Media

Taxes & Economy

Roots of the Crisis

• Nathan Benefield
• February 21, 2009

FreedomWorks has a great looking redesign of their website.   They also have a new feature article on the “roots of the financial crisis“, which is full…

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Taxes & Economy

Cutting Governor’s Schools of Excellence is a “Washington Monument Ploy”

• Nathan Benefield
• February 20, 2009

The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is an ongoing gag to connect any person to actor Kevin Bacon in under six moves. If news stories count, I am tied…

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Taxes & Economy

Is tolling I-80 dead?

• Nathan Benefield
• February 20, 2009

Some of the Turnpike Commissioners think that tolling I-80 across PA remains a strong possibility, and that the federal government did not “reject” the tolling plan.  See the…

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Regulation

More on the PA Pension “Spike”

• Nathan Benefield
• February 19, 2009

A couple of editorials on the crisis in Pennsylvania’s public pension crisis from the Daily Review and the Courier Express.  Both called for depoliticizing the plans by moving…

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Taxes & Economy

Rendell should reject the federal “stimulus” money

• Matthew Brouillette
• February 19, 2009

I know it will never happen — just like asking him to pass on a greasy cheese steak sub — but Gov. Rendell should reject the…

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Regulation

Rendell administration: Commonwealth Foundation is right about government spending

• Nathan Benefield
• February 19, 2009

A Capitolwire (subscription) headline reads “DCED acting secretary says little state can do to create jobs,” after a hearing in which Secretary Cornelius notes that “economic development” programs have…

Media

State Budget

What do Economists Agree On?

• Nathan Benefield
• February 18, 2009

Greg Mankiw posts a selection from his textbook on what economists agree on, from a survey.  I am not suprised to see economists overwhelmingly support free trade, as that…

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Regulation

Update on the Boscov’s Bailout

• Nathan Benefield
• February 18, 2009

John Micek has a summary of the new PA DCED secretary’s explanation of the Boscov’s bailout, during a hearing today.  Secretary Cornelius noted that bailouts encourage companies to start…

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Education

Piccola Offers Alternative Plan for PA Higher Ed

• Nathan Benefield
• February 18, 2009

State Sen. Jeff Piccola has a new proposal to offer additional grants directly to Pennsylvania students for higher education, and tie this funding to both schools’ holding tuition costs down…

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Education

High Marks for Higher Ed Reforms

• February 18, 2009

Sen. Piccola’s proposal would increase college affordability, accountability HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today praised the proposal to reform higher education funding introduced by Senate Education Committee…

Press Release

Government Accountability

Pay to Play Culture in Harrisburg

• Nathan Benefield
• February 18, 2009

ABC 27 has a story/video highlighting the “pay-to-play” cronyism in Harrisburg, specifically the $11 million in outside legal fees (despite hundreds of lawyers on staff) going to Ballard Spahr…

Media

Regulation

PA pension funds report major losses

• Nathan Benefield
• February 17, 2009

Mark Scolforo summarizes the reports from Pennsylvania two statewide pension funds SERS (for state workers) and PSERS (for school district employees): The percentage losses on investments were similar.

Media

Taxes & Economy

New Study of Business Tax Burdens

• Nathan Benefield
• February 17, 2009

The Council on State Taxation has released a new study on state and local business taxes.  It is a good primer on what taxes business pay (for instance, I…

Media

Taxes & Economy

A tax code even a congressman can understand

• Nathan Benefield
• February 17, 2009

Andrew Moylan editorializes that simplifying the federal tax code would provide an economic “stimulus.” Individual taxpayers spend more than 3.5 billion hours complying with the code. That …

Media

Is Propaganda Good “Economic Development”?

• Nathan Benefield
• February 16, 2009

Philadelphia Inquirer head honcho Brian Tierney has a response in the Wall Street Journal defending a state bailout of the Inky.  The Wall Street Journal had previously…

Media

Health Care

Health Care Policies and Small Business

• Nathan Benefield
• February 16, 2009

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business.  Pennsylvania gets a fairly…

Media

Health Care

Health Care Policies and Small Business

• Nathan Benefield
• February 16, 2009

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business.  Pennsylvania gets a fairly…

Media

Regulation

Philadelphia’s Pension Non-Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• February 15, 2009

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing addressing the city’s unfunded pension liability by, essentially, not paying as much as the city should (HT GrassrootsPA). Like Pennsylvania’s state…

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Taxes & Economy

Feulner blast stimulus process

• Nathan Benefield
• February 13, 2009

Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner has a scathing open letter to Congress on the stimulus bill: In addition to being the single most expensive bill ever proposed,…

Media

Education

School Choice Yearbook

• Nathan Benefield
• February 13, 2009

The Alliance for School Choice has released their 2008-09 School Choice Yearbook (click here for the news release).  The yearbook profiles school choice programs in every state, the…

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Taxes & Economy

The Burden of PA Business Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• February 13, 2009

The Tribune Review has a story featuring Tax Foundation president Scott Hodge discussing Pennsylvania’s business tax climate at an appearance in Pittsburgh: The state needs…

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