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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 Benefits
Rendell tells PTC, “Stop Stalling!”
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
Read More: Rendell tells PTC, “Stop Stalling!”Government Accountability
Secret budget meetings have begun
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
Read More: Secret budget meetings have begunState Budget
Put Pennsylvania on a Spending Diet
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
Read More: Put Pennsylvania on a Spending DietEducation
Higher Graduation Rates For Milwaukee Choice Students
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…
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New Website, Fact Sheet on PA Turnpike Lease
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…
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Read More: New Website, Fact Sheet on PA Turnpike LeasePublic Union Democracy
Dad declares war on teachers union
Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes is profiled in the Courier Times…
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Tolls a good way to fund roads
My letter to the editor in the Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times Online: The May 21 editorial on the Pennsylvania Turnpike lease calling Interstate80 drivers/rural…
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Read More: Tolls a good way to fund roadsEducation
School boards fall prey to Edifice Complex
Several PA school boards put their Edifice Complex on display this past week. The Danville School Board voted to renovate three elementary schools, rather than save…
Media
Read More: School boards fall prey to Edifice ComplexRegulation
Privatizing the State Liquor Stores
State Senator Rob Wonderling talks about divestiture of the state liquor stores (MP3 file). More on State Store privatization: “Public Benefits of Private Liquor” news release and…
Media
Read More: Privatizing the State Liquor StoresTaxes & Economy
Retirement Assets Increase to $160,000 Per Household
Mark Perry on the Carpe Diem blog offers some highlights of a new report on investment and retirement savings in the US. The growth of participation in mutual…
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Read More: Retirement Assets Increase to $160,000 Per HouseholdTaxes & Economy
How many pay no taxes?
The Tax Foundation analysis of IRS data finds that nearly one-third of those filing tax returns in 2005 paid no income tax. The return info itself in interesting –…
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Read More: How many pay no taxes?Regulation
PA’s Corporate Welfare Line
Patriot-News Editorial on how Harrisburg is handing out taxpayer money to big businesses (this time, Amazon) that should not be getting special treatment at all. This corporate welfare comes…
Media
Read More: PA’s Corporate Welfare LineRegulation
Surprise! Stadium Predictions Flawed
David Boaz comments on reports that the taxpayer-subsidized baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals isn’t paying dividends. But then, we already knew that, and Boaz cites a slew of…
Media
Read More: Surprise! Stadium Predictions FlawedGovernment Accountability
No Lame Duck Session in 2008
The PA Senate Republican leadership announced they will not be a lame duck session in 08. Bob Regola, prime sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment banning lame duck sessions, offers…
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Read More: No Lame Duck Session in 2008Taxes & Economy
REAL ID in PA update
Miss Behavin writes about Pennsylvania lawmakers efforts to respond to REAL ID, and specifically on the latest hearing. More info on the REAL ID backlash here.
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Read More: REAL ID in PA updateGovernment Accountability
Cerberus keeps another reform in Limbo
Tracy Mauriello of the Post-Gazette reports that House State Government Committee chair Babette Josephs (who I termed the Cerberus of the General Assembly) tabled a bill on redistricting…
Media
Read More: Cerberus keeps another reform in LimboHealth Care
Fixing Health Care in the States
The Wall Street Journal has two articles about health insurance reform in other states. First, from Florida, where the state has enacted a law that will allow low-cost, mandate…
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US Transportation Sec. Peters likes Turnpike lease deal
US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters expressed support for the Pennsylvania Turnpike lease deal on the department’s blog. Toll Roads News has the coverage. Peters notes: “If the…
Media
Read More: US Transportation Sec. Peters likes Turnpike lease dealTaxes & Economy
Taxing Porn Back in Vogue
For the 2nd time in a year a Pennsylvania lawmaker has proposed taxing strip clubs, this time it is Rep. Paul Clymer. (HT Grassroots PA) The Tax Foundation…
Media
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Is the Turnpike Commission stalling on I-80?
Congressman Peterson seems to think so, as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports, and I have already assumed as much. For the record, here is the Act 44 timeline: –…
Media
Read More: Is the Turnpike Commission stalling on I-80?Education
Homeschooling saves taxpayers
This analysis from the Heritage Foundation (it was released in April, but I missed it until the hullabaloo over Subway and homeschoolers) finds than homeschooling saves American taxpayers…
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Read More: Homeschooling saves taxpayers