Media

Return Pennsylvania to prosperity’s path

• August 30, 2009

Media Hit

Facts show why state can’t keep upping taxes

• August 28, 2009

Media Hit

Government Accountability

Baby Boomers Dominate in State Legislatures

• Nathan Benefield
• August 28, 2009

Interesting, if trivial analysis from NCSL on the age of state legislators. Only 4% of legislators nationally are under age 34. They also have a tool with demographic…

Media

Regulation

Philadelphia Sales Tax Increase Bad for Business and for Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• August 28, 2009

Chris Freind writes on how the proposed increase of Philadelphia’s sales tax from 7% to 8% (6% state rate, local rate to double from 1 to 2%) will harm…

Media

Education

2009 SAT Scores by State

• Nathan Benefield
• August 28, 2009

EDITORS NOTE: Click here for the 2014 SAT Scores by state The College Board has released data on 2009 SAT Scores.  I’ve compiled the data into a spreadsheet of…

Media

Education

School District Makes Due Without Tax Hike

• Nathan Benefield
• August 27, 2009

ABC 27 has a story about East Pennsboro School District – the first stop on Gov. Rendell’s bus tour – using fiscal restraint, not higher taxes, to deal…

Media

Regulation

Pennsylvania Municipal Pension Reform in a Nutshell

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 27, 2009

Yesterday the Senate approved HB 1828, a long and complicated bill full of so-called pension reforms and potential local tax increases. Here’s a basic summary of the provisions following…

Media

Health Care

Medicare’s Administrative Costs vs. Private Insurance

• Nathan Benefield
• August 27, 2009

One of the myths is that Medicare has lower administrative costs than private insurance, and thus is the model for efficient health coverage. (This was an argument made by a…

Media

Health Care

The Success of Consumer-Driven Health Care

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 26, 2009

In the midst of debates over the right kind of health care reform, consumer-driven plans continue to attract consumers while keeping costs in check. Greg Scandlen of Consumers of…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Should Existing Interstate Highways Be Tolled?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 26, 2009

Interesting question posed by National Journal on tolling of existing freeways, with particular focus on tolling I-80 in Pennsylvania, offering several experts the opportunity to respond.  Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn…

Media

Compromise On Obamacare Public Option Unlikely

• August 26, 2009

Media Hit

Health Care

States Offer Valuable Insight into the Dangers of Socialized Medicine

• August 26, 2009

The Commonwealth Foundation and Conservatives for Patients Rights recently hosted a policy forum entitled State-Run Health Care: Costly Mistakes, featuring policy experts from across the country who have seen…

Media

High Speed Rail Proposal Just Another Way to Waste Taxpayer Dollars

• Nathan Benefield
• August 26, 2009

The Patriot News highlights Pennsylvania’s latest request of $28.2 million for high-speed rail projects from the federal stimulus. Here is our recent commentary by Randal O’Toole on…

Media

Regulation

Lack of Subsidy Spooks Movie Director

• August 26, 2009

The remorse is almost audible in when people talk about the loss of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie Devil to Canada, ostensibly because of the budget impasse. What…

Media

Regulation

The Pennsylvania Pension Bailout

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 25, 2009

Pennsylvania legislators are drawing nearer to implementing a bailout bill for Philadelphia and a state takeover for insolvent municipal pension funds in cities like Pittsburgh. While pension reforms are…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Sales Tax Exemptions

• Nathan Benefield
• August 25, 2009

There has been some discussion lately about filling the Pennsylvania budget hole with additional revenue by expanding the state sales tax to include currently exempt goods, services, or categories.

Media

Regulation

Problem of PA Prison Population and Price

• August 25, 2009

Last week Bill Cosby declared that it only costs taxpayers $4,000 a year to educate a child, but $33,000 a year to incarcerate someone (this statement is inaccurate, unless…

Media

Senate May Vote On Philly Tax Hike Tomorrow

• August 25, 2009

Media Hit

Regulation

What Happens When There is No Funding for Corporate Welfare?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 24, 2009

Gov. Rendell has noted on many occasions that without large state “economic development” grant programs, Pennsylvania’s economy would tank.  He has argued that the Senate budget, which would eliminate many…

Media

Health Care

Explaining the Town-Hall Protests

• Nathan Benefield
• August 24, 2009

John Goodman – the health care policy guru, not the star of Arachnophobia – has an editorial in Friday’s Wall Street Journal on those protesting Obama’s version of health…

Media

State Budget

Is Cash for Clunkers the Dumbest Government Program Ever?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 24, 2009

Chris Edwards of Cato suggests “Cash for Clunkers” is the dumbest government program of all time: A few billion dollars worth of wealth was destroyed. About 750,000…

Media