Media

What does a trillion dollars look like?

• Nathan Benefield
• March 7, 2009

Since it is extremely difficult for most people to grasp enormous dollar amounts that government spends, e.g. $1 Trillion, we often have to resort to gimics, such as “spending $1…

Media

Regulation

State Bus Tour to Promote PA Lottery

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2009

From the “Are you kidding me?” department is this announcement that, despite a massive budget deficit, the state is launching a statewide bus tour to promote a new Pennsylvania…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Card Check Would Cost Millions in Jobs

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2009

A new study finds that “card check” legislation, if enacted, would increase unemployment by 1.5 million jobs for each 3% increase in union membership (HT Tony Phyrillas).  If…

Media

More Pay to Play in Harrisburg?

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2009

John Micek does some digging on the House Democrats $28,000 contract with a head hunting firm, as reported yesterday: House Democrats defended the contract, which was…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too High

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2009

A poll conducted by the NFIB shows that Pennsylvania voters think that taxes are too high – no surprise there, except to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, who…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Average American Household Pays $3,190 in Corporate Income Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2009

The Tax Foundation has a new campaign to raise awareness of the cost of corporate taxes, starting with the fact that corporate income taxes cost the average American family…

Media

Education

PHEAA: More Wasteful Spending Exposed

• Elizabeth Stelle
• March 5, 2009

On Monday the CEO of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation was fired for excessive travel expenses. Michael Hershock (former head of the PHEAA) spent thousands…

Media

Government Accountability

Transparency on PA’s Stimulus Money

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2009

Governor Rendell announced his ideas for “oversight” of the funding Pennsylvania will receive from the federal stimulus (related story here), and unveiled a new website – recovery.pa.gov…

Media

Taxes & Economy

More of the Same Failed Policies of the Past

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2009

Here is a spot-on blog post from the Cato Institute that I originally missed, but it is one of my favorite themes – that government spending dramatically increased…

Media

Education

Pennsylvania School Boards Want Less Government

• March 4, 2009

The Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) is tired of amassing unfunded regulations from state legislators that grow school bureaucracies instead of improving education. In response, the PSBA has proposed legislation…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Rendell: Unemployment Benefits will Cost State

• Nathan Benefield
• March 4, 2009

As we have noted previously, the federal stimulus includes an increase to unemployment compensation that would also drive up state costs, and leave states on the hook once the…

Media

Education

Stimulus money to go to PA Universities

• Nathan Benefield
• March 4, 2009

It looks like someone has gotten around to reading the stimulus bill, and realized their is funding for higher education in there.  The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports state-related universities (Penn…

Media

Thoughts on Tea Parties

• Nathan Benefield
• March 3, 2009

Alex Charyna of PAWatercooler writes on the idea of tea parties – such as the one to be held in Harrisburg on Saturday – saying they are a…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2009

• March 3, 2009

Updates on Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the February revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.27 billion short for…

Press Release

Taxes & Economy

New PA International Business Strategy

• March 3, 2009

Last week, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on the state of international business in Pennsylvania. Their conclusion: Central PA needs more international…

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

Reforming State Corrections

• Nathan Benefield
• March 3, 2009

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has a story on a Pew study on the cost of incarceration/corrections in states.  There is little question that the cost of our prisons…

Media

More taxpayer-funded gifts to lawmakers

• Nathan Benefield
• March 3, 2009

Mario Cattabiani has another story on wasteful spending by the Pennsylvania legislature – this time, $4,000 for  gift pen sets to lawmakers (HT Grassroots PA). Speaker Keith McCall…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Revenue Short Grows to $1.2 billion – Already Largest in PA History

• Nathan Benefield
• March 2, 2009

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the February revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.27 billion short for the fiscal year to date.  Governor Rendell estimated…

Media

Education

The Scotland School, the State Budget, and School Choice

• Nathan Benefield
• March 2, 2009

The Morning Call has a story on Governor Rendell’s proposal to close down the Scotland School for Veterans Children, asking if it is a “pawn in the budget game”. …

Media

Harrisburg Tea Party

• Nathan Benefield
• March 2, 2009

The Harrisburg Tea Party is on for this Saturday, March 7 at Noon on the Capitol Steps. Here are news, pics, and videos from other tea parties hosted around…

Media

Education

School Choice Hypocrisy Coming in DC?

• Nathan Benefield
• March 1, 2009

The federal “omnibus” bill, despite billions in earmarks an pork, also proposes to cut off funding for the DC Scholarship program, write Dan Lips and Robert Enlow in NRO…

Media