Media

Pa. has proposal on prevailing wage reforms

• January 17, 2012

Media Hit

Education

Bring Choice to Chester-Upland

• Priya Brannick
• January 16, 2012

Chester-Upland, a chronically failing and bankrupt school district of 3,700 students in Delaware County, last week filed a federal suit against the commonwealth to demand a $20.7 million bailout…

Media

Education

The Education Monopoly Comandeers CNN

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 16, 2012

The Reading School District was featured on CNN this weekend, but not for anything positive. Reporters documented the poor air quality caused by crumbling school buildings across the nation.

Media

Education

Crisis vs. Competition in Education

• Priya Brannick
• January 12, 2012

Here are two views on school choice, the idea that fostering a variety of schooling options for families—whether public, charter, cyber or private—is a good thing: School choice is a…

Media

PLCB Quips Curing Cancer Can’t Combat Critics

• January 12, 2012

In a recent interview on Harrisburg’s ABC-27, PLCB board member P.J. Stapleton III clarified once again why we frequently refer to the PLCB as tone deaf. Speaking with…

Media

Poll: 81% Choose Bootlegging Over PLCB Hikes

• January 12, 2012

So just what effects do monopolies have on markets?  You need look no further than Philadelphia this morning for the answer. An online Philadelphia Inquirer poll has found more…

Media

Less booze for your buck at state stores

• January 12, 2012

Media Hit

Prices on some wines, spirits will rise in February

• January 12, 2012

Media Hit

Liquor board approves price hikes on 300 products

• January 12, 2012

Media Hit

313 More Reasons to End PLCB Booze

• January 11, 2012

Pop quiz:  Who has to pay for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s $66 million (and growing) inventory software failure, a million-plus in the wine kiosk catastrophe or the…

Media

State Budget

Turnpike Commission Defends Ballooning Debt

• Nathan Benefield
• January 11, 2012

Following our post yesterday, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wanted to make sure we saw their response to Auditor General Jack Wagner’s warning on their growing debt. The Turnpike…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Do Millionaires Need Food Stamps?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 11, 2012

For the past few years, politicians in Harrisburg and Washington have considered it a “success” to put more families on welfare. The result is an abundance of loopholes that allow…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Wagner’s Warning on Turnpike Debt Not Exaggerated

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 10, 2012

Auditor General Jack Wagner claims the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is in a state of fiscal crisis following a 181 percent increase in long-term debt since 2007. This shouldn’t…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Transportation Spending

• Nathan Benefield
• January 9, 2012

Many advocates and industry representatives have been calling for increasing transportation spending in Pennsylvania. Yet over the past 16 years, state transportation spending has increased by 127 percent, a fact…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in Perspective

• Nathan Benefield
• January 5, 2012

Yesterday, Gov. Corbett and the Office of the Budget released a list of 2011-12 budgetary freezes—reductions in spending from the enacted General Fund budget—due in part to revenue shortfalls. I…

Media

Government Accountability

Teachers’ Union Dues at Leisure

• Priya Brannick
• January 3, 2012

A full-time teacher and member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association pays $654 a year in union dues to state, national and local affiliates of the union. While part-time teachers…

Media

Corbett’s austerity gets mixed reviews

• January 3, 2012

Media Hit

Ex-lawmakers draw pensions

• January 2, 2012

Media Hit

Taxpayers shell out $49M for retiring employees’ sick time

• January 2, 2012

Media Hit

Government Accountability

Top 10 Posts of 2011

• Nathan Benefield
• December 30, 2011

For your “year in review” pleasure, here are the most popular CF articles and research papers of 2011, based on readership: Citizens Guide to Electric Choice and Competition…

Media

Taxes & Economy

PA Online Sales Tax Guidelines Claim First Casualty

• Nathan Benefield
• December 30, 2011

When the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a new bulletin instructing online vendors about collecting state sales tax, tax reform advocates expressed a lot of concern. The new…

Media