Latest Content
Public Union Democracy
Blue States Open the Door for Public Sector Union Abuses, New Report Finds
Harrisburg, Pa., August 28, 2024 — New tax loopholes, predatory recruiting tactics, and relaxed campaign finance laws shift power away from workers and towards union officials, according to a…
Read More: Blue States Open the Door for Public Sector Union Abuses, New Report Finds
Education
DNC Ad Highlights Josh Shapiro’s Record: Ain’t Got Sh*t Done
Read More: DNC Ad Highlights Josh Shapiro’s Record: Ain’t Got Sh*t Done
Energy
Commonwealth Foundation Joins Over 50 Organizations Opposing Anti-Energy Policies in the Inflation Reduction Act on its Two-Year Anniversary
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Joins Over 50 Organizations Opposing Anti-Energy Policies in the Inflation Reduction Act on its Two-Year Anniversary
Education
Josh Shapiro Can Now Focus on Leading Pennsylvania
Read More: Josh Shapiro Can Now Focus on Leading PennsylvaniaGovernment Accountability
How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?
Dale Davenport had an excellent editorial in the Patriot over the weekend, noting how annual budgeting and the move to a full-time, professional legislature altereed Pennsylvania’s state budget forever: …
Media
Read More: How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?State Budget
Understanding the Single Sales Factor
Philly.com Blogger Ben Waxman has a post about moving Pennsylvania to a single-sales factor on corporate income taxes, calling it a “big tax break for corporations”, based on…
Media
Read More: Understanding the Single Sales Factor
Send in the sheep, put the lawmakers out to pasture
Media Hit
Read More: Send in the sheep, put the lawmakers out to pastureState Budget
Stupid Quote of the Day
Sen. Jake Corman tells the Associated Press that a proposal to charge the sales tax to performing arts and museums is a “user fee”: A plan to extend…
Media
Read More: Stupid Quote of the DayState Budget
Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control Debt
A new commentary in American Enterprise Institute’s journal, The American, highlights a seemingly “perfect storm” of historical events that have facilitated the out-of-control spending of…
Media
Read More: Historical Follies Set the Stage for Out-of-Control DebtEducation
Government Takeover: The Student Loan Industry
Last week the US House voted to prohibit private lenders from issuing government backed loans. The bill amounts to a government takeover of the student loan industry complete with…
Media
Read More: Government Takeover: The Student Loan Industry
ACORN: State still funding organization
Media Hit
Read More: ACORN: State still funding organizationGovernment Accountability
Scare Tactics in the Budget
John Baer writes – albeit a bit late – on how politicians use scare tactics, i.e. the “Washington Monument Ploy” to…
Media
Read More: Scare Tactics in the BudgetHealth Care
Not-True Statements about Health Insurers
I’ve already picked on the left-wing Keystone Progress this week for absurd statements, but I got another missive from them on…
Media
Read More: Not-True Statements about Health InsurersHealth Care
When a Tax Isn’t a Tax
In a post this morning, I criticized PA Senate Republicans for their loose definition of “broad-based taxes” with an emphasis on “broad…
Media
Read More: When a Tax Isn’t a TaxTaxes & Economy
Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a non-profit committed to education in America’s founding principles, recently debuted their First Principles Web Journal, an online resource for those interested in learning…
Media
Read More: Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought
Region’s residents upset over proposed tax increases, new taxes
Media Hit
Read More: Region’s residents upset over proposed tax increases, new taxesTaxes & Economy
When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?
In a vote last week, the Pennsylvania House voted to increase the marriage license fee from $3 to $28 – only the increase was to be used for “domestic…
Media
Read More: When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?State Budget
What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?
Last week Matt Brouillette called out Senate Republicans for moving toward a budget deal with higher taxes, backing off their line in the…
Media
Read More: What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?Government Accountability
Blog Roundup
The Commonwealth Foundation has made it around the blogs this weekend; here are some recent citations: Tony Phyrillas, PA Water Cooler, and Pennsylvania Guardian give us some…
Media
Read More: Blog Roundup
Philly Pension ‘Reform’: A Vote To Raise Taxes Now And In The Future
Media Hit
Read More: Philly Pension ‘Reform’: A Vote To Raise Taxes Now And In The FutureState Budget
Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal
Gov. Rendell and legislative leaders from three caucuses (House Republicans were not involved) announced a deal on the Pennsylvania state budget. Via PLS and Capitolwire (subscription), here…
Media
Read More: Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget DealHealth Care
Evaluating the Baucus Health Care Proposal
The latest “leading” national health care reform proposal is a bill Sen. Baucus (already being panned by the left for getting rid of the “public option” and replacing it with…
Media
Read More: Evaluating the Baucus Health Care ProposalRegulation
Hockey Arenas Do Not Revitalize Cities
After faltering on there “no new taxes pledge“ Senate…
Media
Read More: Hockey Arenas Do Not Revitalize CitiesRegulation
PA Senate Votes to Raise Taxes Now and In the Future
The Pennsylvania Senate this afternoon gave their approval to the municipal pension “reform” bill, even after the House stripped out almost all of the weak reforms. The legislation was…
Media
Read More: PA Senate Votes to Raise Taxes Now and In the Future