Education
Lawmakers can ease financial worries of Pennsylvanians
Originally published at LNP The struggle is real. When asked about their families’ financial situation, only 17% of Pennsylvanians see themselves as better off now than two years ago,…
Read More: Lawmakers can ease financial worries of PennsylvaniansHigh 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
Unions Fight to Block $40 Million in Taxpayer Savings
Pennsylvania legislative leaders continue discussions over increasing transportation funding. In return for higher spending, some negotiators are seeking modest, common sense reforms to the prevailing wage law. These reforms would…
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Read More: Unions Fight to Block $40 Million in Taxpayer SavingsRegulation
We Just Lowered the Debt Ceiling
Yesterday, House and Senate leaders came together to negotiate a deal—that passed with bipartisan support in both chambers—to reduce our debt ceiling. If that sounds unbelievable, I should…
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Read More: We Just Lowered the Debt CeilingPublic Union Democracy
Let Commonsense Prevail
An archaic Pennsylvania law may be stretching your school district’s budget or preventing a construction project in your area from getting off the ground. The law in question is the…
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Read More: Let Commonsense PrevailRegulation
PA Can’t Afford to Dither on Meaningful Pension Reform
Is your family ready to pay nearly $900 more in property taxes and state taxes per year? Are you prepared to see 33,000 public school teachers in Pennsylvania — nearly…
Commentary
Read More: PA Can’t Afford to Dither on Meaningful Pension ReformHealth Care
Many Pennsylvanians to See Insurance Premiums Skyrocket
Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges are off to a rough start this week. Millions were welcomed with error screens as they attempted to figure out if their health care costs would rise. Fox…
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Read More: Many Pennsylvanians to See Insurance Premiums SkyrocketHealth Care
Obamacare Victims Mount
By now we’ve all heard the stories of businesses laying off employees or cutting benefits to avoid the huge penalties and fines that will be levied under Obamacare in 2014…
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Read More: Obamacare Victims MountHealth Care
Young and Old Will Face Premium Spikes Next Year
With only six days to go before the Obamacare health exchanges are scheduled to open, the federal government finally released some price data for the federal exchanges. Even though…
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Read More: Young and Old Will Face Premium Spikes Next YearEducation
How Unions Use Students as Bargaining Chips
When government unions engage in labor disputes, they use their power and monopoly to remind the public of the value of their service. However, schoolchildren should never have to bear…
Commentary
Read More: How Unions Use Students as Bargaining ChipsHealth Care
Healthy PA Can’t Cure Obamacare Disease
Gov. Corbett today unveiled a “Healthy PA” plan, calling for reforms to Medicaid while also accepting federal “Medicaid expansion” funds to buy insurance for 500,000 or more individuals on the…
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Read More: Healthy PA Can’t Cure Obamacare DiseaseTaxes & Economy
Fracking Helps Poor More than Government Programs
The natural gas boom spawned by free enterprise and new technology is doing more to help the poor than LIHEAP, a decades-old welfare program, according to the Wall…
Media
Read More: Fracking Helps Poor More than Government ProgramsRegulation
After Detroit, how about 401(k)s for public workers?
As another Labor Day comes to pass, it's worth reflecting on the legacy of Detroit and its workers. Detroit's bankruptcy is a warning to other cities—and even states—that public…
Commentary
Read More: After Detroit, how about 401(k)s for public workers?Health Care
Losing the War on Poverty
Bad welfare policy is robbing Pennsylvanians of a better life. Last month, the Cato Institute’s Welfare vs. Work Tradeoff study revealed Pennsylvanians can make more money collecting welfare than…
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Read More: Losing the War on PovertyHealth Care
Mailbag: Burdens of Obamacare
Below are few of the most common questions I’ve received in response to my Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed on the failure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help low-income…
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Read More: Mailbag: Burdens of ObamacareHealth Care
Burdens of Obamacare – Commentary
Say you’re working your way through college, supplementing student loans with a part-time job managing inventory at Wegmans. You make a decent hourly wage, but your health insurance benefits are…
Commentary
Read More: Burdens of Obamacare – CommentaryHealth Care
Want to Help the Poor? Don’t Expand Medicaid
Yesterday, we talked about why Michigan’s plan to expand Medicaid was a bad deal for taxpayers. But expansion is a bad deal for patients too. Advocates of expansion make…
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Read More: Want to Help the Poor? Don’t Expand MedicaidHealth Care
Michigan’s Medicaid Mistake
Michigan’s decision to expand Medicaid leaves Pennsylvania and four other states to decide if putting more individuals into a government program is the best way to offer “affordable health…
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Read More: Michigan’s Medicaid MistakeHealth Care
Free Market Benefits, Big Government Burdens Obvious in Obama, Sebelius Visits
President Obama and one of his cabinet members are making separate trips to Pennsylvania this week. Their reasons for visiting couldn’t be more different. Today, the President will speak on…
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Read More: Free Market Benefits, Big Government Burdens Obvious in Obama, Sebelius VisitsHealth Care
Obamcare’s Premium Shock
Young adults who purchase their health insurance are in for rude awakening under the Affordable Care Act. The ironically-named law will force premiums to spike in order to pad insurance companies’ pockets. Is this what…
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Read More: Obamcare’s Premium ShockRegulation
Repeating Detroit’s Error in Pennsylvania
Much has been said about why Detroit lies in critical condition, but one serious wound has been festering for decades: the unsustainable pension and health benefits that were secured for…
Commentary
Read More: Repeating Detroit’s Error in PennsylvaniaHealth Care
Podcast: Medicaid Expansion with AFP
Does Medicaid really help the poor? What are the consequences of expanding the program? What are the costs involved for taxpayers? How can you make your voice heard on this…
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Read More: Podcast: Medicaid Expansion with AFPPublic Union Democracy
Who’s Strangling Whom?
Jodi Hirsh wants you to believe that a shadowy, deep-pocketed, Washington-based organization called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has a “stranglehold on our statehouse.” That’s the claim Ms. Hirsh,…
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Read More: Who’s Strangling Whom?