State Budget
Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax Reform
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Today is Tax Day. Each year, April 15th reminds us of the costliness of government spending – and why lawmakers must reduce this financial burden on…
Read More: Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax ReformHigh 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.
Regulation
Corporate Welfare’s Hazards
State officials often hail the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP or R-Cap) as a tool for “economic development” projects across the commonwealth. The program uses borrowed money—with interest payments financed by taxpayers—to…
Media
Read More: Corporate Welfare’s HazardsPublic Union Democracy
Unions Must Answer for Pension Hypocrisy
Would you believe the most vocal opponents to public pension reform—Pennsylvania’s largest government unions—have actually implemented the very kind of reform they are fighting against?…
Commentary
Read More: Unions Must Answer for Pension HypocrisyState Budget
Audio: Is Gov. Wolf Taking Hostages?
Gov. Wolf still refuses to back down from his budget demands–which include the largest tax hike in Pennsylvania’s history. Not only would this add an additional $1,425 in taxes on every family of…
Media
Read More: Audio: Is Gov. Wolf Taking Hostages?State Budget
Tax Hikes Threaten Debbie’s Flower Shop
Debbie is a small business owner. She operates Pealer's Flowers with her husband in Camp Hill, and they're worried about Gov. Tom Wolf's tax hikes. Debbie explains: “We're all doing…
Media
Read More: Tax Hikes Threaten Debbie’s Flower ShopRegulation
Audio: Weathering the Budget Impasse
Another day passes without a state budget in Pennsylvania, causing panic among public officials who can't pay the bills and among parents who have children attending schools unable to make payroll. Still, Gov.
Media
Read More: Audio: Weathering the Budget ImpasseRegulation
Ridesharing Freedom En Route to Pennsylvania
Uber and Lyft provide inexpensive rides to customers across the country despite numerous regulatory hurdles—chief among them the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which has previously thwarted the businesses from…
Media
Read More: Ridesharing Freedom En Route to PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Location, Location, Location
What do real estate values and tax bills have in common? Both are driven by location. In a new report, the Tax Foundation provides a comprehensive analysis of the tax burdens…
Media
Read More: Location, Location, LocationRegulation
Audio: A Look at Gov. Wolf’s “Concessions”
As state budget negotiations drag on, Gov. Wolf is pointing the finger at Republicans, claiming they have refused to move after he made “concessions on everything.” So what compromises are included in…
Media
Read More: Audio: A Look at Gov. Wolf’s “Concessions”Regulation
Borrowing ‘Dumb’ Ideas on Pension Reform
Would you take out a second mortgage on your home to bet on the stock market? Such an idea deserves ridicule—if not alarm. You’d be putting your home and your…
Commentary
Read More: Borrowing ‘Dumb’ Ideas on Pension ReformEnergy
Governor Wolf’s Proposed Natural Gas Extraction Tax
Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a new severance tax on natural gas extraction, which he claims will generate more than $1 billion annually for public schools. The proposal fails to consider…
Memo
Read More: Governor Wolf’s Proposed Natural Gas Extraction TaxTaxes & 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…
Media
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…
Media
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.
Media
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…
Media
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
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