Media

Government Accountability

Wither Spending Transparency in PA?

• Nathan Benefield
• October 13, 2009

Over the past few years, and throughout the state budget debate, the Commonwealth Foundation and other state and national groups have called for state…

Media

Pension fix needed now

• October 12, 2009

Media Hit

Health Care

Competition in Health Care would Lower Costs

• Nathan Benefield
• October 12, 2009

A report by Dr. Sven Larson from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation examines policies to remove government barriers and restore competition to the market for individual…

Media

Big trouble awaiting the next Pa. governor

• October 12, 2009

Media Hit

Editorial: Finally, a Budget

• October 12, 2009

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Breakdown of State and Local Government Tax Revenues

• Nathan Benefield
• October 12, 2009

The Tax Foundation has a new report profiling the percentage of state and local government tax revenues by source for each state.  Here is how Pennsylvania compares (getting a…

Media

Regulation

Washington Post Highlights Pension Crisis

• Nathan Benefield
• October 12, 2009

The Washington Post ran an article Sunday on how market losses have put state and local government pension plans seriously in the red.  The article makes mention of the…

Media

Analysis: State budget delay cloaks politicians in shame

• October 11, 2009

Media Hit

What’s next after budget? Here’s a must-do list for Pennsylvania lawmakers

• October 11, 2009

Media Hit

An Honest Debate About State Spending

• October 10, 2009

Media Hit

Government Accountability

Pennsylvanians Divided by Soda

• Nathan Benefield
• October 10, 2009

Pennsylvanians seem divided by geography on a key debate.  No, not the state budget, or national health care (well, those too), but on whether it should be called ‘Soda’, or…

Media

State Budget

This is the Budget We Waited For?

• October 9, 2009

Plan taxes too much, spends too much, and fails to put Pennsylvania on a path to prosperity Harrisburg, PA – With state budget impasse finally over, Commonwealth Foundation President Matthew…

Press Release

Taxes & Economy

Competition Emerges as PPL Completes Supply Auctions

• Elizabeth Stelle
• October 9, 2009

Yesterday, PPL completed it’s last auction to for power to serve customers after rate caps expire on January 1st 2010. PPL has been procuring power in phases since 2007 in…

Media

Education

Is Preschool for All a Good Idea?

• Nathan Benefield
• October 9, 2009

Chester Finn of the Fordham Foundation has a good article in the latest Education Next on the movement for “preschool for all.” Finn is generally supportive of government…

Media

Health Care

My Message to Congress on Health Care Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• October 9, 2009

I just uploaded my video message to Congress on health care reform.  This is part of a project of the National Taxpayers Union, who is preparing DVDs…

Media

Local real estate taxes could rise to make up for underfunded state pension plans

• October 8, 2009

Media Hit

State Budget

100 Days Without a Budget and We’re Still Alive!

• Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
• October 8, 2009

The budget impasse has been analogized and analyzed to death in the past couple months. It’s rich fodder for politico pundits and reporters. Some have compared it to a…

Media

State Budget

PA Budget Deal Means Pledge-Breaking

• Elizabeth Stelle
• October 8, 2009

Today GrassrootsPA features the five Pennsylvania lawmakers who signed, then violated, Americans For Tax Reform’s pledge to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to raise taxes“.

Media

Government Accountability

Shrink or Grow the Size of Legislature

• Nathan Benefield
• October 8, 2009

NCSL’s blog, The Thicket, has a post up about debating reducing or growing the size of the legislature. Pennsylvania serves on the shrinking size, as that is an oft-cited…

Media

A Budget Thought

• October 8, 2009

Media Hit

State Budget

PA House Votes to De-fund ACORN

• Nathan Benefield
• October 7, 2009

In addition to concurring with the tax hikes previously approved by the Senate, the Pennsylvania House voted earlier today 157-42 in favor of an amendment to HB 1407…

Media