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.
Taxes & Economy
Amish Carrots, Corporate Sticks
Ten days ago the New York Times reported how Amish farmers are being encouraged by environmental bureaucrats and activist groups to clean up the way they farm: For…
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Read More: Amish Carrots, Corporate SticksTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Reports Two Years Overdue
In 2004, Pennsylvania passed the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (AEPS). Part of this legislation ordered the PUC to publish annual reports evaluating the AEPS, yet the PUC…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Reports Two Years OverdueGovernment Accountability
Rendell Requests Another Federal Bailout
Gov. Ed Rendell is at it again, lobbying the federal government for “Stimulus 4” (following the 2008 Bush stimulus, the 2009 Obama stimulus, and the 2010 “jobs bill”) demanding another…
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Read More: Rendell Requests Another Federal BailoutTaxes & Economy
Why are PA Roads so Bad?
Some of my friends and I like to take road trips to and through the states that border PA. One of the jokes we always make is, “You can tell…
Media
Read More: Why are PA Roads so Bad?Government Accountability
Tort Reform Opponents: “Let Us Eat Cake”
This month the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) released its U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2010 Report chronicling the critical condition of tort, one facet of America’s law system. Pennsylvania shuffles…
Media
Read More: Tort Reform Opponents: “Let Us Eat Cake”Taxes & Economy
Hey, PennFuture: Return Your BP Money
In today’s Washington Times, the husband-and-wife team of David and Amy Ridenour at the National Center for Public Policy Research make the case that nonprofit organizations and…
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Read More: Hey, PennFuture: Return Your BP MoneyTaxes & Economy
Economics is Funky
In discussing a natural gas severance tax, Patriot News reporter-columnist Laura Vescey makes fun of the fundamental economic principle that companies…
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Read More: Economics is FunkyTaxes & Economy
PA Senators Effectively Support Job-Killing Cap & Trade
Last week, the United States Senate voted on legislation that would have stopped the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, 53 Senators, including Pennsylvania’s Casey and Specter, voted…
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Read More: PA Senators Effectively Support Job-Killing Cap & TradeGovernment Accountability
Budget Ideas for PA from Other States
The April 2010 edition of the Inside ALEC newsletter has a number of ideas Pennsylvania lawmakers should look at to balance the state budget, and for long-term fiscal reform.
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Read More: Budget Ideas for PA from Other StatesState Budget
Severance Tax Wish List
Legislators are justifying the enactment of a natural gas severance tax by claiming the revenue will go towards environmental impacts. In reality, the environment is just one of a host…
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Read More: Severance Tax Wish ListRegulation
Green Jobs and the Broken Window Fallacy
On behalf of the Commonwealth Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg, we would like to thank Chairman Saylor and the members of the…
Testimony
Read More: Green Jobs and the Broken Window FallacyPublic Union Democracy
Are Government Workers Underpaid?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a new report showing state and local government workers earn far more than their private sector counterparts. The Wall Street Journal…
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Read More: Are Government Workers Underpaid?State Budget
National Groups Weigh in on Pennsylvania Tax Hike
The National Taxpayers Union send a recent letter to Pennsylvania lawmakers on proposed tax hikes to balance the PA state budget. John Stephenson, NTU…
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Read More: National Groups Weigh in on Pennsylvania Tax HikeRegulation
Tobacco Tax Fact Check (Part Two)
This is the second half of a two part blog, fact checking tmyths about tobacco taxes. This blog focuses on what the some call a good tax model –…
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Read More: Tobacco Tax Fact Check (Part Two)Regulation
Why Taxing Natural Gas Won’t Solve PA Budget Woes
Here is a letter I sent in to the Scranton Times Tribune (a slightly edited version was printed today) on the proposed natural gas severance tax and the Pennsylvania…
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Read More: Why Taxing Natural Gas Won’t Solve PA Budget WoesTaxes & Economy
Leaky Reporting by the Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week cast an uncritical eye — in fact, you could call it cheerleading — upon a project touted as part of Allegheny County’s…
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Read More: Leaky Reporting by the Post-GazetteTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Boom
The Marcellus Shale formation is believed to be the largest unconventional natural gas reservoir in America, and its exploration has been coined a modern-day gold rush. More than a mile…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas BoomTaxes & Economy
The Overton Window
The Overton Window – the title of Glenn Beck’s new book, a work of fiction which borrows from the idea- is a concept that help drives the work of…
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Read More: The Overton WindowRegulation
Video: Fiscal Lessons for Pennsylvania
In a new video, Maurice McTigue, Vice President at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a former member of the New Zealand Parliament, speaks about how…
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Read More: Video: Fiscal Lessons for PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Obama: More Green for Green Energy
Recently when speaking about greening the nation’s energy supply in Pittsburgh, President Obama remarked: [A]nd it means rolling back billions of dollars in tax breaks to oil…
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Read More: Obama: More Green for Green EnergyState Budget
The State and Local Government Debt Mess
While investment guru Warren Buffett is pulling out of municipal bonds, Gov. Rendell says Buffett doesn’t know what he is talking about, and that there is no problem with…
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Read More: The State and Local Government Debt Mess