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
Taxes and Taxes and Taxes, Oh My!
A recent NPR article notes that Pennsylvania “gathers less than 1 percent of its total tax receipts from an impact fee” on natural gas production (emphasis mine). Naturally, the…
Media
Read More: Taxes and Taxes and Taxes, Oh My!Regulation
Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Gambling Problem
There are numerous ways Gov. Wolf can balance the budget without raising taxes: reforming the pension system, cutting corporate welfare and selling the liquor business. Instead, he…
Media
Read More: Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Gambling ProblemPublic Union Democracy
Pension Hypocrisy: Union Leaders Offer 401(k)s to Own Employees
Pension Hypocrisy: Union Leaders Offer 401(k)s to Own Employees For Biggest Opponents of Reform it’s ‘Do as I Say, Not as I Do’ August 20, 2015, Harrisburg, Pa.—For…
Press Release
Read More: Pension Hypocrisy: Union Leaders Offer 401(k)s to Own EmployeesState Budget
Audio: The Real Danger of a Severance Tax
The Pennsylvania state budget remains long overdue, mostly due to Gov. Wolf’s misconstrued idea of compromise. He continues to insist on a severance tax to increase education spending, but…
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Read More: Audio: The Real Danger of a Severance TaxPublic Union Democracy
Pension Reform to Protect my Kids
Legislative leaders have rightly rejected a so-called pension reform “compromise,” a plan that fails to address the problems in our pension system and continues to put our kids and grandkids on…
Media
Read More: Pension Reform to Protect my KidsRegulation
Wolf’s ‘Compromise’ Rings Hollow
Wolf’s ‘Compromise’ Rings Hollow Who’s Really Being ‘Disingenuous’ During Budget Talks? As budget negotiations continue, Gov. Wolf recently called Republicans “disingenuous” for criticizing his pension “compromise.” But…
Press Release
Read More: Wolf’s ‘Compromise’ Rings HollowRegulation
Gov. Wolf’s So-Called Compromise
Gov. Wolf proposed a new “compromise” on pensions and the budget last week, according to news reports. Here is what that compromise includes: A defined contribution plan for new…
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Read More: Gov. Wolf’s So-Called CompromiseState Budget
Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Budget Blindspot
CF’s Nate Benefield joins Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT to discuss the budget impasse and Gov. Wolf’s misleading claims. During their conversation, Nate shed light on Gov.
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Read More: Audio: Gov. Wolf’s Budget BlindspotState Budget
A Way Out of Budget Gridlock
With budget traffic at a standstill, how do we press through the roadblock to a resolution that benefits all Pennsylvanians?…
Commentary
Read More: A Way Out of Budget GridlockState Budget
Listen: Telephone Townhall on PA Budget and More
Matt Brouillette and Rich Zeoli of Talk Radio 1210 WPHT answer questions about the Pennsylvania budget during a telephone town hall. Matt explains how Gov. Wolf's tax plan that would smack…
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Read More: Listen: Telephone Townhall on PA Budget and MoreState Budget
Silly Talk with Gov. Wolf
Gov. Tom Wolf appeared on Radio Smart Talk yesterday morning. He mostly danced around host Scott LaMar's questions—claiming “You don't know what I’ve been supporting” on pension reform, and…
Media
Read More: Silly Talk with Gov. WolfRegulation
Could Coal’s Savior be PA’s Legislature?
180 workers in CONSOL Energy’s coal division recently lost their jobs. Now, Pennsylvania’s legislature may be the only thing standing between the Obama administration and complete destruction of the…
Media
Read More: Could Coal’s Savior be PA’s Legislature?Education
Truth Lacking on ‘Schools That Teach’ Tour
Gov. Wolf’s 'Schools That Teach' public relations tour and statewide ad campaigns supporting him aren’t telling voters the truth about the budget impasse or the governor's tax proposal.
Commentary
Read More: Truth Lacking on ‘Schools That Teach’ TourRegulation
Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto Warns Wolf on Pension Bonds
This week, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto criticized Gov. Wolf’s plan to sell $3 billion in pension obligation bonds. In a meeting with editors and reporters from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,…
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Read More: Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto Warns Wolf on Pension BondsState Budget
Which States Have the Biggest Tax Increases?
Previously, we blogged on how Gov. Wolf’s tax proposal raises more revenue than the tax proposals in the 49 other states combined. To put this another way, Wolf’s $4.6 billion tax increase is nearly $4 billion more…
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Read More: Which States Have the Biggest Tax Increases?State Budget
Pay No Attention to Those Tax Increases!
The liberal Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center—an arm of the union-funded Keystone Research Center—has a new claim that Gov. Wolf's “property tax relief” is similiar to that in a bill passed…
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Read More: Pay No Attention to Those Tax Increases!State Budget
When Will Gov. Wolf Compromise?
My letter to the editor in the Times Leader today takes Gov. Wolf to task for claiming to compromise, while still insisting on his sales and income tax increases—the largest tax…
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Read More: When Will Gov. Wolf Compromise?Taxes & Economy
Wolf Truth Squad: The Dirty Dozen
Gov. Tom Wolf is touring the state, touting an energy tax for education—while omitting several important facts. He’s not mentioning that a severance tax will hurt real people with…
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Read More: Wolf Truth Squad: The Dirty DozenTaxes & Economy
A Cooked Goose Lays No Golden Eggs
Gov. Wolf continues to promote a severance tax on natural gas, even as Pennsylvania energy companies report financial losses and job reductions. This week, Consol Energy projected…
Media
Read More: A Cooked Goose Lays No Golden EggsTaxes & Economy
A Severance Tax “Like Other States”? Not so fast
Gov. Tom Wolf and special interest groups continue to insist Pennsylvania needs to enact a severance tax because “other states have one.” This, of course, ignores the fact that Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: A Severance Tax “Like Other States”? Not so fastState Budget
Harrisburg is Ignoring the Biggest Budget Buster
Pop quiz: What’s the largest spending increase in Governor Tom Wolf’s budget proposal? You might assume education, as the governor has repeatedly insisted the state must reinvest in public schools.
Commentary
Read More: Harrisburg is Ignoring the Biggest Budget Buster