Prosperity
New Year, New Taxes in Pennsylvania
Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania The new year is always a great opportunity to shed vices like smoking and binge eating. For state and local lawmakers, their guilty pleasure tends…
Read More: New Year, New Taxes in PennsylvaniaHigh 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.
Health Care
Principles for Health Care Reform
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands Medicaid, subsidizes health insurance for middle class families, and creates new federal health insurance regulations. To pay for this additional spending, the ACA makes…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Principles for Health Care ReformState Budget
Lowe’s Shows Dignity of Work, Helps Disabled
The Union Party never minces words: They believe the best way to help people is to grow government. That’s the message they’ve brought to bear throughout the Corbett Administration,…
Media
Read More: Lowe’s Shows Dignity of Work, Helps DisabledRegulation
Mailbag: Would Eliminating Tax Credits Really Lower Taxes?
Last month, I testified to the House Finance Committee that targeted tax breaks and corporate welfare subsidies prevent across-the-board tax rate reductions that would benefit all Pennsylvanians. As a follow-up…
Media
Read More: Mailbag: Would Eliminating Tax Credits Really Lower Taxes?Criminal Justice Reform
Corrections Home Run for Gov. Corbett?
Under Gov. Tom Corbett’s leadership, Pennsylvania unanimously passed (Senate Bill 100) part of a landmark corrections reform package last session. SB 100, now Act 122 of 2012, aims to…
Media
Read More: Corrections Home Run for Gov. Corbett?State Budget
Gov. Corbett Earns “A” for Fiscal Firefighting
Gov. Tom Corbett was one of only four governors to get an “A” in Cato Institute’s Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. Corbett was joined by Govs. Sam…
Media
Read More: Gov. Corbett Earns “A” for Fiscal FirefightingHealth Care
Medicaid Expansion Bad Deal for Patients
Health care interest groups took to the press in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg to argue for expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania, but these advocates overlook the program’s flaws and its long-term…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Expansion Bad Deal for PatientsHealth Care
Saylor Broaches Biggest Budget Buster
Pensions and transportation top the list of crises the General Assembly won’t address in their short fall session, but little has been said about the biggest budget buster facing the…
Media
Read More: Saylor Broaches Biggest Budget BusterEducation
5 Fixes for Property Tax Fires
Yesterday, I testified before the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform, presenting on the best tax policy to finance government operations, and on…
Media
Read More: 5 Fixes for Property Tax FiresEducation
Approaches to Property Tax Reform
Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform Good morning, my name is Nathan Benefield; I am the director of policy analysis for…
Testimony
Read More: Approaches to Property Tax ReformRegulation
Pension Iceberg Grows $4 Billion
Pennsylvania’s ailing government worker pension system just landed taxpayers an estimated $4 billion more in unfunded pension liabilities. The Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS)—the largest government worker pension system…
Media
Read More: Pension Iceberg Grows $4 BillionRegulation
Should Taxpayers Subsidize Chocolate Making?
I testified yesterday before the House Finance Committee about how government-directed “economic development” hampers economic growth. A prime example of this happened Tuesday, where taxpayers forked over more…
Media
Read More: Should Taxpayers Subsidize Chocolate Making?Regulation
Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy
Testimony of Katrina M. Currie to Pennsylvania House Finance Committee, September 19, 2012 Good afternoon, my name is Katrina Currie; I am a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s…
Testimony
Read More: Growing Pennsylvania’s EconomyHealth Care
How Much Will Obama’s Health Care Cost You?
How much will the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) cost you? Our new policy points look at the cost Pennsylvanians will shoulder under the sweeping health care reform law.
Media
Read More: How Much Will Obama’s Health Care Cost You?Public Union Democracy
Mailbag: Why Not Pay for Unused Sick Days?
Our post last week highlighting WGAL’s story on government workers receiving hefty payouts for unused sick days sparked a lively discussion. Here’s a question that popped up frequently: Do…
Media
Read More: Mailbag: Why Not Pay for Unused Sick Days?Taxes & Economy
Happy 225th Birthday, U.S. Constitution!
Today marks the 225th birthday of the U.S. Constitution, and while it may be getting up there in years, the principles it sets forth are no less relevant today than…
Media
Read More: Happy 225th Birthday, U.S. Constitution!Health Care
Pennsylvania Medicaid Spending and the Affordable Care Act
Current Medicaid spending trends are unsustainable. Medicaid spending (Medical Assistance and Long Term Care) consumes about 30 percent of Pennsylvania's total state operating budget. In the past decade, Medicaid spending…
Memo
Read More: Pennsylvania Medicaid Spending and the Affordable Care ActHealth Care
The Affordable Care Act: Pennsylvania’s Costs
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—often dubbed "Obamacare"—will cost Americans $1.2 trillion from 2012 to 2022 according to the Congressional Budget Office. These projections do not account for the…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Affordable Care Act: Pennsylvania’s CostsHealth Care
Medicaid Reform Saves Families
Laureny Sanchez is a widowed mother of four, including 14-year-old twin Alan, who suffers from a tumor on his pituitary gland, heart problems and other medical issues. Under regular Medicaid,…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Reform Saves FamiliesRegulation
Mailbag: What Bills Would Fireproof Economy?
One of our PolicyBlog readers asks: What bills would help address the Four Alarm Fire you keep speaking about? Here are a few bills we have been tracking: Taxpayer…
Media
Read More: Mailbag: What Bills Would Fireproof Economy?Taxes & Economy
3 Reasons Marcellus Gas Tax Misses Mark
A new report shows that Marcellus Shale drillers will dole out $206 million to satisfy the state’s tax (or “impact fee”) on natural gas production in 2011. The…
Media
Read More: 3 Reasons Marcellus Gas Tax Misses MarkPublic Union Democracy
Why Cities Fail
Harrisburg is broke. Literally. So are 26 other cities across the commonwealth that are stuck in the state's Act 47 program for financially strapped municipalities. Many enter in – like…
Commentary
Read More: Why Cities Fail