Media

Education

State Report on PA’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit

• Nathan Benefield
• December 8, 2009

The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee put out a preliminary report on the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) a few months ago, but the report has been sitting…

Media

Regulation

An Ethnic Taste of Corporate Welfare

• December 7, 2009

The benevolent Department of Community and Economic Development most recently bestowed its generosity on the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Pennsylvania by awarding it $20,000. This money will…

Media

An End to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission?

• Nathan Benefield
• December 7, 2009

State Representative Mike Vereb will unveil legislation to eliminated the corrupt, patronage ridden Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission at a press conference tomorrow.  Capitol Ideas has some notes on the…

Media

State liquor sales outlive rationale

• December 7, 2009

Media Hit

Tax on tuition inherently unfair

• December 7, 2009

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Who Pays Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax? Part II

• December 7, 2009

Pennsylvania has a flat rate Personal Income Tax (PIT) of 3.07%, which is a fair and simple distribution of taxation.  Yet some people are imprudently calling for a state-wide graduated…

Media

Sheetz beer petition met with strong response

• December 7, 2009

Media Hit

Tuition Tax: The Future Of Higher Education?

• December 7, 2009

Media Hit

Public no safer with state stores

• December 6, 2009

Media Hit

Property owners could take hard pension punch in 2012-13

• December 4, 2009

Media Hit

Regulation

Is the Harley Handout Constitutional?

• December 4, 2009

Governor Ed Rendell just announced $15.4 million in economic development assistance to renovate its York County factory and train workers. $14 million of the $15.4 million comes from Capital…

Media

Pennsylvania, U.S. must heed signs if they want to be competitive

• December 4, 2009

Media Hit

Regulation

SEPTA is Financially Sound?!

• Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
• December 4, 2009

In a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer, SEPTA general manager Joe Casey challenges our commentary in which we called for SEPTA to competitively contract routes…

Media

Education

Penn State Professor Feeling the (Metaphorical) Heat

• Nathan Benefield
• December 3, 2009

Following the Commonwealth Foundation’s call for a legislative inquiry into use of tax dollars to stifle, rather than foster, scientific inquiry in the case of Penn State professor Michael…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Taxes Driving Residents Out

• Nathan Benefield
• December 3, 2009

The Tax Foundation has a new Fiscal Fact on Pennsylvania’s tax system and its impact on inter-state migration. After profiling Pennsylvania’s tax climate (hint: it is…

Media

Taxes & Economy

The Minimum Wage Myth

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 3, 2009

As unemployment continues to rise and talk of a jobs stimulus circulates some are advocating for another increase in the minimum wage. But such a move would destroy jobs instead…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Ranks Middle-of-the-Pack in Small Business Climate

• Nathan Benefield
• December 2, 2009

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council released their Small Business Survival Index 2009 on Tuesday.  Pennsylvania ranks 27th on the Index (1 being the best state for small businesses). …

Media

Public Union Democracy

Update: Harley’s Union “Compromises”

• December 2, 2009

Harley’s heavily unionized employees came to a “compromise” through a new contract that will likely keep the company in Pennsylvania. Union leaders said, although they are not satisfied with this…

Media

Fill Out Our 2009 Survey and win a prize!

• December 2, 2009

As Policy Blog readers, we value your opinion on how we can more effectively disseminate freedom, so please fill out our survey on how you value our services. One…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania’s Growing Revenue Shortfall

• Nathan Benefield
• December 2, 2009

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released November revenue collections yesterday. Once again, the actual General Fund collections were somewhat below projections; $56 million (or 3%) for the month. The…

Media

Pa. one of the most regressive tax states

• December 1, 2009

Media Hit