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
A Look at Job Growth in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s economy is beginning to recover from the 2007 recession, according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since 2010, Pennsylvania has added 86,400 jobs, ranking…
Media
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Gov. Rendell Left Pennsylvania a Big Deficit
Recent headlines have former Gov. Ed Rendell challenging Gov. Tom Corbett on the issue of the deficit he left the current administration. Gov. Corbett has campaign ads stating he closed…
Media
Read More: Gov. Rendell Left Pennsylvania a Big DeficitHealth Care
Liberal Group Screams “Murder” over Medicaid Expansion
This week, John Micek called out Keystone Progress on his Pennlive.com blog for what he termed a “disgusting” email that “has no place in our discourse.” What provoked this…
Media
Read More: Liberal Group Screams “Murder” over Medicaid ExpansionTaxes & Economy
Warning to PA: Alternative Energy Subsidies Damage Europe
State legislators who advocate for an expansion of government incentives for alternative energy sources need to pay attention to the events happening across the pond where the European Commission is…
Media
Read More: Warning to PA: Alternative Energy Subsidies Damage EuropeState Budget
Pennsylvanians Are Losing Economic Freedom
Pennsylvanians are losing economic freedom according to the Fraser Institute’s annual report, Economic Freedom of North America 2013. The commonwealth is slowly losing ground ranking 33rd in 2009 and…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvanians Are Losing Economic FreedomState Budget
5 Facts About the State Budget Proposal
The 2014-15 Pennsylvania State Budget proposal is more than 1000 pages, but we’ve boiled it down to five facts taxpayers you need to know 1. State Spending is at an All-Time…
Media
Read More: 5 Facts About the State Budget ProposalState Budget
State Budget Déjà Vu
Ceremonies in Punxsutawney have come and gone, but every year Groundhog Day reminds me of the film of the same name—in which Bill Murray lives the same day over and over…
Commentary
Read More: State Budget Déjà VuState Budget
Governor’s Budget Right on Priorities
For Immediate Release Commonwealth Foundation Contact:717-671-1901 Governor's Budget Right on Priorities February 4, 2014, HARRISBURG, Pa—In response to Governor Corbett’s budget address this afternoon, Matthew J. Brouillette,…
Press Release
Read More: Governor’s Budget Right on PrioritiesRegulation
Blueprint for a Prosperous Pennsylvania
Over the past six fiscal years, the commonwealth has spent more than it has taken in. This fiscal gap is projected to widen as expenditures are on pace to grow…
Report
Read More: Blueprint for a Prosperous PennsylvaniaHealth Care
Obamacare Sticker Shock for Pittsburgh Workers
The reality of Obamacare hit home for the employees of Simonetta’s Collision Repair Center in McKeesport. WTAE news captured the reaction of six employees who were told their copays,…
Media
Read More: Obamacare Sticker Shock for Pittsburgh WorkersEducation
Win for Transparency in Public School Spending
How would you like to know what’s in a teachers’ contract before your school district passes it—and locks in spending—for four years? And how would you like to track how…
Media
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Pennsylvania’s Fiscal Condition is Critical
Pennsylvania ranks 42nd in overall fiscal condition, according to a report by Sarah Arnett of the Mercatus Center. The report, State Fiscal Condition: Ranking the 50 States, analyzes states’ abilities…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Fiscal Condition is CriticalHealth Care
How Government Unions Support Obamacare
Government unions such as the NEA and SEIU lobbied for passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which will raise the cost of health care through various mandates…
Media
Read More: How Government Unions Support ObamacareTaxes & Economy
The True Cost of Minimum Wage
If a higher minimum wage benefits workers, why not push it to $20 or $30 or even higher? Because experience shows minimum wage increases actually hurt the very workers they…
Commentary
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Budget Burdens Bring Consequences
Know that feeling a month after Christmas when the credit card statement shows you blew your holiday budget? Imagine the pain you’d experience after six consecutive years of spending beyond…
Commentary
Read More: Budget Burdens Bring ConsequencesTaxes & Economy
EPA Regulations Threaten Pennsylvania Jobs
The prospects for Pennsylvania coal industry have gotten so bad that Tom Crooks has contemplated moving his company from the state to find greener pastures Crooks is vice…
Media
Read More: EPA Regulations Threaten Pennsylvania JobsRegulation
2014: A Year for Pension Reform
Pension reform promises to be on the forefront of the legislative agenda in the new year, and for good reason. PSERS and SERS, the state’s two pension systems for…
Media
Read More: 2014: A Year for Pension ReformPublic Union Democracy
The Unemployed Need Opportunities, Not Handouts
Those suggesting the federal government continue its temporary extension of unemployment benefits point to our stagnant economy and high unemployment as justification. But, in truth, these results have been caused…
Commentary
Read More: The Unemployed Need Opportunities, Not HandoutsTaxes & Economy
More Than Their Fair Share
A fair and sound tax policy requires that people or businesses pay for the government they use, including the cost of extracting natural gas. Yet despite the passage of a…
Media
Read More: More Than Their Fair ShareHealth Care
“Healthy PA:” What’s It All Mean?
Last Friday, Gov. Corbett released full details of his Healthy PA initiative, which seeks to expand government-funded health insurance under Obamacare (using Medicaid expansion funds to pay private insurance…
Media
Read More: “Healthy PA:” What’s It All Mean?Public Union Democracy
Detroit Warning: Reform Needed to Save Pensions
“They are going to take away your pension!” is a common scare tactic used by Pennsylvania government union leaders to oppose pension reform (even though private school unions have…
Media
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