State Budget

Pennsylvania budget shortfall grows to $658 million

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 2, 2008

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released the November Revenue Collections, showing the state General Fund collections now $658 million below estimate.

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Education

High Tech Higher Ed

  • December 2, 2008

The Washington Monthly ran an article by Kevin Carey of Education Sector last week on the effects of technology on higher education. Carey illustrates how one professor established…

Media

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State Budget

Spend Like It’s 2007

  • December 2, 2008

Commonwealth’s revenue shortfall grows to $658 million   HARRISBURG, PA —  The Commonwealth Foundation today renewed its call for restrained state government spending in the wake of a growing revenue…

Press Release

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Taxes & Economy

Is Greenspan to blame for the financial crisis?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 2, 2008

Over at the Cato Institute, there seems to be some disagreement over to what extent Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve contributed to the present financial “crisis”. Some…

Media

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Regulation

Pension Pain

  • December 2, 2008

Cross Posted at Capitol Domes The stock market’s steep decline is a source of angst for all those whose retirement account balances have taken a nosedive. The financial…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The Bailout Explained in Two Minutes

  • December 1, 2008

If you’re having trouble understanding all the bailouts in Washington, then watch this two-minute YouTube video clip and you’ll learn everything you need to know… 🙂…

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Taxes & Economy

Stimulus Follies

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

OpenMarket.org has a good post on the failure of “stimulus” packages (i.e. government spending) to improve the overall economy.

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Taxes & Economy

County Commissioner: “Listen to the Commonwealth Foundation”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

“The governor and legislators should seriously consider the reports from the Commonwealth Foundation which provided information on how Harrisburg could address the state’s financial situation” That quote comes from Fayette…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

What happened to the Great Depression II?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

Carpe Diem points out that holiday retail sales were up over the weekend from last year. Yet the CNN Money article with the same chart contains more of…

Media

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Regulation

Pennsylvania Pension Now Faces Billions in Losses

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

The Wall Street Journal has an article on Pennsylvania’s state employee’s pension fund, and its market losses. Noting that “Pennsylvania invested more in hedge funds than any other state…

Media

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Regulation

Spreading wealth to Hollywood

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 28, 2008

Cross Posted at Capitol Domes   Giving handouts to Hollywood has become an en vogue method for state governments to stimulate economic growth. According to the Heartland…

Media

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Regulation

Renewing the Call for Pension Refom

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 26, 2008

Deb Erdley has a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on pension funds for public school employees and state workers, in light of a PSBA plan for reform, recent losses…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

PA Congressional Delegation Ratings on Worker Freedom

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 26, 2008

The Alliance for Worker Freedom has their new scorecard on the 2nd session of the 110th Congress.  Key votes include a number of expansion of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws…

Media

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Regulation

The Corporate Welfare Mentality

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 26, 2008

Team 4 Pittsburgh has a well-done, but disturbing, story and video on why government bureaucrats hand out “economic development” grants to companies. Usually, government officials claim that taxpayer “investments”…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Bailouts cost more than WWII, 10 times cost of New Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 25, 2008

A friend passed along this blog post looking at the cost of recent bailouts compared to the inflation-adjusted cost of other major government expenditures: If we add in…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Why Permanent Tax Cuts Are the Best Stimulus

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 25, 2008

John B. Taylor has an article in today’s Wall Street Journal concluding that – and this will shock Governor Rendell and the state treasurer – government spending is…

Media

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Regulation

Why government spending is no economic stimulus

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 24, 2008

In my commentary today, I tackle the idea of “economic development” spending as a stimulus for economic growth, and contrast that with lower taxes. More detailed analysis of…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Don’t know much about history? (or economics)?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 24, 2008

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute released their latest report on Americans’ civic literacy (HT to Center for College Affordability). The results are not good. Click here to take…

Media

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Government Accountability

Cut Legislature First

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 24, 2008

The Philadelphia Inquirer editorializes that the first item to be cut from the budget should be the legislature’s budget, noting this is the source of funding for bonuses, no-work…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Small Businesses in the Pennsylvania Economy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 21, 2008

The Small Business Administration has published their latest profiles of small businesses in the US and each of the 50 states. Some of the data is a bid old…

Media

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