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.
Government Accountability
The Real “Special Interest” Problem in PA
Everyone loves to hate "special interests." They spend millions of dollars in electing and lobbying public officials in order to gain political or legislative favor. So it was no surprise…
Commentary
Read More: The Real “Special Interest” Problem in PAState Budget
PA House Republicans’ Cost Savings Plan
In an attempt to balance the state budget without raising taxes, the House Republican Caucus has developed a plan to reduce spending in the Pennsylvania State Budget. One interesting…
Media
Read More: PA House Republicans’ Cost Savings PlanTaxes & Economy
Another Commercial Produced by PA Government
I caught another TV commercial produced by Pennsylvania state government the other night. This one is intended to scare viewers who are thinking of committing insurance fraud…and make the…
Media
Read More: Another Commercial Produced by PA GovernmentTaxes & Economy
Who is Adding Jobs in PA?
The latest BLS report on state jobs is out, and is pretty good news for Pennsylvania, which added 34,000 jobs (seasonally adjusted) in April – 2nd most among the…
Media
Read More: Who is Adding Jobs in PA?Taxes & Economy
Corbett v. Rendell: Who is Right on PA’s Economy?
In his acceptance speech Tuesday night, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett vowed to get Pennsylvania’s economy back on track after years of stagnation and misguide policy decisions. Gov. Rendell…
Media
Read More: Corbett v. Rendell: Who is Right on PA’s Economy?Public Union Democracy
Obama’s Run-Around of Congress
Q: What do Card Check and Net Neutrality have in common? A: They are bad policy ideas Congress won’t pass, yet the White House is finding ways to work…
Media
Read More: Obama’s Run-Around of CongressTaxes & Economy
Specter to Blame for Specter’s Demise
We try not to engage too much in political punditry here, but the latest Terry Madonna and Michael Young Politically Uncorrected piece, on the end of Sen. Arlen Specter’s…
Media
Read More: Specter to Blame for Specter’s DemiseTaxes & Economy
Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth Amendment
The Institute for Policy Innovation has produced a short informational guide to the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment was ratified in order to guarantee individual rights and responsibilities for…
Media
Read More: Citizen’s Guide to the Tenth AmendmentRegulation
Violations Carry a Hefty Price in the Marcellus Shale
In a recent Citizen Voice article, Scott Perry, the director of Oil and Gas Management at the DEP explains how costly environmental infractions can be for drilling companies. The…
Media
Read More: Violations Carry a Hefty Price in the Marcellus ShaleGovernment Accountability
Rendell’s No-Bid State Forest Lease
Last week, Gov. Rendell announced 32,896 acres of state forest land had been leased to Anadarko Petroleum for drilling for $120 million. The no-bid deal was for land previously…
Media
Read More: Rendell’s No-Bid State Forest LeaseRegulation
F&M Poll Shows Voters Support Liquor Store Privatization
The latest Franklin & Marshall College poll spends, not surprising, a good deal of time on election-related questions, but has a few related to current policy proposals in Harrisburg. …
Media
Read More: F&M Poll Shows Voters Support Liquor Store PrivatizationTaxes & Economy
The Price of Wind
The Wall Street Journal has a good article about how wind generation drives up electric rates in Massachusettes, and will continue to do so as alternative energy mandates are…
Media
Read More: The Price of WindTaxes & Economy
Bad Pennsylvania Policy Spreads to DC
In the past couple of weeks, debate in Washington has ramped up over implementing national alternative energy mandates. Senator Jeff Bingaman has included the standards in his American Clean…
Media
Read More: Bad Pennsylvania Policy Spreads to DCEnergy
Green Jobs Destroy Good Jobs
With Pennsylvania's unemployment rate at a 25-year high, Gov. Rendell is pushing "green jobs" at every turn. He has doled out nearly $1 billion to renewable energy projects and wants…
Commentary
Read More: Green Jobs Destroy Good JobsGovernment Accountability
Fact Checking Special Interests’ Attack on Natural Gas
Misinformation spewed continually at Common Cause’s press conference on natural gas campaign contributions (see CF News Release) held today at the Capital. Here are…
Media
Read More: Fact Checking Special Interests’ Attack on Natural GasTaxes & Economy
Re: What About Jobs of Other Colors?
Katrina’s post on Friday that highlighted Energy Ventures Analysis’s job destruction realism about Pennsylvania’s proposed alternative energy mandates is buttressed by similar research elsewhere, including …
Media
Read More: Re: What About Jobs of Other Colors?Health Care
Obama Concedes CF was Right About Slacker Mandate
I hate to toot my own horn (wink wink), but a few months ago, I wrote that a “slacker mandate” included in the federal health care bill would fail…
Media
Read More: Obama Concedes CF was Right About Slacker MandatePublic Union Democracy
Public vs. Private Employment & Pay
Pennsylvania's private sector lost 113,600 jobs while state and local governments added 40,200 positions between 2000 and 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, public-sector…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Public vs. Private Employment & PayPublic Union Democracy
Special Interests Denounce “Special Interests”
HARRISBURG, PA (05.11.10) — The Commonwealth Foundation expressed disappointment today that special interest groups which demand taxpayer subsidies for certain energy companies are attacking Pennsylvania’s natural gas companies for simply…
Press Release
Read More: Special Interests Denounce “Special Interests”Taxes & Economy
Appraising the Candidates on Energy: Mandates Over Markets
PA gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett recently put out a policy paper on energy praising markets: “a properly structured market place can effectively incentivize alternative energy investments – perhaps even…
Media
Read More: Appraising the Candidates on Energy: Mandates Over MarketsTaxes & Economy
Talking Transportation Funding
PA Independent’s Eric Boehm talks with State Rep. Rick Geist about Pennsylvania transportation funding in their latest podcast. For more info on transportation funding, check out our…
Media
Read More: Talking Transportation Funding