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Education
Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Harrisburg, Pa., May 15, 2025 — Pennsylvania school districts increased overall revenue collected in 2023–24 to $23,000 per student, while expanding general fund reserves to $7.4 billion, according to new…
Read More: Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Energy
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Read More: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Read More: Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Read More: New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable BenefitsTaxes & Economy
Governors Against State Bailouts
While Governor Rendell and others state executives are asking for taxpayers to bail them out (see related article in The Bulletin) but want to pass the buck…
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Read More: Governors Against State BailoutsState Budget
Pennsylvania budget shortfall grows to $658 million
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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Read More: Pennsylvania budget shortfall grows to $658 millionEducation
High Tech Higher Ed
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…
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Read More: High Tech Higher EdState Budget
Spend Like It’s 2007
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
Read More: Spend Like It’s 2007Taxes & Economy
Is Greenspan to blame for the financial crisis?
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…
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Read More: Is Greenspan to blame for the financial crisis?Regulation
Pension Pain
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…
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Read More: Pension PainTaxes & Economy
The Bailout Explained in Two Minutes
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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Read More: The Bailout Explained in Two MinutesTaxes & Economy
Stimulus Follies
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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Read More: Stimulus FolliesTaxes & Economy
County Commissioner: “Listen to the Commonwealth Foundation”
“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…
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Read More: County Commissioner: “Listen to the Commonwealth Foundation”Taxes & Economy
What happened to the Great Depression II?
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…
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Read More: What happened to the Great Depression II?Regulation
Pennsylvania Pension Now Faces Billions in Losses
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…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Pension Now Faces Billions in LossesRegulation
Spreading wealth to Hollywood
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…
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Read More: Spreading wealth to HollywoodRegulation
Renewing the Call for Pension Refom
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…
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Read More: Renewing the Call for Pension RefomPublic Union Democracy
PA Congressional Delegation Ratings on Worker Freedom
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
Read More: PA Congressional Delegation Ratings on Worker FreedomRegulation
The Corporate Welfare Mentality
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”…
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Read More: The Corporate Welfare MentalityTaxes & Economy
Bailouts cost more than WWII, 10 times cost of New Deal
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…
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Read More: Bailouts cost more than WWII, 10 times cost of New DealEducation
Compulsory unionism doesn’t benefit teachers, students, or taxpayers
PSEA Head honcho James Testerman has a response to a Tribune-Review editorial which called for making PA a right to work state – citing our report on…
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Read More: Compulsory unionism doesn’t benefit teachers, students, or taxpayersTaxes & Economy
Why Permanent Tax Cuts Are the Best Stimulus
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…
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Read More: Why Permanent Tax Cuts Are the Best StimulusRegulation
Why government spending is no economic stimulus
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…
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Read More: Why government spending is no economic stimulusTaxes & Economy
Don’t know much about history? (or economics)?
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…
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Read More: Don’t know much about history? (or economics)?Government Accountability
Cut Legislature First
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…
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Read More: Cut Legislature First