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Taxes & Economy

Online “Short Courses” in American Conservative Thought

• September 21, 2009

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…

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Region’s residents upset over proposed tax increases, new taxes

• September 21, 2009

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

When Did you Stop Beating Your Wife?

• Nathan Benefield
• September 21, 2009

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…

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State Budget

What the Heck is a “Broad-Based Tax”?

• Nathan Benefield
• September 21, 2009

Last week Matt Brouillette called out Senate Republicans for moving toward a budget deal with higher taxes, backing off their line in the…

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Government Accountability

Blog Roundup

• Nathan Benefield
• September 21, 2009

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…

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Philly Pension ‘Reform’: A Vote To Raise Taxes Now And In The Future

• September 20, 2009

Media Hit

State Budget

Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal

• Nathan Benefield
• September 19, 2009

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…

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Health Care

Evaluating the Baucus Health Care Proposal

• Nathan Benefield
• September 18, 2009

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…

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Regulation

Hockey Arenas Do Not Revitalize Cities

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 18, 2009

After faltering on there “no new taxes pledge“ Senate…

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Regulation

PA Senate Votes to Raise Taxes Now and In the Future

• Nathan Benefield
• September 17, 2009

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…

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Taxes & Economy

Death Tax Increase Would Cost Thousand of PA Jobs

• September 17, 2009

Pennsylvania Family Institute joins the Family Research Council and the American Family Business Foundation in releasing a new report today analyzing the effects of the estate tax (“death tax”) on…

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Taxes & Economy

Stimulus Didn’t Stimulate

• Nathan Benefield
• September 17, 2009

Interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal by three economists on the effects of the federal “stimulus” to date.  The authors find, not suprisingly, that the stimulus has not…

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State Budget

ACORN Got $200,000 from PA Taxpayers

• Nathan Benefield
• September 17, 2009

Given all the recent scandals surrounding ACORN, the vote to defund them in the US Senate, and the Census severing ties with ACORN, it raises an interesting…

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Education

America’s Troubling College Graduation Rate

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 17, 2009

A recent study from AEI compares graduation and drop-out rates among American colleges and finds a disturbing trend. Colleges are graduating less than 60% of their student…

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Public Union Democracy

Is “Card Check” Racist?

• Nathan Benefield
• September 16, 2009

A new study on the Employee Free Choice Act finds that the ill-named legislation would deliberately harm minorities (HT: The Union Label) This proposal would likely expand labor hierarchy, labor market…

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State Budget

Enacting an Irresponsible Budget

• Matthew Brouillette
• September 16, 2009

Way back on July 1, 2009, Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi penned an excellent commentary, “Enacting a Responsible Budget,” urging “the Governor and the House Democratic leaders to support a…

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State Budget

Braveheart and the PA State Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• September 16, 2009

I’ve compared Pennsylvania policy-making to Braveheart before, but the move from a public conference committee to secret,…

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Health Care

Ten More “You Lie” Opportunities

• Nathan Benefield
• September 16, 2009

John Hawkins has a list of 10 more lies, mistruths, or inaccurate claims put out by President Obama on health care: The President is working with Republicans. Republicans haven’t…

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Taxes & Economy

Are Tea Party Protesters Nut Jobs?

• Nathan Benefield
• September 16, 2009

Reason TV interviews a number of attendees of the 9/12 Tea Party in DC in a new video asking whether they are “small group of radical freakazoids or a…

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Education

State-Run Preschool Doesn’t Make the Grade

• Nathan Benefield
• September 15, 2009

Cato has a new policy report, as well as a recent blog post which sums up the arguments, on why large-scale government preschool programs are not what…

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Regulation

Smoking Ban Puts Damper on PA Taverns

• September 15, 2009

A recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlights the burden the statewide smoking ban has on Pennsylvania bars and taverns. According to the Pennsylvania Tavern Association, there were…

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