Government Accountability

10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 3, 2009

Contrary to the Governor’s rhetoric, there are a plethora of reforms and spending cuts that can balance the budget without firing our police, evicting our elderly, or dumbing down our…

Media

Read More: 10 Ways to Balance the Budget Without Tax Hikes

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget Proposals – Revised Spreadsheet Now Online

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 3, 2009

The Rendell administration has released a new version of his Pennsylvania state budget proposal, unfortunately this is only available in a PDF document, and does not include the allocation…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Proposals – Revised Spreadsheet Now Online

Pennsylvania House Passes Silly Bills

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 3, 2009

We are now three days in to the fiscal year without a state budget, yet the Pennsylvania House Democrats still refuse to bring any spending or revenue legislation up for…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania House Passes Silly Bills

State Budget

Why Are State Budget Negotiations Secret Meetings?

  • July 2, 2009

With all the debate surrounding the Budget this summer, a concerned taxpayer has the right to see exactly what his representatives and legislature are doing on the people’s time,…

Media

Read More: Why Are State Budget Negotiations Secret Meetings?

Where Does YOUR Legislator Stand? | “Yes, We Can!”

  • July 2, 2009

Gov. Rendell is saying, “No, You Can’t!” balance the budget without raising taxes on working Pennsylvanians and job creators.   But many members of the House and Senate are saying,…

Press Release

Read More: Where Does YOUR Legislator Stand? | “Yes, We Can!”

Who is Blogging about the Commonwealth Foundation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 2, 2009

A new, hopefully regular, feature on Policy Blog will be a roundup of Commonwealth Foundation citations in the Pennsylvania blogosphere.  Here are some blog posts from the past week:…

Media

Read More: Who is Blogging about the Commonwealth Foundation

Taxes & Economy

Upcoming Pennsylvania Tea Parties

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 1, 2009

The are a number of upcoming “Tea Parties” in Pennsylvania coming up in the near future, many on or around July 4. Here are some listings to find the event…

Media

Read More: Upcoming Pennsylvania Tea Parties

State Budget

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax Hikes

  • July 1, 2009

The Commonwealth Foundation today launched a new effort to collect names of Pennsylvania lawmakers who agree with President Obama when he said “In an economy like this, the…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax Hikes

Taxes & Economy

EPA Internal Report Skeptical of “Global Warming”

  • July 1, 2009

The Competitive Enterprise Institute has revealed private emails they had obtained from the EPA skeptical of the science behind the global warming phenomena. In the emails, Alan Carlin and…

Media

Read More: EPA Internal Report Skeptical of “Global Warming”

State Budget

Is Rendell Lying About State Police Layoffs?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 1, 2009

Gov. Rendell has been quoted on numerous occasions claiming the budget passed by the Pennsylvania Senate last month would result in the layoff of 800 state police.  We pointed out…

Media

Read More: Is Rendell Lying About State Police Layoffs?

Taxes & Economy

How Legislators Are Increasing Your Electricity Bill

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 1, 2009

Pennsylvania electricity consumers are in danger of a triple whammy. Three separate energy policies are likely to increase your electric bill (not even counting federal Cap and Trade legislation, which…

Media

Read More: How Legislators Are Increasing Your Electricity Bill

State Budget

Where does your legislator stand on raising taxes?

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • June 30, 2009

This email was just sent to your state Senators and Representatives… Stay tuned!_______ June 30, 2009 Dear Senator/Representative: President Barack Obama said, “In an economy…

Media

Read More: Where does your legislator stand on raising taxes?

CF Launches “Yes, We Can!” and “We Agree!”

  • June 30, 2009

Harrisburg, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today launched the “Yes, We Can!” and “We Agree!” education effort to inform citizens about where their state legislators stand in the current budget…

Press Release

Read More: CF Launches “Yes, We Can!” and “We Agree!”

Health Care

Response to ObamaCare Infomercial

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 30, 2009

The Cato Institute has a video, point-by-point response to Obama’s informercial on his health care reform plan.

Media

Read More: Response to ObamaCare Infomercial

Citizens to Lawmakers: Please, No More Taxes!

  • June 30, 2009

M e m o r a n d u m______________________________________________________________ Date:        June 30, 2009To:           Gov. Rendell and Members of the Pennsylvania General AssemblyFrom:       The UndersignedRE:          Please,…

Press Release

Read More: Citizens to Lawmakers: Please, No More Taxes!

Taxes & Economy

The Real Effect of Rendell’s Taxes on Small Business

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 30, 2009

While Gov. Rendell continues his propaganda campaign for higher taxes (see WGAL for a related news story on the thousands Rendell has spent in taxpayer funds lobbying for more…

Media

Read More: The Real Effect of Rendell’s Taxes on Small Business

Education

More Dollars is Not Producing More Scholars

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 30, 2009

A new report from the Math Science Partnership of Greater Philadelphia on Pennsylvania school performance (specifically the 11th grade PSSAs) across school districts finds that: Demographic factors (residents with…

Media

Read More: More Dollars is Not Producing More Scholars

Taxes & Economy

Cap and Trade is a Rip-off

  • June 29, 2009

The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clearâ€?, said President Obama, speaking definitively on the issue of climate change, as he usually does with other issues he wants…

Media

Read More: Cap and Trade is a Rip-off

Regulation

Has Gambling Reduced Property Taxes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 29, 2009

In a press conference last week, Gov. Rendell patted himself on the back for all the property tax relief he has provided via gambling.  But John Delano of KDKA-TV in…

Media

Read More: Has Gambling Reduced Property Taxes?

Health Care

Residents: RomneyCare a Failure

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 29, 2009

Rasmussen polling finds that only 26% of Massachusetts residents think the health care reform in that state was a “success”, compared with 37% calling in a failure. The…

Media

Read More: Residents: RomneyCare a Failure