Media

Taxes & Economy

Who’s your cable guy?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 7, 2008

For the first time in 30 years Pittsburgh residents will be able to choose who provides their cable. The Post-Gazette reports the city is negotiating a contract that would…

Media

Regulation

Bridge To Troubled Waters

• August 7, 2008

Gov. Rendell is still touring the state dolling out taxpayers’ money for various projects across the state totaling $642 million. Much of the funding will assist infrastructure improvements for…

Media

Education

“The end of civilization as we know it!”

• August 7, 2008

Enjoy this bit of British humor from an old British TV series that illustrates some of the absurdity behind the anti-school choice movement. “Oh, very droll Prime Minister…” Youtube…

Media

Taxes & Economy

How to Lose Billions of Dollars

• August 6, 2008

Turnpike Commission plan will cost taxpayers $37.4 billion HARRISBURG, PA — Today, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission unveiled its plans for new tolling plazas along I-80, the Commonwealth Foundation reiterated…

Press Release

Government Accountability

Reform Update

• August 6, 2008

PACleanSweep has recently updated its Hall of Shame to highlight the senators and representatives who have not signed the petition calling for a special session of the General Assembly…

Media

Government Accountability

Legal reform aids Ohio’s economy

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 6, 2008

Pennsylvania and Ohio share more than a border. Both states spend a ton of money on “economic development” while consistently failing to attract new jobs. No wonder elected…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Turnpike Commission will cost Taxpayers $37 Billion

• Nathan Benefield
• August 5, 2008

Critics of a Turnpike lease—including Rep. Joe Markosek—have offered the claim that Act 44, even without tolling of I-80, represents more revenue to taxpayers of the state than a…

Media

Government Accountability

Bonusgate, corruption, and reform news

• Nathan Benefield
• August 5, 2008

There are plenty of stories on corruption and reform in today’s papers: DeWeese under fire: State Rep. Josh Shapiro calls on House Majority Leader Bill Deweese to stop down…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Rate Caps: Extend or End?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 5, 2008

At a recent meeting of the House Republican Policy Committee legislators heard testimony concerning the expiration of electric rate caps. The original Electric Generation Choice and Competition Act…

Media

Regulation

Gov. Rendell to play rich uncle to Valley

• August 5, 2008

Nice headline for the Morning Call story about Gov. Rendell’s “Card Board Check Tour”. Unfortunately for Pennsylvanians, though, the rich uncle Rendell is pretending to be isn’t reaching into…

Media

“We really don’t have any reaction”

• August 5, 2008

That was the response from the Turnpike Commission’s spokesman to our billboards directing drivers on the Turnpike and into downtown Harrisburg to learn about the “power, patronage and politics…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Ranking the Roads

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2008

Reason Foundation has released their annual ranking on the peformance of state highway systems. Pennsylvania ranks middle to low on most performance measures, but – this may suprise many who listen to Governor…

Media

State Budget

Is the “far right” a losing proposition?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2008

Michael Smerconish – who gets mis-identified as a conservative due to his shaved head and glasses – calls for the GOP to act more “moderate” in order to win…

Media

Education

Public Education vs. Public Schooling

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2008

Neal McCluskey on the difference between “public education” and monopoly of government-run schools: Fortunately, there is a term that does strongly imply a system in which government provides…

Media

Regulation

Why you can’t use cell phones on planes

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2008

Anyone who has flown before is quite familiar with the message from flight crews to turn off your cell phones. But did you ever wonder why that is required? Security…

Media

Education

Should have studied Chemical Engineering at Dartmouth

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2008

WSJ.com has some interactive data on salaries of graduates by college, as well as by major. I was suprised that the median mid-career salary for my alma…

Media

The “fairness” of tolling I-80

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2008

Here is my letter to the editor in the Intelligencer Journal Your July 28 editorial, “No free way,” implies that tolling I-80 is somehow more “fair” than a…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Give Exxon a break

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2008

The Los Angeles Times editorializes about why Exxon is getting a bad rap for “record profits“. Although crude oil is selling for almost twice as much a…

Media

Government Accountability

Absurd statement of the day

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2008

The attorney for Sean Ramaley – who was indicted in the bonusgate scandal (accused of taking a no-work job to campaign for the House, and dropped his bid for…

Media

Government Accountability

Too little… too late

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2008

Lowman Henry weighs in on the House State Government Committee’s upcoming hearing on reducing the size of the legislature. He doesn’t say much on the merits of the proposal…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Comments on the Milton Friedman Institute Protest letter

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2008

A U of Chicago faculty member responds to the absurd protest objecting to a Milton Friedman Institute, pointing out not only the blatant hypocrisy and misguided economic assumptions,…

Media