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Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Commonwealth Foundation’s new report analyzes the success of DoorDash’s Portable Benefits Pilot Program in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pa., April 24, 2025 – DoorDash unveiled its portable benefits pilot…
Read More: New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Education
Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Read More: Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Prosperity
Stephen Bloom joins RJ Harris in the Morning to Talk Tax Reform
Read More: Stephen Bloom joins RJ Harris in the Morning to Talk Tax Reform
Fairness
New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Read More: New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union SpendingRegulation
Ed Rendell and Rosie O’Donnell
Q: What do Governor Ed Rendell and Rosie O’Donnell have in common (hint: it has nothing to do with food)? A: They have both gotten on Donald Trump’s bad side.
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Read More: Ed Rendell and Rosie O’DonnellRegulation
Government Knows Best: New Mandates in Philly
Philadelphia passed a new law (HT:Grassroots) mandating Carbon Monoxide detectors in every newly constructed home. The story reminded me of…
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Read More: Government Knows Best: New Mandates in PhillyTaxes & Economy
Corporatism vs. Socialism vs. Free Markets
As President Bush announces a revised bailout for automakers, David Boaz examines the policies of Bush and proposals of Obama and concludes neither is a “socialist”, but neither…
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Read More: Corporatism vs. Socialism vs. Free MarketsRegulation
Lemieux: “Pennsylvania Taxpayers are Suckers”
This is somewhat old news, but its new to me: Mario Lemieux admitted in August that he never thought of moving the Pittsburgh Penguins, but was still able to…
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Read More: Lemieux: “Pennsylvania Taxpayers are Suckers”State Budget
Return of Pennsylvania Legislature’s Reserves?
An audit of the General Assembly found there is $200 million in legislative surplus, and called for most of it to be returned to the taxpayers who paid for…
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Read More: Return of Pennsylvania Legislature’s Reserves?Public Union Democracy
Taxes, Union Bailouts, and “Crybabies”
Every other Tuesday, Matt Brouillette hosts The Politics of Business on Pittsburgh Renaissance Radio on WMNY 1360 AM from 2-6pm. This week he tackled a variety of issues that rankled at…
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Read More: Taxes, Union Bailouts, and “Crybabies”Education
School Choice Benefits Students and Taxpayers
Bob Maranto is featured in the Inquirer today writing on why Philadelphia needs charter schools: The academic data provided by No Child Left Behind…
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Read More: School Choice Benefits Students and TaxpayersRegulation
Smoking ban is bad for business, say casinos
Pennsylvania’s slots casinos are complaining that the recently enacted state smoking ban is hurting their revenues (we told you so) and are asking that their exemption be increased…
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Read More: Smoking ban is bad for business, say casinosTaxes & Economy
Big Government Leads to Corrupt Government
John Stossel has a good article on Townhall today on Blagoevich, the bailout, and public choice theory The Public Choice economists remind us that contrary to what…
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Read More: Big Government Leads to Corrupt GovernmentTaxes & Economy
Buchanan: GOP should embrace xenophobia, not economics
Pat Buchanan on Townhall.com calls for an automakers bailout based on xenophobia and on repeating the mistakes of the past, rather than sound economic policy. Is…
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Read More: Buchanan: GOP should embrace xenophobia, not economicsPublic Union Democracy
PSEA: Sampling the Best of PA on Your Tab
The Department of Labor recently added 2008 Union LM2 records to its website. A perusal of PSEA’s LM2 (file number: 512989) reveals that the state’s largest teacher union continues…
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Read More: PSEA: Sampling the Best of PA on Your TabTaxes & Economy
State College Debates a Drink Tax
The Tax Foundation exposes the poor logic behind a proposed drink tax targeted at “freeloading” PSU students. Local officials in State College would be wise to consider the fall…
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Read More: State College Debates a Drink TaxTaxes & Economy
Ten Problems with a Federal Bailout of the States
Chris Edwards has an article in National Review Online on why a bailout of the states is bad policy. Here are his top ten reasons. 1. The federal government…
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Read More: Ten Problems with a Federal Bailout of the StatesTaxes & Economy
Bigger Government is no Stimulus
Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute has a great video on why government spending has, and will, fail to “stimulate” the economy. The evidence detailed by Mitchell…
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Read More: Bigger Government is no StimulusTaxes & Economy
Happy Bill of Rights Day
Today is the 318th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights Institute has some resources, as does The Examiner.
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Read More: Happy Bill of Rights DayState Budget
Earmarks Galore
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn has a new report on the most outrageous examples of federal spending. Some of the top examples, courtesy of the Center for Fiscal Accountability:…
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Read More: Earmarks GaloreRegulation
Pennsylvania school employees pension costs to quadruple in 4 years
The Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at their meeting today certified a small increase in the employers’ (re: taxpayers) contribution rate – from the current 4.76% to…
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Read More: Pennsylvania school employees pension costs to quadruple in 4 yearsTaxes & Economy
Stop the Bailout of the States
ALEC has a new page opposing a federal taxpayer bailout of the state, including the letter from a coalition of groups. They currently collecting names of state legislators…
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Read More: Stop the Bailout of the StatesTaxes & Economy
US Auto Sales by Manufacturer
I thought I’d post this data on US car sales (new car and light truck) by brand, since it took a while to find. The data is available at…
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Read More: US Auto Sales by ManufacturerTaxes & Economy
Big 3 Bailout vs. Free Market Solution
In his blog today, John Micek offers some criticism of Mark Hendrickson’s commentary on the auto-makers bailout, which we ran today. Micek points to the lack of “solutions”…
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Read More: Big 3 Bailout vs. Free Market SolutionTaxes & Economy
Cutting Taxes Better Stimulus than Government Spending
With all the push for more government spending (at both the state and federal level) to “stimulate the economy”, readers should take a look at new research highlighted…
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Read More: Cutting Taxes Better Stimulus than Government Spending