Media

Welfare

State Flexibility Essential to Preserving the Safety Net

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 17, 2012

Last week, I noted a number of states whose governors were refusing the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act because of the costs the expansion would impose. Over…

Media

Government Accountability

Union Privileges Fuel More Money in Politics

• Nathan Benefield
• July 16, 2012

Turns out not everything is bigger in Texas. The Lone Star State has twice the population of Pennsylvania, yet when it comes to political spending, Pennsylvania’s labor unions can outgun…

Media

Regulation

Popping Popular Privatization Myths

• July 16, 2012

When short on facts, blow a lot of hot air. That’s the strategy of liquor store union boss Wendell Young IV. Wendell and I were panelists on a recent Delaware County…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Welfare: Don’t Repudiate Resounding Results, Replicate Reform

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 16, 2012

A new move from the Obama administration would waive work requirements under TANF (cash assistance). Requiring recipients to work was a central provision of the highly successful 1996 welfare…

Media

Broken-bottle policy cited as wasteful

• July 16, 2012

Media Hit

State AG, grand jury looking at employment and politics at Turnpike Commission

• July 15, 2012

Media Hit

‘Break it, replace it’ policy costly for LCB

• July 15, 2012

Media Hit

Budget process brought home medals

• July 13, 2012

Media Hit

Health Care

ACA Encourages Young & Healthy to Stay Uninsured

• Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
• July 12, 2012

An AP article claims the Affordable Care Act will lower the cost of insurance for young adults through a host of government interventions such as new mandates, Medicaid…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Union Bosses Fight to Stay Relevant

• Priya Brannick
• July 12, 2012

Labor unions are so livid that the Democratic Party is having its national convention in North Carolina—a right to work state, and the country’s least unionized—that they are staging…

Media

Education

What School Choice Advocates are Saying about Pennsylvania’s “Massive School Choice Victory”

• Nathan Benefield
• July 11, 2012

The fiscal year 2012-13 state budget increases the Educational Improvement Tax Credit by $25 million to $100 million and creates a new $50 million tax credit for Opportunity Scholarships—effectively doubling…

Media

Education

Auditor Errs On Charter School Funding

• Nathan Benefield
• July 11, 2012

Auditor General Jack Wagner recently release a report criticizing charter school funding.  Unfortunately, the report is riddled with errors. One key flaw is the argument that cyber schools get…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Unions Spent $4 Billion Nationally on Politics Since 2005

• Priya Brannick
• July 10, 2012

Labor unions spend four times more than originally estimated on politics and lobbying, reports the Wall Street Journal, making them a formidable behemoth in state and national elections. In…

Media

Health Care

States Take a Stand Against Medicaid Expansion

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 10, 2012

The Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act would cost Pennsylvania an additional $2 billion through 2019, should the commonwealth participate.  That represents merely the state share, as taxes…

Media

Pa. completes Olympian effort to adopt budget

• July 10, 2012

Media Hit

Gov. Corbett earns a gold medal on budget

• July 10, 2012

Media Hit

Health Care

What if Congress Passed the “TV Mandate”?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 9, 2012

A friend of mine recently purchased a new flat screen TV, getting a no-interest loan for three years to finance it. He remarked in amazement at this wonder, noting he…

Media

An accomplished but flawed Pennsylvania budget

• July 9, 2012

Media Hit

Corbett skirts union skirmish

• July 8, 2012

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

EPA Wants to Scare Jobs Out of Pennsylvania

• July 6, 2012

The Environmental Protection Agency’s derailing of American’s economy is frightening enough to scare even the Ghostbusters (and they ain’t afraid of no ghost). Pennsylvania will be the 7th hardest hit…

Media

Gov. Tom Corbett signs Pennsylvania prison reform into law

• July 6, 2012

Media Hit