Taxes & Economy

Taxes & Economy

Economic Freedom Means no Subsidies for any Energy Source

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 12, 2011

The Marcellus Works proposal is a package of seven bills designed to incentivize natural gas vehicles through a combinations of tax credits and government loans. The bills include: HB…

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Public Union Democracy

Taxpayers First: The New, New Deal

• Matthew Brouillette
• April 7, 2011

Today, the average government employee enjoys better health care benefits, better pensions, better job security, and an earlier retirement than the average private-sector worker.  To pay for this, however, taxpayers…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Lies, Heinz and Volz

• April 7, 2011

Last week Steve Milloy of Junkscience.com published an expose’ of a water quality report by University of Pittsburgh gas frack panicker Conrad…

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Taxes & Economy

House Republicans Introduce Welfare Reforms

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 6, 2011

Public Welfare is both the largest—at over $27 billion in total spending— and among the fastest growing programs in the Pennsylvania state budget.  In…

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Government Accountability

Is Lawsuit Abuse Reform Coming to PA?

• April 6, 2011

Pennsylvania is on its way to joining the 41 states that have either repealed or updated their joint and several liability law. HB 1, known as the Fair…

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Education

Higher Education Spending & Performance

• April 6, 2011

Gov. Tom Corbett's FY 2011-12 budget proposal includes $63.6 billion in total operating spending—$27.3 billion in General Fund spending—a reduction of $3.3 billion from FY 2010-11. This budget restores overall…

Fact Sheet

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania State Budget Resources 2011

• April 6, 2011

Gov. Tom Corbett's FY 2011-12 budget proposal includes $63.6 billion in total operating spending—$27.3 billion in General Fund spending—a reduction of $3.3 billion from FY 2010-11. This budget restores overall…

Fact Sheet

Education

Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• April 5, 2011

Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania represents a partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and the department of economics at Duquesne University.  Key findings in these five papers include Over…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Who’s Creating Jobs in Pennsylvania?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 4, 2011

It’s clear the Marcellus Shale is revitalizing rural economies across the commonwealth by increasing local revenue and paying landowners…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Let voters decide all tax hike proposals

• April 4, 2011

Media Hit

Regulation

On Pennsylvania’s Job Growth

• Nathan Benefield
• March 31, 2011

Former Gov. Ed Rendell emerged from his semi-retirement to toot his own horn, saying his spending is why Pennsylvania’s economy is so great. Rendell cites statistics that Pennsylvania ranks…

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Taxes & Economy

When an Impact Fee is Really a Tax

• March 31, 2011

The debate over an “impact fee” on natural gas for local communities experiencing drilling is becoming less and less about local communities and more about how lawmakers can get…

Media

Taxes & Economy

PA State Budget Overview

• March 29, 2011

Today, CF’s Nathan Benefield is speaking at the Restoring America Summit & Rally in Coraopolis, Pa.  You can find his presentation on Pennsylvania state spending, the budget and recommended…

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

Prisoners Cost Less in Michigan than in Pennsylvania

• March 28, 2011

Last week, Gov. Tom Corbett announced that more than 2,000 inmates previously housed in Michigan and Virginia are returning to Pennsylvania prisons. The problem is that it’s cheaper…

Media

Education

Students’ Ire Is Misplaced

• Charles Mitchell
• March 28, 2011

As I write this, there are Pennsylvania college students walking past our State Capitol holding signs reading, “Save Our System.”  It’s understandable:  Since Gov. Corbett outlined his budget, these students…

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Education

Do School Districts have to Raise Property Taxes?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• March 25, 2011

Following Gov. Corbett’s budget, school district officials and the tax-and-spend lobby have cried that cuts to state education spending will force schools to increase property taxes.  Yet this ignores several…

Media

Health Care

Still Learning “What’s in the Bill”

• Nathan Benefield
• March 22, 2011

My brother sent me the following text message while at his local pharmacy: Just realized that OTC [over-the-counter] drugs are no longer covered by HSA thanks to Obama. I…

Media

Education

Parents Mustn’t Fall for Penn State Claims

• Charles Mitchell
• March 21, 2011

In an op-ed in Sunday’s Harrisburg Patriot-News, Penn State President Graham Spanier repeated his now-familiar claims that his institution must receive more from taxpayers than the $165 million…

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Education

On Penn State and Lasagna

• Charles Mitchell
• March 18, 2011

The news that Penn State’s trustees just froze new building projects brings lasagna to mind. The reason is that right after my wife and I returned from the hospital…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Michael Mann at the Zoo

• March 18, 2011

I’ve got a piece up today at American Spectator which reveals the latest two taxpayer-funded projects that Penn State Climategate scientist Michael Mann has added to his…

Media

Education

Hope for University Administrators, or Taxpayers?

• Charles Mitchell
• March 18, 2011

Tracie Mauriello of the Post-Gazette has a story today with the headline “Legislators offer hope to university administrators.”  There, she quotes several state senators who say they hope to…

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