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New Swing State Poll: PA Voters Evenly Divided, Presidential Election a Toss Up
Harrisburg, Pa., July 26, 2024—Public support for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is evenly divided in Pennsylvania, according to a new statewide survey of Pennsylvania voters, with Harris leading Trump 47%…
Read More: New Swing State Poll: PA Voters Evenly Divided, Presidential Election a Toss Up
Education
TV Ad Exposes Shapiro as “All Talk, No Results”
Read More: TV Ad Exposes Shapiro as “All Talk, No Results”
Education
Why is Gov. Shapiro Afraid of His Own Campaign Promises?
Read More: Why is Gov. Shapiro Afraid of His Own Campaign Promises?
Education
President and CEO Charles Mitchell on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall
Read More: President and CEO Charles Mitchell on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris StigallState Budget
Rendell and the Missing $30 Million
Yesterday, Gov. Rendell told lawmakers that after Congress passed legislation to increase federal aid to states for Medicaid (FMAP) and to school districts – and also cut funding…
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State has solutions; Does it have the will?
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Read More: State has solutions; Does it have the will?Government Accountability
More Taxpayer Funded Propaganda
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has an email newsletter on Marcellus Shale (see PA Indy story). I, of course, signed up to see how my tax dollars were…
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Read More: More Taxpayer Funded PropagandaHealth Care
States Saying No to Individual Mandate
Merrill Matthews has a good article up on Forbes about what states are doing to fight the individual health insurance mandate in the new law. He touches both on…
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Read More: States Saying No to Individual Mandate
Blog Roundup
Here’s some recent link love for CF: PhillyNow criticizes Rendell’s “inability” to make budget cuts, while pointing to CF’s A Taxpayer’s Budget, which identifies $4 billion in possible…
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Economist Antony Davies debunks arguments against liquor sale privatization
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Read More: Economist Antony Davies debunks arguments against liquor sale privatizationTaxes & Economy
How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling?
Pop quiz: Drilling in Pennsylvania is as attractive as drilling in A) Arkansas B) Kansas or C) Cambodia? The correct answer is Cambodia. Currently, the Keystone State is one of…
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Read More: How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling?Regulation
Silliest Defense of Government Pension Plans Yet
A letter in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader attacks the Commonwealth Foundation for supporting moving state government and school districts employees to a defined-contribution retirement plan, like a 401(k). The…
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Read More: Silliest Defense of Government Pension Plans YetEducation
Are Taxpayers Subsidizing Learning or Partying?
The good news: Penn State is no longer the #1 party school in the US, according to the Princeton Review’s (user account) annual student-produced rankings. It has fallen…
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Read More: Are Taxpayers Subsidizing Learning or Partying?
Pittsburgh basking in the latest filmmaking boom
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Read More: Pittsburgh basking in the latest filmmaking boomEducation
AP Distorts Pennsylvania Education Spending
In an article about potential cuts to state appropriations to school districts – which represent cuts to the approved budget, not to last year’s spending, and would be more…
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Read More: AP Distorts Pennsylvania Education SpendingState Budget
Which Taxpayer-Funded Video Studio Tells More Lies?
Yesterday, Bob Caton, spokesman for the Pennsylvania House Democrats, and Steve Miskin, spokesman for the House Republican, engaged in a Twitter argument over which caucus’ TV shows were more…
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Read More: Which Taxpayer-Funded Video Studio Tells More Lies?
Initiative and referendum needed for reform
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Read More: Initiative and referendum needed for reformTaxes & Economy
Quote for the Day on Stimulus Spending
Yesterday, I tweeted Dan Mitchell’s blog post, which in turn cited Richard Rahn’s article on the evidence of “stimulus spending” vs. limited government on growing the economy. Mitchell…
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Read More: Quote for the Day on Stimulus SpendingRegulation
SEPTA’s Extravagant Spending
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony from SEPTA officials defending their lavish spending habits during a state transportation funding crisis. Senator Rafferty expressed concern, saying:…
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Read More: SEPTA’s Extravagant SpendingTaxes & Economy
Onorato: Rendell’s Severance Tax is Too High
In a Capitolwire interview (subscription), gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato advocated a low natural gas severance tax rate with exemptions. Onorato highlighted three states as good examples of a…
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Read More: Onorato: Rendell’s Severance Tax is Too High
Reforming the Highway Trust Fund
As Gov. Rendell continues to tour Pennsylvania asking for more money for transportation, perhaps he should ask Congress to reform the federal Highway Trust Fund to ensure our gas tax…
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Read More: Reforming the Highway Trust FundEducation
Rendell’s Made-Up Government Workers Layoffs
Here is a letter to the editor I recently submitted on Gov. Rendell’s threats of layoffs if Congress doesn’t give him FMAP Money: Gov. Rendell has been busy lobbying…
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Read More: Rendell’s Made-Up Government Workers LayoffsRegulation
Wine Boutiques are Latest Effort to Stall Liquor Store Privatization
Last year, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) initiated a program that established “wine boutiques.” These boutiques allow a small PLCB-controlled liquor store to sell wine in conjunction with…
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Read More: Wine Boutiques are Latest Effort to Stall Liquor Store Privatization