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.
State Budget
Chart of the Day: Welfare Spending
Total welfare spending in Pennsylvania more than tripled from 1991 to 2012, rising 227 percent. During the same period (1991-2011) population rose by a paltry 6.7 percent. It goes without…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Welfare SpendingState Budget
Big Government Limits Economic Growth
Last month, Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget address kicked off state budget negotiations. As lawmakers debate priorities, one thing is crystal clear—low government spending fosters economic growth. The Mercatus Center’s…
Media
Read More: Big Government Limits Economic GrowthTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Businesses Face the Highest Taxes
A new study from the Tax Foundation finds that mature Pennsylvania businesses are the highest taxed in the nation. Newly established operations in the commonwealth are the second highest taxed,…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Businesses Face the Highest TaxesRegulation
Sounding the Alarm to Save Pennsylvania
A four-alarm fire is engulfing Pennsylvania's economy. If we don't regain control of the state debt, corrections costs, public welfare growth and government employee pensions, our state taxpayers will be…
Commentary
Read More: Sounding the Alarm to Save PennsylvaniaEducation
Pennsylvania K-12 Education Spending
Pennsylvania's K-12 education revenue increased from $13 billion in 1995-96 to $26 billion in 2009-10. Adjusted for inflation, that represents a 44% increase in revenue per student. …
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania K-12 Education SpendingTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania’s Once-Great Cities
If you missed it, ReasonTV put out a great video on the city of Harrisburg’s fiscal disaster, asking whether Harrisburg’s nightmare is America’s Future. Much of what…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Once-Great CitiesRegulation
Goodbye Gus, Hello Private Partnerships
Say goodbye to the second-most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. Not having Gus in Pennsylvania lottery commercials will save $140,000. But changes in the state lottery may not end with dropping…
Media
Read More: Goodbye Gus, Hello Private PartnershipsCriminal Justice Reform
Sec. John Wetzel Talks Corrections Reforms on The BOX
In latest podcast from The BOX, Corrections Secretary John Wetzel chats with Matt Brouillette about reducing the cost of corrections – a major expenditure in the Pennsylvania state budget…
Media
Read More: Sec. John Wetzel Talks Corrections Reforms on The BOXState Budget
Pennsylvania Welfare Spending
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Welfare SpendingTaxes & Economy
DRBC Moratorium Puts Residents’ Property Rights in Limbo
Wayne County land owners in favor of natural gas drilling are fed up with the Delaware River Basin Commission’s baseless moratorium on fracking. The commission has suspended natural…
Media
Read More: DRBC Moratorium Puts Residents’ Property Rights in LimboRegulation
State Liquor Stores’ Soviet-style Socialism Fails
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board once again proves it does not know how to manage a business, and its Soviet-style socialist control fails to satisfy customers. More than a month…
Media
Read More: State Liquor Stores’ Soviet-style Socialism FailsTaxes & Economy
Report Finds Pennsylvania Welfare System Unsustainable, Hurting Poor
The Commonwealth Foundation released today an alarming new report on Pennsylvania public welfare that finds widespread abuse of tax dollars, with spending growing faster than the economy and exceeding education…
Press Release
Read More: Report Finds Pennsylvania Welfare System Unsustainable, Hurting PoorHealth Care
Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in Pennsylvania
Government welfare, with its goal to provide a helping hand to those in need, has instead become a vast series of programs that fall far short of the good intentions…
Report
Read More: Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Which County will be Duped into Imposing Marcellus Tax?
On Monday, Gov. Tom Corbett signed House Bill 1950, the Marcellus Shale impact tax, into law. The funding formula funnels the first $23 million in revenue to statewide programs. Local…
Media
Read More: Which County will be Duped into Imposing Marcellus Tax?Health Care
CF Joins More than 400 State Lawmakers in Brief on Health Care Law
The Commonwealth Foundation joined 17 other organizations and 333 state legislators from across the country in an amicus curiae brief challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act passed…
Media
Read More: CF Joins More than 400 State Lawmakers in Brief on Health Care LawCriminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania Corrections Spending
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Corrections SpendingPublic Union Democracy
House Moves Unemployment Compensation Reform
More Unemployment Compensation reform is moving through the Pennsylvania House. Yesterday, HB 1754 sponsored by Rep. Ron Miller, and HB 1852 sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove, cleared the…
Media
Read More: House Moves Unemployment Compensation ReformCriminal Justice Reform
Government Union Jeopardizes Criminal Justice Reform
As Pennsylvania takes a hard look at reforming its criminal justice system, prepare for the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association’s fear-mongering campaign against reducing prison populations. The officers’ union opposition…
Media
Read More: Government Union Jeopardizes Criminal Justice ReformEducation
It’s Not About Tuition, It’s About Mo’ Money
Over at PA Independent, Stacy Brown has an important story on the ongoing fight over Gov. Corbett’s budget proposal. There, Duquesne University professor Antony Davies, a member of CF’s…
Media
Read More: It’s Not About Tuition, It’s About Mo’ MoneyTaxes & Economy
Marcellus Shale Bill Summarized
Gov. Corbett is expected to sign HB 1950, a comprehensive bill addressing Marcellus Shale. What’s inside the bill? The Marcellus Shale impact tax included in HB 1950 falls short of…
Media
Read More: Marcellus Shale Bill SummarizedPublic Union Democracy
Turn on the Fiscal Fire Hose
Since Gov. Corbett unveiled his 2012-13 budget Tuesday, we’ve noted how it reduces overall spending for only the second time in 40 years. We’ve also explained that despite…
Media
Read More: Turn on the Fiscal Fire Hose