State Budget
Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax Reform
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. Today is Tax Day. Each year, April 15th reminds us of the costliness of government spending – and why lawmakers must reduce this financial burden on…
Read More: Pennsylvanians Are in Dire Need of Tax ReformHigh 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.
Energy
Economic Pitfalls of Taxing Marcellus Shale
The facts are that in Pennsylvania, Marcellus drillers contributed more than $15 billion in capital investment and have paid in excess of $5 billion in royalties to landowners not including…
Commentary
Read More: Economic Pitfalls of Taxing Marcellus ShaleEducation
On School Spending “Cuts”
A reader writes in, noting that a school board member is pushing the “stop the billion dollar cut” campaign, and asking for some info. Here are some quick facts.
Media
Read More: On School Spending “Cuts”Taxes & Economy
What Does “Fair Share” Mean?
The debate over adding an additional tax (or an impact fee) on top of the…
Media
Read More: What Does “Fair Share” Mean?Energy
Natural Gas Taxes and Fees
The Marcellus Shale is a large and difficult-to-drill geological formation roughly a mile or more underground throughout more than two-thirds of Pennsylvania that contains natural gas.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Natural Gas Taxes and FeesGovernment Accountability
Reining in Spending with Performance-Based Budgeting
The House State Government Committee held a hearing today on reforming the budgeting process. HB 726, sponsored by Rep. Stan Saylor, would institute performance based-budgeting. Today, most of the…
Media
Read More: Reining in Spending with Performance-Based BudgetingRegulation
A Half-Billion Saved is a Half-Billion Earned
After April’s General Fund tax collections came in at 9 percent above forecasts, some lawmakers are clamoring to spend any surplus Pennsylvania has at the end of the…
Media
Read More: A Half-Billion Saved is a Half-Billion EarnedTaxes & Economy
Natural Gas Industry Paid Over $1 Billion in Taxes
Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released detailed numbers, showing oil and gas producers paid over $1.1 billion in state taxes since 2006. This includes $234 million paid this…
Media
Read More: Natural Gas Industry Paid Over $1 Billion in TaxesRegulation
Public Pensions & Politics
Here’s a presentation on government pensions from our senior fellow Rick Dreyfuss. PA Pension Reform Presentation …
Media
Read More: Public Pensions & PoliticsEducation
Property Taxpayer Referendum
Good afternoon. I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation. We are a nonprofit, independent public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg. I would…
Testimony
Read More: Property Taxpayer ReferendumEducation
PSU: Progress Seems Underway
On March 8, Gov. Tom Corbett started a statewide conversation about higher education through his budget address, in which he proposed significant cuts in the subsidies Pennsylvania public universities receive…
Media
Read More: PSU: Progress Seems UnderwayTaxes & Economy
Orwellian Tax Speak: Call It a “Fee”
Call it a “fee” or call it “knockwurst” if you like, but the latest proposal for a “local impact fee” on natural gas drillers is not only still a…
Media
Read More: Orwellian Tax Speak: Call It a “Fee”Education
When Bell Bottoms Were Cool…And PSU Charged $675
I just sent the following to a student at Penn State who is writing a paper on Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed cuts to the subsidies our public universities receive from…
Media
Read More: When Bell Bottoms Were Cool…And PSU Charged $675Taxes & Economy
The Natural Gas Not-A-Tax
Yesterday, the Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati released his much anticipated Marcellus shale Not-A-Tax “local impact fee.” The proposal would require drillers to pay a “Base Fee”…
Media
Read More: The Natural Gas Not-A-TaxTaxes & Economy
Fact-Checking on Natural Gas Taxes in PA
Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center’s new report alleging the natural gas industry doesn’t pay taxes goes beyond misleading readers to using inaccurate information in order to jeer support for a…
Media
Read More: Fact-Checking on Natural Gas Taxes in PATaxes & Economy
Marcellus Shale 101 Presentation
Last week, I presented the case against a natural gas severance tax to a Penn State journalism class. Below is my presentation providing an overview of Marcellus Shale development…
Media
Read More: Marcellus Shale 101 PresentationTaxes & Economy
Earth Day Tribute to Fossil Fuels
Instead of planting a tree today, I’m celebrating earth day by honoring the human ingenuity that’s made this planet a better place to live. There’s no question that standards of…
Media
Read More: Earth Day Tribute to Fossil FuelsEducation
Provost Spins Unsuccessfully
I used to be one of those people who have Google Alerts set for their names. I’m not anymore, so it’s come to my attention only belatedly that on April…
Media
Read More: Provost Spins UnsuccessfullyEducation
School Taxpayer Referendum & Property Tax Relief
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
Read More: School Taxpayer Referendum & Property Tax ReliefEducation
On Higher Ed, Will Legislators Choose the ObamaCare Approach?
This week in the Wall Street Journal, columnist William McGurn had an excellent piece on higher education (subscription required). He wrote mostly about federal policy—and on that point…
Media
Read More: On Higher Ed, Will Legislators Choose the ObamaCare Approach?Education
The Really Devastating Thing Would Be a Tax Increase
My wife and I returned to Pennsylvania last year, and boy, are we feeling welcome right now. The warm fuzzies really took over earlier today when my wife called to…
Media
Read More: The Really Devastating Thing Would Be a Tax IncreaseGovernment Accountability
Atlas Shrugged: Part I Movie Reviews
Friday night, three CF staffers braved sold-out theaters to watch the much anticipated Atlas Shrugged movie, a film that was big on buzz and short on funds. The movie, like the…
Media
Read More: Atlas Shrugged: Part I Movie Reviews