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.
State Budget
Pennsylvania Welfare Changes will Save an Estimated $173 Million
Act 80 of 2012 amends the Pennsylvania Welfare Code to include several reforms to Department of Public Welfare spending in the 2012-13 state budget. Act 80 will save state taxpayers…
Memo
Read More: Pennsylvania Welfare Changes will Save an Estimated $173 MillionCriminal Justice Reform
Don’t Fire Arrows without Arrowheads in Corrections Reform
Reforming our state corrections system is not being soft on crime—it is being smart on crime. To achieve transformative corrections reform, lawmakers should finish this critical legislative package and build…
Commentary
Read More: Don’t Fire Arrows without Arrowheads in Corrections ReformHealth Care
Medicaid Big Threat to States
A new study by the State Budget Crisis Task Force found Medicaid is one of the six biggest threats facing states. That should be no surprise to our readers.
Media
Read More: Medicaid Big Threat to StatesTaxes & Economy
Happy Cost of Government Day 2012
Today Pennsylvania reached its Cost of Government Day, according to Americans for Tax Reform’s annual report. In other words, it took the average Keystone worker until July 20, or…
Media
Read More: Happy Cost of Government Day 2012Regulation
Moody’s Sounds the Four Alarms
Yesterday, Moody’s Investor Services downgraded Pennsylvania’s bond rating one level. The downgrade implies Pennsylvania bonds are riskier than previously assessed, and it could make it more expensive for the…
Media
Read More: Moody’s Sounds the Four AlarmsTaxes & Economy
Welfare: Don’t Repudiate Resounding Results, Replicate Reform
A new move from the Obama administration would waive work requirements under TANF (cash assistance). Requiring recipients to work was a central provision of the highly successful 1996 welfare…
Media
Read More: Welfare: Don’t Repudiate Resounding Results, Replicate ReformHealth Care
ACA Encourages Young & Healthy to Stay Uninsured
An AP article claims the Affordable Care Act will lower the cost of insurance for young adults through a host of government interventions such as new mandates, Medicaid…
Media
Read More: ACA Encourages Young & Healthy to Stay UninsuredHealth Care
States Take a Stand Against Medicaid Expansion
The Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act would cost Pennsylvania an additional $2 billion through 2019, should the commonwealth participate. That represents merely the state share, as taxes…
Media
Read More: States Take a Stand Against Medicaid ExpansionHealth Care
What if Congress Passed the “TV Mandate”?
A friend of mine recently purchased a new flat screen TV, getting a no-interest loan for three years to finance it. He remarked in amazement at this wonder, noting he…
Media
Read More: What if Congress Passed the “TV Mandate”?Taxes & Economy
EPA Wants to Scare Jobs Out of Pennsylvania
The Environmental Protection Agency’s derailing of American’s economy is frightening enough to scare even the Ghostbusters (and they ain’t afraid of no ghost). Pennsylvania will be the 7th hardest hit…
Media
Read More: EPA Wants to Scare Jobs Out of PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
This Independence Day, You and I Have No Right
This morning, spurred by a blog post by Bill Kristol, I’ve been reading an Independence Day oration given by the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass in 1852, during the run-up to…
Media
Read More: This Independence Day, You and I Have No RightState Budget
Olympic Hurdles Grab for Gold in Pennsylvania Budget
This July signals the beginning and end of two feats requiring amazing determination, stamina and perseverance—the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics and the on-time passage of the Pennsylvania state…
Commentary
Read More: Olympic Hurdles Grab for Gold in Pennsylvania BudgetHealth Care
State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health Care
The Supreme Court health care ruling last week gave Pennsylvania two opportunities to undermine the Affordable Care Act. States can decline to set up a state exchange and choose not…
Media
Read More: State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health CareTaxes & Economy
How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling in 2012?
Back in 2010, Pennsylvania was as attractive to drill in as Cambodia. The state ranked 66th out of 133 jurisdictions worldwide, according to the Fraser Institute’s Global Petroleum…
Media
Read More: How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling in 2012?Criminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania Passes Proven Prison Reform
Pennsylvania's inmate population and rate of recidivism have reached crisis levels in recent years. Since 1980, Pennsylvania's inmate population increased over 500% between 1980 and 2009. …
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania Passes Proven Prison ReformTaxes & Economy
Chart: A Decade of State Spending Growth
State policymakers agreed on a budget deal that includes $27.7 billion in General Fund spending. This budget deal represents a $6.8 billion, or 36.1 percent, increase in General Fund spending…
Media
Read More: Chart: A Decade of State Spending GrowthEducation
Temple Tuition Tamp-Down Shows Wake-Up Calls Work
During last year’s budget season, I was pretty critical of Temple University for raising tuition by ten percent while its administrators joined in the Chicken Little routine (“The sky…
Media
Read More: Temple Tuition Tamp-Down Shows Wake-Up Calls WorkCriminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania Passes Landmark Corrections Reform
On Monday, Pennsylvania passed landmark legislation to replace decades of ineffective and expensive corrections policies with reforms that make our communities safer and save taxpayers money. Commonwealth Foundation thanks…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Passes Landmark Corrections ReformHealth Care
Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and Nonsensical
My response to today’s Supreme Court of the United States ruling on President Obama’s healthcare reform law: Just because something is ruled Constitutional doesn’t make it affordable, sustainable or…
Media
Read More: Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and NonsensicalTaxes & Economy
Welfare is Number One in New Budget
Pennsylvania taxpayers will once again spend more on welfare than any other department in the General Fund, including education, according to newly released budget spreadsheets (based on the tentative…
Media
Read More: Welfare is Number One in New BudgetEducation
Would You Rather Kids Share Books, or Get Booked?
I’m writing right now from the road, specifically from the poorest city in America: Reading, Pennsylvania. Reading is one of the cities mentioned in today’s CF news release pointing…
Media
Read More: Would You Rather Kids Share Books, or Get Booked?