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…

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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…

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Tolls a good way to fund roads

• Nathan Benefield
• June 2, 2008

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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Education

School boards fall prey to Edifice Complex

• Nathan Benefield
• June 1, 2008

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…

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Regulation

Privatizing the State Liquor Stores

• Nathan Benefield
• May 31, 2008

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…

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Taxes & Economy

Retirement Assets Increase to $160,000 Per Household

• Nathan Benefield
• May 31, 2008

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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Taxes & Economy

How many pay no taxes?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 30, 2008

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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Regulation

PA’s Corporate Welfare Line

• May 30, 2008

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…

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Regulation

Surprise! Stadium Predictions Flawed

• Nathan Benefield
• May 30, 2008

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…

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Government Accountability

No Lame Duck Session in 2008

• Nathan Benefield
• May 29, 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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Taxes & Economy

REAL ID in PA update

• Nathan Benefield
• May 29, 2008

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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Government Accountability

Cerberus keeps another reform in Limbo

• Nathan Benefield
• May 29, 2008

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…

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Health Care

Fixing Health Care in the States

• Nathan Benefield
• May 29, 2008

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…

Media

US Transportation Sec. Peters likes Turnpike lease deal

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2008

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…

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Taxes & Economy

Taxing Porn Back in Vogue

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2008

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…

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Is the Turnpike Commission stalling on I-80?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2008

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: –…

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Education

Homeschooling saves taxpayers

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2008

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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Taxes & Economy

Tax Lessons from Michigan

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2008

Michigan’s recent experience in tax policy, summed up in today’s Wall Street Journal, should offer a lesson to other states. After raising taxes to fill in a budget shortfall,…

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Government Accountability

Fumo makes Reader’s Digest list of corrupt pols

• Nathan Benefield
• May 27, 2008

Congratulations are in order for Senator Vince Fumo, who was named “one of the most crooked politicians in America” in this month’s Reader’s Digest, based on his 272…

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‘Pike lease is good option for state road needs

• Nathan Benefield
• May 27, 2008

The Morning Call has joined the media outlets endorsing the idea of a Turnpike lease.

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Taxes & Economy

Republicans Are in Denial

• Nathan Benefield
• May 27, 2008

Tom Coburn in the Wall Street Journal writes on how “Compassionate Conservativsm” destroyed the Republican Party, and how the GOP’s problem isn’t “messaging”, its following through on principles. His…

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