Media

Taxes & Economy

PA lags behind US economy again

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2008

The latest state GDP report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that, despite a national slowdown, Pennsylvania’s economy continues to lag behind the rest of the nation. PA’s…

Media

Government Accountability

A thousand words on Bonusgate

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2008

Randy Bish sums up Bonus-Gate (and the use of taxpayer funded lawyers to defend bonusgate) in a great cartoon. (HT: Tony Phyrillas)…

Media

Regulation

Rendell administation to address pension crisis

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2008

Budget Secretary Michael Masch (a parting shot before he leaves state government at the end of the month?) unveiled a proposal to reduce the pension shock in FY…

Media

Government Accountability

Are term limits working in Michigan?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2008

Government Bytes (the blog for NTU) points to an article (with poll) that suggests term limits for Michigan legislators should be repealed. The rationale? “Of the 3,551 bills…

Media

Government Accountability

Lawmakers who blog

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2008

Tony Phyrillas comments on PA lawmakers who blog (based on a Stateline article). They include Sen. Eichelberger, whose blog I read daily, Rep. White, who I…

Media

Lease opponents fail to offer all the facts

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2008

Here is my letter to the editor in the Post-Gazette (online only) on the oversight of key facts about Act 44 and a Turnpike Lease: Your May 28…

Media

Evans, Capelli to Introduce Lease Bill

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2008

State Rep. Dwight Evans (a Philadelphia Democrat) and Rep. Steven Capelli (a Williamsport-area Republican) will introduce a bill (HB 2593) to authorizing leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Paul Nussbaum reports in…

Media

Taxes & Economy

A Corporate Tax Cut Benefits All

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2008

Greg Mankiw has a great opinion piece in the NY Times on the benefits of reducing the corporate income tax: In fact, a corporate rate cut would…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Was Jesus a Libertarian?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 4, 2008

Michael Gerson, the architect of all that “Compassionate Conservative” nonsense, had a column in the Washington Post claiming Jesus was not a libertarian (or even a fiscal conservative with…

Media

Health Care

More evidence on the failure of RomneyCare

• Nathan Benefield
• June 4, 2008

Michael Tanner blasts positive media coverage of a new report on Massachusetts health care, pointing out the many reasons why RomneyCare is a failure (from the same report). Tanner…

Media

Education

Real Savings: Cutting Cybers vs. School Choice

• Nathan Benefield
• June 4, 2008

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Post-Gazette have stories on the renewed push to reduce cyber school funding. Rep. Karen Beyer and other proponents are touting that: The bill…

Media

Education

Charter Schools Make the Grade

• Nathan Benefield
• June 4, 2008

Bob Maranto has an editorial in the Philadelphia Daily News on the reporting on charter school scandals. He notes that charter schools are more accountable – in that they…

Media

Regulation

Smoking Bans Ain’t Cool, Unless You’re a Fool

• Nathan Benefield
• June 4, 2008

The conference committee on banning private businesses’ right to allow smoking in their establishments has finally reported a bill. GrassrootsPA has the news roundup. I have written on this…

Media

Abolish the Turnpike Commission?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 3, 2008

Rock the Capital has a new report looking at the history, efficiency, and corruption of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, raising the question of whether there is any need for…

Media

Regulation

We Don’t Need a Climate Tax on the Poor

• Nathan Benefield
• June 3, 2008

Sen. Inhofe in today’s Wall Street Journal outlines the consequences of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act: The Lieberman-Warner bill (America’s Climate Security Act) represents the largest tax increase…

Media

Rendell tells PTC, “Stop Stalling!”

• Nathan Benefield
• June 3, 2008

Governor Rendell has called out the Turnpike Commission for stalling on resubmitting their I-80 tolling application.But noting that Governor Rendell also stated that it will be…

Media

Government Accountability

Secret budget meetings have begun

• Nathan Benefield
• June 3, 2008

John Micek reports on (and mocks) Governor Rendell’s press conference on the state budget yesterday: Rendell and some House Democrats called for an end to the annual posturing…

Media

State Budget

Put Pennsylvania on a Spending Diet

• June 2, 2008

The Burden of Taxes In 2008, the average working Pennsylvanian will labor 111 days just to pay his or her federal, state, and local taxes—the equivalent of working January 1…

Press Release

Education

Higher Graduation Rates For Milwaukee Choice Students

• Nathan Benefield
• June 2, 2008

A New Study from School Choice Wisconsin finds that choice schools in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program have substantially higher graduation rates than the Milwaukee public schools. Furthermore, as…

Media

New Website, Fact Sheet on PA Turnpike Lease

• Nathan Benefield
• June 2, 2008

Pennsylvania Transportation Partners (the Abertis-Citi consortium that won the bid on the Turnpike lease) has a new website along with 12-page briefing book on the lease deal. On…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Dad declares war on teachers union

• Nathan Benefield
• June 2, 2008

Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes is profiled in the Courier Times…

Media