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.
Taxes & Economy
Welfare Reforms Protect Poor, Taxpayers
Regardless of where you stand on taxpayer-funded entitlements, few Americans argue against the maintenance of temporary safety nets or modifications aimed at ending welfare fraud, waste and abuse.
Commentary
Read More: Welfare Reforms Protect Poor, TaxpayersTaxes & Economy
Is the EPA Frackophobic?
The Environmental Protection Agency is now delivering water to homes in Dimock, Pa., even though Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection says it’s not needed. Here’s the background: In…
Media
Read More: Is the EPA Frackophobic?Criminal Justice Reform
Fiscal Outlook for Pennsylvania: Not Too Rosy
This week the new Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office held its first annual seminar on the state economy and revenue. After a series of presentations on the state of the…
Media
Read More: Fiscal Outlook for Pennsylvania: Not Too RosyCriminal Justice Reform
Corrections Reform: Another Sacred Cow?
Our friends at Reason.org have called out Pennsylvania lawmakers’ opposition to prison healthcare reform, calling it yet another public sector union sacred cow. At issue is House…
Media
Read More: Corrections Reform: Another Sacred Cow?Taxes & Economy
Impact Fee: Compromise on Details, not Principles
Capitolwire reports (subscription required) on the negotiations between the House and Senate Marcellus Shale impact fee bills — HB 1950 and SB 1100. Here’s a recap: The fee…
Media
Read More: Impact Fee: Compromise on Details, not PrinciplesTaxes & Economy
Will Anti-Gas Political Climate Prevent 10,000 Jobs?
U.S. Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, along with Gov. Tom Corbett, have been lobbying for Shell to invest their petroleum chemistry plant, known as a “cracker”…
Media
Read More: Will Anti-Gas Political Climate Prevent 10,000 Jobs?Criminal Justice Reform
Time for Pennsylvania to Get Right on Crime
Last week on NPR, former U.S. Attorney General and Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh joined Adam Gelb, director for Pew’s Public Safety Performance Project, to discuss criminal justice…
Media
Read More: Time for Pennsylvania to Get Right on CrimeState Budget
Turnpike Commission Defends Ballooning Debt
Following our post yesterday, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wanted to make sure we saw their response to Auditor General Jack Wagner’s warning on their growing debt. The Turnpike…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Commission Defends Ballooning DebtTaxes & Economy
Do Millionaires Need Food Stamps?
For the past few years, politicians in Harrisburg and Washington have considered it a “success” to put more families on welfare. The result is an abundance of loopholes that allow…
Media
Read More: Do Millionaires Need Food Stamps?Taxes & Economy
Wagner’s Warning on Turnpike Debt Not Exaggerated
Auditor General Jack Wagner claims the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is in a state of fiscal crisis following a 181 percent increase in long-term debt since 2007. This shouldn’t…
Media
Read More: Wagner’s Warning on Turnpike Debt Not ExaggeratedTaxes & Economy
Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Transportation Spending
Many advocates and industry representatives have been calling for increasing transportation spending in Pennsylvania. Yet over the past 16 years, state transportation spending has increased by 127 percent, a fact…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Transportation SpendingState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in Perspective
Yesterday, Gov. Corbett and the Office of the Budget released a list of 2011-12 budgetary freezes—reductions in spending from the enacted General Fund budget—due in part to revenue shortfalls. I…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in PerspectiveTaxes & Economy
PA Online Sales Tax Guidelines Claim First Casualty
When the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a new bulletin instructing online vendors about collecting state sales tax, tax reform advocates expressed a lot of concern. The new…
Media
Read More: PA Online Sales Tax Guidelines Claim First CasualtyTaxes & Economy
Calvin Coolidge, Tom Corbett, and Why Politics Isn’t Like Business
My wife is awesome. As proof, I submit to you the fact that she willingly parted with 35 bucks in order to give me The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge for…
Media
Read More: Calvin Coolidge, Tom Corbett, and Why Politics Isn’t Like BusinessTaxes & Economy
Tax-Exempt Government Property Adds to Harrisburg’s Woes
The city of Harrisburg is facing a fiscal crisis primarily brought on by over-spending, accruing too much debt, and getting into areas government has no business—from the incinerator to owning…
Media
Read More: Tax-Exempt Government Property Adds to Harrisburg’s WoesTaxes & Economy
Map: PA Among Highest Unemployment Tax Rates
The Tax Foundation has a new map showing unemployment insurance tax rates. As you can see, Pennsylvania has one of the highest tax rates in the nation. The unemployment…
Media
Read More: Map: PA Among Highest Unemployment Tax RatesTaxes & Economy
PennFuture’s Political Games
Enviro-profiteers PennFuture (an environmental activist group) misused tens of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars, and what was the President and CEO Jan Jarrett’s response? “My bad.” Jarrett admitted…
Media
Read More: PennFuture’s Political GamesTaxes & Economy
Marcellus Drilling Rescues Williamsport
Earlier this month, I visited Williamsport, home of the Little League World Series and a growing economy. Clearly it’s not just baseball that brightens this central Pa. city…
Media
Read More: Marcellus Drilling Rescues WilliamsportHealth Care
No Rush on Health Insurance Exchanges
In late November the Department of Insurance announced that Pennsylvania would begin implementing a state health insurance exchange as laid out in PPACA (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care…
Media
Read More: No Rush on Health Insurance ExchangesTaxes & Economy
Drilling Regulations in Pennsylvania vs. Neighbors
Marcellus Shale opponents often mislead the public with claims such as the industry doesn’t pay taxes (debunked here), the economic benefits are overstated (read here,…
Media
Read More: Drilling Regulations in Pennsylvania vs. NeighborsGovernment Accountability
More on Hellholes, of the Judicial Sort
The yearly Judicial Hellhole report from the American Tort Reform Foundation ranks Philadelphia as the number one judicial hellhole for the second year in a row. Pennsylvania’s court…
Media
Read More: More on Hellholes, of the Judicial Sort