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
Audio: Fixing the State’s Broken Pension System
Public pensions have created one of the worst financial crises in Pennsylvania’s history—a monstrous, $50 billion debt that Gov. Wolf can no longer ignore. To prevent the crisis from…
Media
Read More: Audio: Fixing the State’s Broken Pension SystemHealth Care
State-Run Health Exchanges: A Terrible Track Record
Governor Wolf is taking a big risk. His administration is preparing a Pennsylvania-operated Obamacare exchange if exchange subsidies from the federal exchange, or healthcare.gov, are ruled illegal by the…
Media
Read More: State-Run Health Exchanges: A Terrible Track RecordTaxes & Economy
Reforming the Welfare Benefits Cliff
Imagine you’re a single mom earning $47,000 a year (or $22.59 an hour) working full-time as an assistant manager at large department store. Your boss pulls you aside with great…
Media
Read More: Reforming the Welfare Benefits CliffState Budget
134 Billion Reasons to Embrace Debt Reform
Every Pennsylvanian’s share of state and local debt increased by 20 percent over the last twelve years. In 2002, per capita debt totaled $8,693. Today, the total is a shade…
Media
Read More: 134 Billion Reasons to Embrace Debt ReformRegulation
The Monster at the end of this Blog Post
One of my favorite children’s books is titled “The Monster at the end of this Book.” In it, Grover (of Sesame Street fame) pleads with the reader not…
Media
Read More: The Monster at the end of this Blog PostRegulation
Senate Pension Reform: Sustainable for Taxpayers, Fair to Public Employees
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Senate Pension Reform: Sustainable for Taxpayers, Fair to Public Employees Critical Retirement Bill Heads to the House, Positioned for…
Press Release
Read More: Senate Pension Reform: Sustainable for Taxpayers, Fair to Public EmployeesPublic Union Democracy
Pension Reform Toolkit
Pension costs are ballooning so quickly, they threaten to consume funds for education, public safety and welfare. Without reform, Pennsylvanians face cuts to services, teacher layoffs, higher property taxes, and…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pension Reform ToolkitRegulation
Senate Tackles Growing Crisis, Advances Responsible Pension Reform
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Senate Tackles Growing Crisis, Advances Responsible Pension Reform Bill Stops Sending More Public Employees Into Broken Retirement System May…
Press Release
Read More: Senate Tackles Growing Crisis, Advances Responsible Pension ReformRegulation
It’s Not Enough Just to Say No…
“It’s not good enough to just say no and continue with the same old same old.” So said Gov. Tom Wolf during his budget address, making clear his administration is…
Media
Read More: It’s Not Enough Just to Say No…Health Care
State Health Care Exchange: A Dangerous Contingency Plan
A week ago Governor Wolf announced his plan to create a state-based health care exchange if the U.S. Supreme Court nixes taxpayer subsidies to insurance companies through the federal…
Media
Read More: State Health Care Exchange: A Dangerous Contingency PlanCriminal Justice Reform
The Jury is In: Corrections Reform is Working
Remember the time lawmakers from both parties came together in Harrisburg and unanimously passed important, groundbreaking reform legislation? It’s not a joke. It happened in 2012. As a result of…
Media
Read More: The Jury is In: Corrections Reform is WorkingState Budget
Audio: The Need for the Taxpayer Protection Act
The Taxpayer Protection Act is a simple idea that achieves four goals: limiting the future growth of state government spending, forcing the state government to prioritize future spending, helping to balance…
Media
Read More: Audio: The Need for the Taxpayer Protection ActState Budget
Natural Gas Severance Tax: An Economy Killer
From labor unions to local chambers of commerce, community leaders are expressing a lot of anxiety over Governor Wolf’s natural gas severance tax proposal. The proposed tax “is a Wyoming…
Media
Read More: Natural Gas Severance Tax: An Economy KillerState Budget
30,000 Jobs that Won’t Pay
Gov. Wolf’s tax plan would result in 30,000 jobs not created next year, according to a new analysis we released yesterday. Using the STAMP model, developed by…
Media
Read More: 30,000 Jobs that Won’t PayTaxes & Economy
Study: 30,000 Jobs That Won’t Pay Under Wolf’s Budget
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact: 717-671-1901 Study: 30,000 Jobs That Won’t Pay Under Wolf’s Budget Job-Seekers Better Off If Wolf Did Nothing May 4, 2015, HARRISBURG,…
Press Release
Read More: Study: 30,000 Jobs That Won’t Pay Under Wolf’s BudgetTaxes & Economy
The Impact of Gov. Wolf’s Tax Proposals on Job Creation
The Commonwealth Foundation worked with the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University to apply an economic modeling program to analyze the overall impact of Gov. Wolf’s proposals. Economists at Beacon Hill developed…
Memo
Read More: The Impact of Gov. Wolf’s Tax Proposals on Job CreationState Budget
The Next 1,360 Days
Governor Wolf marked his 100th day in office by providing a list of accomplishments. In reality, the memo is more of a status update since many of his initiatives, including…
Media
Read More: The Next 1,360 DaysHealth Care
Unlike Medicaid, Charity Clinics Lead to Independence
This week marks the beginning of Pennsylvania’s transition from Healthy PA to full Medicaid expansion. Over 100,000 beneficiaries were transferred to the traditional one-size-fits-all healthcare plan known for limited…
Media
Read More: Unlike Medicaid, Charity Clinics Lead to IndependenceState Budget
Economic Freedom Trumps Identity Politics
Imagine a little girl and her young mother sitting on a porch on 19th Street in Harrisburg. The child smiles happily, but the mother looks tired—she’s working second shift and…
Media
Read More: Economic Freedom Trumps Identity PoliticsTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvanians Are Working Longer for the Government
Last Saturday Pennsylvanians passed an important milestone: Tax Freedom Day. This is the day Pennsylvanians earn enough dollars to pay off their federal, state and local tax bills for 2015. …
Media
Read More: Pennsylvanians Are Working Longer for the GovernmentState Budget
IFO: Everyone Pays More Under Wolf Tax Shift
The Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released a new analysis of Gov. Wolf’s tax proposals yesterday. What is their most interesting conclusion? Taxpayers in every income bracket will see a net…
Media
Read More: IFO: Everyone Pays More Under Wolf Tax Shift