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.
Taxes & Economy
The PennFuture Scandal: We’re Not Mudslinging
Jan Murphy of the Patriot-News did a fine job in her Sunday article, giving an evenhanded account of our report on PennFuture’s lobbying, but the…
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Read More: The PennFuture Scandal: We’re Not MudslingingState Budget
Check Out State Budget Solutions
State Budget Solutions is a new website put together by a coalition of free-market organizations. They’ve been up for a while with a “soft launch,” but had their “hard…
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Read More: Check Out State Budget SolutionsTaxes & Economy
Natural Gas & Forced Pooling
The soon-to-be unbalanced FY 2010-11 state budget, included language that a severance tax on natural gas would be passed in Pennsylvania by October 1. Many drillers would support a…
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Read More: Natural Gas & Forced PoolingTaxes & Economy
Reforms for PA’s UC Fund include CF Proposals
State Representative Scott Perry has proposed new legislation to reform PA’s bankrupt unemployment compensation (UC) fund. A few of his suggested reforms are…
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Read More: Reforms for PA’s UC Fund include CF ProposalsRegulation
PA’s Largest Employers Then and Now
The Center for Workforce Information & Analysis provides a list of Pennsylvania’s top 50 employers in ranked order. In 1967, Pennsylvania’s top five largest employers were: U.S. Steel Corporation…
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Read More: PA’s Largest Employers Then and NowTaxes & Economy
PennFuture Corrects IRS Returns, Owns Private Energy Conservation Company
Jan Murphy of the Patriot News features a story on PennFuture’s lobbying. The story reveals two facts that did not appear in our exposé. First, despite…
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Read More: PennFuture Corrects IRS Returns, Owns Private Energy Conservation CompanyHealth Care
NY Times: Individual Mandate is a Tax & Now Fewer Health Care Options
The New York Times had not one, but two stories over the weekend on things we learned about “what’s in the bill”, that we had to wait until it was…
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Read More: NY Times: Individual Mandate is a Tax & Now Fewer Health Care OptionsTaxes & Economy
Win PennFuture Junk!
Over on the home page Commonwealth Foundation has responded to PennFuture’s allegations of “serious errors” in our report, “PennFuture’s Lobbying: Hypocritical, Unethical and Possibly Illegal.”…
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Read More: Win PennFuture Junk!Taxes & Economy
CF Responds to PennFuture Demands
A July 14, 2010 letter from PennFuture’s attorney claimed the Commonwealth Foundation’s Policy Brief, “PennFuture’s Lobbying: Hypocritical, unethical, and possibly illegal,” contained three inaccuracies and demanded…
Press Release
Read More: CF Responds to PennFuture DemandsTaxes & Economy
New Drilling Study Highlights Regulation Reform
Recently, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council released a study on Marcellus Shale drilling focusing on what Pennsylvania needs to do to ensure responsible development of this newly tapped resources. As…
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Read More: New Drilling Study Highlights Regulation ReformTaxes & Economy
Anti-Drilling Groups Pressure Penn State
Opponents of natural gas drilling are attacking the integrity of a Penn State study on the economic effects the Marcellus Shale development, which was funded by the industry. Complaints center…
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Read More: Anti-Drilling Groups Pressure Penn StateTaxes & Economy
EOG Resources Mans Up After Drilling Accident
On Tuesday, DEP released the results of an investigation into the June 3 Clearfield County gas well incident. The well, as you might recall, shot gas and flow-back water…
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Read More: EOG Resources Mans Up After Drilling AccidentTaxes & Economy
Penn State and PennFuture: Two Peas in a Pod
While PennFuture’s Jan Jarrett whines about alleged Commonwealth Foundation smears of themselves and of Climategate scientist Michael Mann, The Atlantic‘s Clive Crook — a…
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Read More: Penn State and PennFuture: Two Peas in a PodTaxes & Economy
Combined Reporting Has Consequences
Lancaster Online recently produced a number of articles concerning Mandatory Unitary Combined Reporting, one of many tax revenue increases offered by Governor Rendell. Combined Reporting did not make it…
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Read More: Combined Reporting Has ConsequencesState Budget
Voters Blame Politicians’ Overspending for Budget Woes
Reason highlights a new Rasmussen Poll on state budget crises. A whopping 75% of voters blame current budget crises on politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending. Only 13% think…
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Read More: Voters Blame Politicians’ Overspending for Budget WoesGovernment Accountability
BP-Funded PennFuture Attacks the Messenger
PennFuture’s Jan Jarrett launches a tirade against the Commonwealth Foundation’s exposé of PennFuture’s lobbying. For starters, she repeatedly labels it a “smear campaign” (and even includes…
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Read More: BP-Funded PennFuture Attacks the MessengerGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania’s Million Dollar Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Failure
From 1998-2002, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania spent no money on lobbying the federal government (although independent agencies – the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Higher Education Assistance Agency –…
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Read More: Pennsylvania’s Million Dollar Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying FailureRegulation
Pet Projects Lap Up Funds
State Legislators awarding funds to pet projects flies in the faces of Pennsylvanians who want their state to eliminate a deficit before tapping revenue for pet projects. Capitolwire (subscription)…
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Read More: Pet Projects Lap Up FundsTaxes & Economy
Tom Corbett is Right on Unemployment
Yesterday, PA Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Corbett made remarks about how unemployment benefits result in higher higher unemployment, recorded by Scott Detrow, and picked up on by Capitol Ideas,…
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Read More: Tom Corbett is Right on UnemploymentGovernment Accountability
Gubernatorial Candidates Criticize RCAP
In a somewhat welcome surprise, both candidates for governor (Onorato and Corbett) criticized Rendell’s RCAP projects in the budget amounting to some $300 million dollars. The political legacy projects are the…
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Read More: Gubernatorial Candidates Criticize RCAPTaxes & Economy
The Benefits of Lower Tobacco Taxes
Gov. Rendell hailed the budget, as he signed it into law on Tuesday. However, Rendell isn’t all smiles– the Governor lamented the fact that lawmakers failed to increase…
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