Media

State Budget

PA House Democrats Against Tax Hikes

• Nathan Benefield
• July 8, 2009

Contrary to the Rendell administration’s claims that many Republicans will support a personal income tax increase, the opposite it likely true.  John Micek writes that there are maybe…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Tax Code Helped Cause Financial Crisis

• Nathan Benefield
• July 7, 2009

Budget & Tax News reports on a new study on the effect of tax policy on the financial crisis. [Author Sam] Eddins also addresses the issue of credit default…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget and Tax Updates

• Nathan Benefield
• July 7, 2009

Here are some brief highlights on the Pennsylvania budget: Brian O’Neill editorializes angrily on “America’s Largest Full-Time State Legislature” failing to do their job, again, and includes phone numbers.

Media

Education

Could Pension Crisis Shut Down High School Sports?

• Matthew Brouillette
• July 6, 2009

Patriot-News sports reporter Rod Frisco took a look at how the looming pension crisis might impact public school athletics. Derry Township School District Superintendent Linda Brewer noted that “every…

Media

State Budget

Do Rendell’s Budget Numbers Add Up?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 6, 2009

Mario Cattabiani and Angela Couloumbis take a look at some of Gov. Rendell’s latest budget rhetoric, namely his claim that 50% of Pennsylvanians don’t pay the Personal Income Tax,…

Media

Taxes & Economy

What Obama’s Critics Really Say

• Nathan Benefield
• July 6, 2009

I like this post by Scott Ott, in which he challenges Obama’s comments that critics “say we are trying to do too much, that we are moving too quickly”. …

Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

Government Accountability

PA General Assembly Costs $50,000 Per Day for One Hour Sessions

• Nathan Benefield
• July 2, 2009

ABC 27 News has a story on the high cost of the General Assembly – $50,000 per day – to have sessions during the budget impasse. This is very…

Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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