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Taxes & Economy

Tax and Spend Polices are Recipe for Disaster

• Nathan Benefield
• February 11, 2009

My letter to the editor in the Post-Gazette: The state’s tax-and-spend policies are a recipe for disasterSharon Ward’s Jan. 28 Perspectives piece (“Keep…

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Taxes & Economy

The need to “do something”

• Nathan Benefield
• February 11, 2009

Matt Lewis has an entertaining post on the need to “do something” with regard to the federal “stimulus” – comparing it to a 19th century doctor pressed to “do…

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Taxes & Economy

More waste, no-bid contracts, in PA budget

• Nathan Benefield
• February 11, 2009

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner has a draft of an audit blasting the Rendell adminstration for its technology contracts, specifically with Deloitte, the Patriot News Reports.

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Taxes & Economy

Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest

• February 10, 2009

$4,000 in cash prizes for citizens to help raise awareness of PA’s painful tax burden HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today announced its Please, No More Taxes!…

Press Release

Education

For-Profit Philadelphia Schools Show Gains

• Nathan Benefield
• February 10, 2009

A new study by Paul Peterson and Matthew Chingos finds that the Philadelphia public schools contracted out to for-profit operators showed significant gains in student achievement. Specifically, the…

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Gov. Rendell, you’re wrong too!

• February 10, 2009

I posted a blog over at Capital Domes, “Mr. Specter, You’re Wrong!”, on the argument being put forth by Pres. Obama and our senior state senator that “nearly all…

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Taxes & Economy

How well has more spending worked up until now?

• Nathan Benefield
• February 10, 2009

The Morning Call’s John Micek makes a joke on his blog about the effectiveness of tax cuts in stimulating the economy: Hardcore GOPers, asked for their alternative,…

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Taxes & Economy

With All Due Respect, Mr. Specter

• Nathan Benefield
• February 9, 2009

“The country cannot afford not to take action,” Senator Arlen Specter writes in the Washington Post justifying support for the “stimulus” package, mimicking the statement by President Obama “There…

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Government Accountability

Pennsylvania Legislature’s growing girth

• Nathan Benefield
• February 9, 2009

Robert Swift has a good article on the “professionalization” of the Pennsylvania legislature, including  breaking down the cost of a legislator:   At $78,314, the annual salary…

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Taxes & Economy

How Government Created the Financial Crisis

• Nathan Benefield
• February 9, 2009

John Taylor in the Wall Street Journal on how Government created the financial crisis: Monetary excesses were the main cause of the boom. The Fed held its…

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Education

The Great College Hoax

• Nathan Benefield
• February 8, 2009

Forbes has an excellent article on the merits of college – and taxpayer subsidies of higher ed – even as Governor Rendell proposes legalized video poker to put…

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Taxes & Economy

Libertarian ideas to stimulate economy

• Nathan Benefield
• February 7, 2009

Jeffrey A. Miron has a list of libertarian proposals to stimulate the economy (I would expect most self-described “conservatives” would agree with 8 of the 9 proposals): Repeal the…

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Please No More Taxes Video Contest

• Nathan Benefield
• February 6, 2009

Are you tired of paying high taxes? Enter the Commonwealth Foundation’s “Please No More Taxes” video contest and win up to $2,500! Go to PleaseNoMoreTaxes.org for contest rules.

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Taxes & Economy

The GOP Has a Dumb Mortgage Idea

• Nathan Benefield
• February 5, 2009

In the Wall Street Journal, Ed Glaeser rips the US Senate GOP’s plans to underwrite mortgages and offer an additional tax credit for home-buyers More criticism of this…

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Taxes & Economy

Commonwealth Foundation Launches Please, No More Taxes! Campaign

• February 5, 2009

HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today announced the launch of the Please, No More Taxes! campaign, a public education effort aimed at the elimination of wasteful state spending and…

Press Release

Education

Special Needs Scholarship Could Replace School for the Deaf

• Nathan Benefield
• February 5, 2009

There has been a lot of public outcry against Governor Rendell’s proposal to close the Scranton School for the Deaf, as well as the Scotland School…

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Education

The School District Consolidation Myth

• Nathan Benefield
• February 5, 2009

As part of his budget, Governor Rendell proposed creating a commission on consolidating PA school districts (and it turns out, he may intend to do so even if the legislature…

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Education

Economists Against Governor Rendell

• Nathan Benefield
• February 4, 2009

In his budget address, Governor Rendell cited “conservative” economists who support the stimulus package and his spending proposals, even though they don’t. Here is Rendell: Economists from…

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State Budget

Commonwealth Foundation Statement on Gov. Ed Rendell’s Budget Address

• February 4, 2009

HARRISBURG, PA — Commonwealth Foundation President and CEO Matthew J. Brouillette issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Rendell’s 2009-10 Budget Address: “Gov. Rendell’s reliance on one-time federal…

Press Release

State Budget

PA Budget by the Numbers

• Nathan Benefield
• February 4, 2009

The 2009-10 budget is $28.97 billion, rather than the $26.6 billion as is being reported. The difference being that it relies on $2.4 billion in one-time federal “stimulus” money. That…

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State Budget

PA budget address liveblog

• Nathan Benefield
• February 4, 2009

I’ll be live blog-tweeting Governor Rendell’s budget address, beginning at 10:30 today you can follow the action here.

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