Media

Regulation

Lessons for Pennsylvania from Jersey Shore

• Nathan Benefield
• September 29, 2011

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently nixed a tax credit for production of MTV’s Jersey Shore. This is a TV show that apparently doesn’t portray New Jersey in the…

Media

Welfare

Welfare Funds for Home Bowling Alley

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 29, 2011

What do bowling alleys, chandeliers, and six-person hot tubs have in common? They’ve all been purchased with state welfare funds. Yesterday Tim Costa, executive deputy secretary of the Department of…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Transportation Funding Must be Tied to Reform

• Matthew Brouillette
• September 28, 2011

Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette to the Senate and House Transportation Committees Thank you Chairman Rafferty and Chairman Geist and members of the committees for the invitation to testify today…

Testimony

Taxes & Economy

Reading is Poorest City in U.S.

• Priya Brannick
• September 28, 2011

Just released Census Bureau figures show Pennsylvania’s poverty rate has climbed, rising to 13.4 percent in 2010 compared to 11.6 percent in 2007, when the recession first hit.

Media

Taxes & Economy

Governor Corbett Right to Disentangle “Impact Fee” from Growing Greener

• September 27, 2011

In the coming weeks, Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to release his “local impact fee” proposal. It appears the governor’s on track to keep his “no new taxes”…

Media

Taxes & Economy

By the Way, Residents Don’t Like High Taxes

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 26, 2011

Dr. Antony Davies, a member of CF’s Council of Scholars, and John Pulito add to the growing body of research showing higher state taxes drive out residents. Their new study,…

Media

State Capitol restoration costs questioned

• September 26, 2011

Media Hit

Dauphin County sports complex brings mixed reviews

• September 26, 2011

Media Hit

Health Care

Changing the Incentives in Medicaid

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 22, 2011

Medicaid spending is set to skyrocket under the federal health care overhaul in the next two years, but it already consumes 31 percent of Pennsylvania’s budget. It is no…

Media

Public Union Democracy

New Polling Shows 72 Percent of Pennsylvanians Support Right to Work

• Nathan Benefield
• September 21, 2011

New polling conducted by Douglas E. Schoen, LLC for the Manhattan Institute nationally and in 10 targeted states shows widespread bipartisan support to reduce state government spending rather than…

Media

Taxes & Economy

State Regulators are Best Equipped to Monitor Drilling

• September 20, 2011

Congress is considering the FRAC Act, legislation to transfer hydraulic fracturing oversight from states to the Environmental Protection Agency, but the EPA has already proved itself incapable of the…

Media

Regulation

Wasteful Wine Wizards Cork Kiosk Caper!

• September 20, 2011

Put a cork in it!  That’s apparently what the Sultans of Syrah said suddenly today as they will pull the putrid pinot plug on the wasteful wine kiosk catastrophe.

Media

Education

SAT Scores by State, 2011

• Nathan Benefield
• September 19, 2011

EDITORS NOTE: Click here for the 2014 SAT Scores by state Every year, the College Board puts out SAT scores by state, but only in PDF format.  Since…

Media

Government workers’ pay must reflect private sector

• September 19, 2011

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Drilling Bans Hurt Low-income Families

• September 19, 2011

Some local communities, such as affluent Peters Township, are seeking local bans on drilling in the name of environmental protection, but these unnecessary bans would hinder the ability…

Media

Don’t distort fracking debate

• September 19, 2011

Media Hit

Education

Teacher Qualifications vs. Teacher Effectiveness

• Priya Brannick
• September 16, 2011

Teachers are an important factor affecting student performance, and teacher salaries make up the biggest chunk of public school spending. So ensuring that the best teachers instruct our kids should…

Media

Frackophobes With Egg on Their Face

• Nathan Benefield
• September 15, 2011

While Pennsylvania dealt with the realities of floods last week, frackophobic Penn Environment exploited the disaster by flooding the blogosphere with fear through positing a picture that led…

Media

Lessening taxpayer burden

• September 15, 2011

Media Hit

Regulation

Cabernet Kings Couldn’t Count!

• September 15, 2011

All together now, Pennsylvania:  Ninety-nine bottle of booze in a box, 99 bottles of booze, blow in a tube, look like a rube, still 99 bottles of booze in a…

Media

HUD secretary visit met with skepticism

• September 15, 2011

Media Hit