with a new corporate…
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Read More: Corporate Welfare and Cronyism in BethlehemCriminal Justice Reform
Protect Property Owners from Unreasonable Forfeiture
Our justice system is supposed to presume innocence until guilt is proven, but every year, Pennsylvanians are stripped of about $14 million on allegations that their property was involved in…
Commentary
Read More: Protect Property Owners from Unreasonable ForfeitureEducation
Holding All Schools Hostage
Fell Charter Elementary School near Scranton will stop paying teachers next month and the school is considering a four-day week thanks to the state budget stalemate. Fell's announcement is…
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Read More: Holding All Schools HostageHealth Care
Obamacare Premiums Rise, Again
Mark your calendars (for disappointment)! On November 1 healthcare.gov will launch its third open enrollment season. Here in Pennsylvania, premiums for the second highest silver plan will climb, on average, by 11…
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Read More: Obamacare Premiums Rise, Again