Latest Content
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
Penn Pike may require larger toll increases
More bad news on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission – Toll Roads News reports that Fitch Ratings has downgraded the PTC’s bond rating, saying that the Act 44 promises may…
Media
Read More: Penn Pike may require larger toll increasesState Budget
Bringing home the bacon gets a slap in the face
The York Daily Record has an article on state lawmakers and administration officials’ penchant for posing with cardboard checks – i.e. “Ed McMahon syndrome” – prompted by Senator…
Media
Read More: Bringing home the bacon gets a slap in the faceTaxes & Economy
10 Businesses Facing Extinction in 10 Years
Entrepreneur.com has an intriguing article on businesses facing extinction (HT Carpe Diem). Some of the selections are obvious, and have already seen major declines (pay phones, camera film…
Media
Read More: 10 Businesses Facing Extinction in 10 Years
Why are taxpayers still subsidizing the Turnpike?
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is objecting vigorously to the notion that they are among the least efficient toll roads, along with touting their subsidies to the state (which are…
Media
Read More: Why are taxpayers still subsidizing the Turnpike?Education
Edifice Complex at Work
In our report, Edifice Complex: Where has all the Money Gone we looked at the fastest growing cost for school districts, and what is driving property taxes…
Media
Read More: Edifice Complex at Work
PA Turnpike’s Operating Costs
In the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article on Reason’s report that the PA Turnpike is one of the least efficient toll roads in the nation (see here), the Turnpike Commission…
Media
Read More: PA Turnpike’s Operating CostsRegulation
Benevolence of the Trucker
Land Line Magazine’s coverage of the Public-Private Partnership (P3) forum that I moderated on Monday ran with the headline, “Panelists say profit motivates infrastructure investment.” (As an aside,…
Media
Read More: Benevolence of the TruckerTaxes & Economy
PA’s “liberal” population shift
The Philadelphia Inquirer has an article remarking on Pennsylvania’s demographic changes, noting that the state is gaining population in the eastern part and losing population in the west –…
Media
Read More: PA’s “liberal” population shift
Pennsylvania Turnpike Is One of the Country’s Least Cost-Efficient Toll Roads
A new study by the Reason Foundation finds that the Pennsylvania Turnpike is among the nation’s most inefficient roads. They also analyze the study produced, at taxpayer expense,…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Turnpike Is One of the Country’s Least Cost-Efficient Toll RoadsTaxes & Economy
Another Mediocre Rank for PA Business Climate
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has new report on Business Tax Index 2008, look at the best tax climate for small businesses. Pennsylvania, as has been a recurring…
Media
Read More: Another Mediocre Rank for PA Business ClimateGovernment Accountability
“Per Diems” Add Up
RocktheCapital has analyzed and released expense reports for one lawmaker, David Argall of Schuykill County, finding that he collected $15,000 in “per diems” (compensation above and beyond salary, ostensibly…
Media
Read More: “Per Diems” Add UpEducation
Mapping Graduation Rates
Education Week has an interactive tool to map the graduation rates of states and school districts (based on the recent analysis by America’s Promise Alliance). Here is the…
Media
Read More: Mapping Graduation RatesHealth Care
When is a college basketball game “over”?
If you like sports and you like math then Bill James’s calculator to determine when a college basketball game is out of reach should be interesting (if not, then…
Media
Read More: When is a college basketball game “over”?Taxes & Economy
Eminent Domain post-Kelo
The Cato Daily Podcast for today covers state eminent domain reform reforms since Kelo. For more visit the Castle Coalition, and their report on state eminent domain…
Media
Read More: Eminent Domain post-KeloTaxes & Economy
Congressional Ratings from National Taxpayers Union
The National Taxpayers Union has released their 2007 Congressional Rankings. As for the PA Delegation: Pitts A 87% (“Taxpayers’ Friend”)Shuster B 74% (“Good”)Peterson C+ 62% (“Satisfactory”)…
Media
Read More: Congressional Ratings from National Taxpayers UnionTaxes & Economy
“No Cardboard Checks”
One of my favorite sources for the inside scoop from the Capitol is Senator Eichelberger’s blog. In his latest post, he describes his refusal to participate in handing out…
Media
Read More: “No Cardboard Checks”Taxes & Economy
Global temperatures ‘to decrease’
BBC report on a decade of “global cooling”.
Media
Read More: Global temperatures ‘to decrease’Education
The Real Cost of Public Schools
Andrew Coulson has an article in the Washington Post and a more detailed version on the Cato-at-liberty blog contrasting public school spending ($24,000 per pupil) and private school…
Media
Read More: The Real Cost of Public SchoolsTaxes & Economy
Big Oil vs. Big Ethanol
Everyone in Pennsylvania (save the Amish, who are also unlikely to be reading this blog) must have heard or seen the Barack Obama, anti-“Big Oil” ad dozens of…
Media
Read More: Big Oil vs. Big EthanolState Budget
The Merits of Pork Barrel spending
Tom Barnes of the Post-Gazette has a story on the state capital budget, covering some of the projects in the Pittsburgh area. The Rendell administration tries to take…
Media
Read More: The Merits of Pork Barrel spendingHealth Care
Why McCain has the best health-care plan
Fortune Magazine article on the health care proposals of the presidential candidates, along with the overarching question of whether we should move to government-run insurance or offer consumers greater…
Media
Read More: Why McCain has the best health-care plan