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Education

Happy Birthday EITC

• Nathan Benefield
• May 6, 2008

Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit turns 7 this month; there is a birthday party at the Capitol beginning at noon today (I believe free cake is involved). For more…

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Government Accountability

NTU calls for Spending Transparency in PA

• Nathan Benefield
• May 5, 2008

The National Taxpayers Unions has sent a letter encouraging passage of a spending transparency website. The legislation, SB 1350, was introduced by Sen. Browne in April. For more…

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Taxes & Economy

Is the US in a recession?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 5, 2008

Tony Phyrillas writes that the U.S. is not in a recession. John Micek jokes about Phyrillas swallowing Bush’s rhetoric. Of course Tony has the evidence, whereas John is,…

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Public Union Democracy

Endorsing Obama = End of Corruption

• Nathan Benefield
• May 5, 2008

Wall Street Journal article on Barack Obama’s support for reducing oversight of the Teamsters. Says Obama, “organized crime influence in the union has drastically declined.” (HT Amanda Carpenter).

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Regulation

Pension COLA has hefty price tag

• Nathan Benefield
• May 5, 2008

Charles Thompson has a story in the Patriot News about the high cost to taxpayers of the propose pension COLA. The Tribune Review also had an article last…

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Health Care

High Risk Pools

• Nathan Benefield
• May 5, 2008

One of the key recommendations from Rick Dreyfuss’s health care testimony last week which received a number of questions was creating a state high risk pool. CAHI has…

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Taxes & Economy

Judicial Merit Selection?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 4, 2008

“Robin Hood” writes on the Keystone Politics Blog against the idea of judicial merit selection. In a pre-rebuttal, JudgesonMerit offers an analysis of what critics of merit selection…

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Taxes & Economy

The Proposed Mortage Bailout

• Nathan Benefield
• May 4, 2008

Here are a few resources on the proposed federal mortgage bailout. FreedomWorks has a new site on this issue called AngryRenter.com Heritage Foundation’s research on the “Mortgage…

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State Budget

Did Pork cause bridge collapse?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 2, 2008

Yahoo! News has a story about McCain “backing off” an earlier statement that pork barrel projects caused the Minnesota bridge collapse. However, while earmarks didn’t cause the bridge to…

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Public Union Democracy

Right-to-Work leads to Economic Growth

• Nathan Benefield
• May 2, 2008

The Mackinac Center has a brief analysis the economic climate of Right to Work states and Forced Unionism states. Mark Perry sums it up nicely: What are…

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How much are you getting in Property Tax Relief?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 2, 2008

PDE has released the amount each Pennsylvania homeowner and farmstead owner will get in property tax relief in 2008-09 from gambling revenue. (Note: if you own rental property, own…

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Health Care

Healthcare Affordability

• Richard Dreyfuss
• May 1, 2008

Healthcare Reform Principles Every reform action should be tested against two criteria: • Does it take costs out of the system?• Does it price insurance in proportion to expected…

Testimony

State Budget

Who Gets Farm Subsidies

• Nathan Benefield
• May 1, 2008

Environmental Working Group has a comprehensive database of US farm subsidies. (HT Club for Growth). Here are Pennsylvania’s top recipients in 2007.

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Taxes & Economy

Ethanol and Rendell

• Nathan Benefield
• May 1, 2008

Many are calling for an end to ethanol mandates because of how they drive up food costs: Aid workers and others contend diverting more than a a quarter…

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Taxes & Economy

Five Ways to Lower Gasoline Prices

• Nathan Benefield
• May 1, 2008

Video from the Heritage Foundation:…

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Education

Bevy of School Choice Articles/Research

• Nathan Benefield
• May 1, 2008

A number of articles came across my email and blog reader, and I decided to put them all into one post. The Philadelphia Bulletin has a write-up…

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Health Care

Health Care Affordability Debated

• Nathan Benefield
• April 30, 2008

Today’s health care hearing, at which Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Rick Dreyfuss testified, will be airing on PCN tonight; check here for future airings. The York Dispatch also did…

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Government Accountability

Fumo: fighting to keep slavery outlawed

• Nathan Benefield
• April 30, 2008

State Senator Vince Fumo said Tuesday that “If we introduced a bill on slavery, it might pass …I know some people up here, especially on a secret ballot, it would…

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Education

Edifice Complex Video

• Nathan Benefield
• April 30, 2008

Here is the video from yesterday’s lucheon on public school spending and cyber schools. (The Commonwealth Foundation report referenced can be found here.) Visit EdificeComplex.org for…

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Regulation

House Committee Votes to Increase Pensions/Property Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• April 30, 2008

The House State Government Committee passed a Pension COLA bill – AP Story here – which would require a dramatic increase in spending (on top of the expected higher…

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Regulation

Two opportunities to shrink state government

• Nathan Benefield
• April 29, 2008

Williamsport SunGazette on the deliver on the promise of smaller government by privatizing the Turnpike Commmission and the Liquor Control Board. Also read Matt Brouillette’s commentary on those…

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