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
Pelosi Explains the Health Care Bill
In a speech in Pittsburgh to the “Women of Steel”, which includes the Steelworkers union, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Supergirl, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi outlined what…
Media
Read More: Pelosi Explains the Health Care BillTaxes & Economy
Dear Gas Companies: Please Pay for Our Water Park
Next time you hear groups like PennFuture whining about the Growing Greener boondoggle stash running low, keep in mind that it funds projects like this one…
Media
Read More: Dear Gas Companies: Please Pay for Our Water ParkTaxes & Economy
They’re Laughing at Our Low Taxes
The Patriot News has an editorial today claiming Pennsylvania needs to enact a natural gas severance tax so that other states stop laughing at us. No really, states with…
Media
Read More: They’re Laughing at Our Low TaxesGovernment Accountability
Not-so-Effective Tax Credit Programs
The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issued a new report on the utilization and accountability of Pennsylvania’s tax credit programs. The report looks at everything from the Research and…
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Read More: Not-so-Effective Tax Credit ProgramsTaxes & Economy
Agriculture Still Isn’t Number One
Lowman Henry leads off a recent commentary with the legend that Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s “number one industry” and employs nearly one million workers. Readers will recall that this is…
Media
Read More: Agriculture Still Isn’t Number OneRegulation
Harrisburg’s Woes: Coming to a City Near You
Gov. Rendell's recent state bailout of the city of Harrisburg has brought attention to the capital city's fiscal mismanagement. With millions in debt payments and an enormous pension obligation, Harrisburg's…
Commentary
Read More: Harrisburg’s Woes: Coming to a City Near YouHealth Care
More Side Effects of Obamacare
Every day it seems we are hearing more bad news about the effects of the new health care reform law. From rising premiums to narrowing coverage, the side effects…
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Read More: More Side Effects of ObamacareRegulation
Federal Cash for State Budget Cuts?
In an Investors Business Daily piece this summer, Nicole Gelinas puts forward an interesting idea about how to stimulate the economy, and at the same time cut back on…
Media
Read More: Federal Cash for State Budget Cuts?Regulation
Recap of the Pennsylvania Senate’s Busy Week
The PA State Senate had a busy week, all leading up to some key votes that took place yesterday. We have been closely following several bills and unfortunately a…
Media
Read More: Recap of the Pennsylvania Senate’s Busy WeekTaxes & Economy
Dear Gas Companies: Replenish Our Slush Fund
Among PennFuture’s justifications for demanding a natural gas tax, as Katrina mentioned earlier, is that Pennsylvania’s “Growing Greener” funding “has all been spent.” Since the program…
Media
Read More: Dear Gas Companies: Replenish Our Slush FundTaxes & Economy
PennFuture Will Say Anything to Get a Gas Tax
Here’s a letter to the editor I submitted in response to inflammatory claims made by PennFuture’s Jan Jarret and AFL-CIO’s Richard Bloomingdale about a severance tax: A recent editorial…
Media
Read More: PennFuture Will Say Anything to Get a Gas TaxTaxes & Economy
PennFuture: Just Give Us Your Money Already
Like Gov. Ed Rendell, PennFuture today held a whining session (were they at the same one?) about the Senate’s “failure” to pass a severance tax on natural…
Media
Read More: PennFuture: Just Give Us Your Money AlreadyHealth Care
Big Gas, Big Fast Food Chains, and Big Government
PA Independent reports that the largest drillers in the Marcellus Shale sat in on the Rendell and the Conquistadors’ Columbus Day meeting: Although 75 companies currently operate wells…
Media
Read More: Big Gas, Big Fast Food Chains, and Big GovernmentTaxes & Economy
PA Should Learn Lesson and Stop Subsidizing Housing Construction
This week the State Senate could pass a House bill to create a new housing trust fund for areas where affordable housing is in short supply due to the recession…
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Read More: PA Should Learn Lesson and Stop Subsidizing Housing ConstructionTaxes & Economy
What About the Constitution, Governor?
Recently Nate Benefield explained how Senate Bill 1155, which creates a severance tax on natural gas drilling companies, is unconstitutional. Katrina Currie subsequently updated the story:…
Media
Read More: What About the Constitution, Governor?State Budget
Spending Revolt Tour: Day 5 Update
The Spending Revolt National Tour stopped in Scranton on Sunday night for a Town Hall meeting, which was streamed live (and available here and below). The Scranton…
Media
Read More: Spending Revolt Tour: Day 5 UpdateTaxes & Economy
Too Much Spending or Not Enough Taxes?
Chart-master Veronique de Rugy sums up the debate over extending the tax cuts and federal deficits in a simple chart. The dominant blue bar represents the mind-boggling $42 trillion…
Media
Read More: Too Much Spending or Not Enough Taxes?Government Accountability
More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher Taxes
I have highlighted the taxpayer funded propaganda in the guise of a “newsletter,” titled the Marcellus Shale Examiner, before. The latest newsletter, which leads with Gov. Rendell’s “We…
Media
Read More: More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher TaxesTaxes & Economy
We are All Fiscal Conservatives Now
My remarks at PA Liberty Conference I’ll start with a question I often get…or at least a question that is often proffered to no one in particular, that I…
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Read More: We are All Fiscal Conservatives NowRegulation
Unintended Consequences of the Bulb Ban
The national phase-out of incandescent light bulbs begins in 2012, and by 2014, incandescents will be history. The popular replacement is the compact-fluorescent light (CFL), but there are very…
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Read More: Unintended Consequences of the Bulb BanTaxes & Economy
Lawmakers Should Read ALL Commonwealth Foundation Research
In a recent op-ed, Sen. Scarnati and Sen. Pileggi defended the Senate’s recent actions after a Lincoln Institute column described them as “leftist”. While the Senators cite CF’s research…
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Read More: Lawmakers Should Read ALL Commonwealth Foundation Research