Regulation

Rendell Teaches Obama How to Create Phony Jobs

  • November 2, 2009

A report released on Friday by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services shows 7,400 jobs have been either created or retained(Capitolwire Subscription) in Pennsylvania using federal stimulus dollars. Jim…

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Taxes & Economy

Turnpike Drama Continues

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 2, 2009

Turnpike Officials have admitted that a grand jury has been investigating the commission for at least five months. Although this investigation is separate from the shady dealings surrounding the Valley…

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Taxes & Economy

How Valuable is I-80 Tolling?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 2, 2009

When the Federal Highway Administration rejected the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s proposal to toll I-80, one of the numerous reasons was there had been no…

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Government Accountability

Size Isn’t Everything

  • November 1, 2009

Sen. Dave Argall has introduced another attempt to reduce the size of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. Pennsylvania is ranked 2nd in the nation for largest state legislator size (totaling…

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State Budget

Spending Limits: Not Special Exemptions

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • October 30, 2009

Yesterday, Republican state Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County introduced legislation to help local governments cope with declining revenues, ever-increasing amounts of regulation and new programs from…

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Criminal Justice Reform

Mandatory Minimum Sentences Increase Costs

  • October 30, 2009

A study by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing found that mandatory minimum sentences increase the cost of the corrections system without decreasing crime. Corrections costs are already a major…

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Pike County Residents to Vote on $1M Tax Hike

  • October 30, 2009

With the county library system running a $19,000 budget shortfall and unable to fund new pet spending projects, the Friends of the Pike County Public Library have gathered 1,500…

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Taxes & Economy

Taxpayers Flee High Tax States

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 29, 2009

Our friends at the Empire Center for New York State Policy has a new report on the “exodus” of residents from New York to other states. The report is…

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Government Accountability

CF Blog Roundup

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 29, 2009

Here are some recent CF mentions in the blogosphere.  Reason Out-of-Control notes many of the same concerns we have with giving the Turnpike Commission carte blanche to toll I-80…

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Taxes & Economy

How Scary is Global Warming?

  • October 28, 2009

Recent empirical data indicates global warming is not the imminent crisis some make it out to be. Christopher Monckton highlights recent trends which buck the U.N. projections.  Of particular…

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Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Raided by FBI?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 28, 2009

Toll Roads News is reporting that the FBI has raided the PA Turnpike Commission, seizing computers and records (HT Capitol Ideas) We’re informed the FBI “raid” comprised three…

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Regulation

Presentation on Pensions and Why Your Taxes Will Skyrocket

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 27, 2009

If you missed our RE Harper Economic Forums on pensions, here is an online version of Rick Dreyfuss’s presentation. You should also check out related articles on “…

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Government Accountability

There is No Defense for WAMs

  • October 26, 2009

Among the many faults with WAMs, perhaps the most egregious is that taxpayers can never figure out where this money is going. For example,…

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Regulation

Gov. Rendell Expresses Concerns with Net Neutrality

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 26, 2009

Gov. Rendell recently submitted a Letter to the FCC expressing concerns with proposed Internet regulation known as “Net Neutrality.” This was part of the…

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Health Care

Is Mackey Wacky?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 26, 2009

In August, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, penned a Wall Street Journal piece outlining his ideas for health care reform – these include equalizing the tax code, interstate…

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