Media

Government Accountability

Twenty-two disgraced governors

• Nathan Benefield
• March 12, 2008

Stateline.org has the complete list of governors to leave office (resigned or impeached) because of scandal or legal problems.

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Government Accountability

State paid law firms $111 million for advice

• Nathan Benefield
• March 12, 2008

Tom Barnes of the Post-Gazette reports that Pennsylvania taxpayers have paid law firms $111 million for legal advice to state government under the Rendell administration (note: I believe this…

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Government Accountability

Fumo to retire

• Nathan Benefield
• March 12, 2008

Senator Vince Fumo, the subject of many PolicyBlog stories will reportedly be retiring; read the Pennsyltucky Politics blurb.

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Phyrillas on property tax hikes

• Nathan Benefield
• March 11, 2008

Over 100 school districts have applied for exemptions to increase property taxes above the Act 1 index, notes Tony Phyrillas. He points out that this is fewer than last…

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Health Care

A Short Course in Brain Surgery

• Nathan Benefield
• March 11, 2008

Video from FreeMarketCure on how government run health care, like that in Canada, is hazardous to your health.

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Education

Teachers Unions Exposed

• Nathan Benefield
• March 11, 2008

TeachersUnionExposed.com is a new website (from the Center for Union Facts) focusing on teachers’s unions role in blocking education reform, bargaining away quality, and protecting bad teachers. They…

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State Budget

Earmark abusers jump on earmark reform wagon

• Nathan Benefield
• March 11, 2008

The Club for Growth notes that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have signed on to DeMint-McCain earmark moratorium. While this will likely force passage of the bill,…

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Health Care

Pennsylvania proposes to cheat Medicaid

• Nathan Benefield
• March 10, 2008

Michael Cannon writes that the Rendell administration’s plan to tax Philly and Pittsburgh hospitals, but give them higher reimbursements from Medicaid is a great plan … for Pennsylvania.

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Taxes & Economy

A Philly Tax Cutter?

• Nathan Benefield
• March 10, 2008

City Journal sounding on what Mayor Nutter needs to do to turn the Philadelphia economy around. The results of the city’s hostility toward business are evident. While the…

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State Budget

Central PA Congressman and businesses giving up earmarks

• Nathan Benefield
• March 10, 2008

Central Penn Business Journal on the Congressman Pitts and Platts joining those taking a moratorium on earmarks and the response of most business leaders – except the beneficiaries of…

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Regulation

How government makes things worse

• Nathan Benefield
• March 10, 2008

Boston Globe piece by Jeff Jacoby covers the “Law of Unintended Consequences” of government intervention. Jacoby takes on government mandates and subsidies for ethanol: But now comes word…

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Taxes & Economy

Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?

• Nathan Benefield
• March 10, 2008

BusinessWeek article on whether the media’s obsession with bad economic news may be driving low consumer confidence and turning a “slowdown” into a recession. Case in point: I recently…

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Education

Home-Schooling Under Attack

• Nathan Benefield
• March 7, 2008

Here is some commentary on the recent California court ruling that would require parents homeschooling their children to have full teaching credentials/certification. Acton Institute PowerBlog Cato-At-Liberty…

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State Budget

Earmark Nation

• Nathan Benefield
• March 7, 2008

Wall Street Journal on the political value of taking a hard line opposing earmarks, compared with the value of pork projects. Unorthodox as he’s been on some conservative…

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Taxes & Economy

Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthless

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2008

Towanda Daily Review editorial on the “study” commissioned by House Democrats on a Turnpike lease. One addition to my previous notes on the “study”: To show…

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Taxes & Economy

Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500

• Nathan Benefield
• March 6, 2008

TaxProf Blog has the latest US Median Income, along with a couple of nifty charts on median income growth (in both nominal and real terms) and the average income…

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Government Accountability

PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apes

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2008

In addition to commenting on policy issues, I also like to comment on some of very weird, esoteric studies conducted by academic researchers. The most recent is this study…

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State Budget

Campbell on Earmark Moratorium

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2008

Video of John Campbell on earmarks. I especially like him bringing up the “monuments to me” – i.e. earmarks by legislators for projects named after themselves – noting “I hope…

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Government Accountability

Campaign-Finance Breakdown

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2008

John Lott and Bradley Smith in the Wall Street Journal on taxpayer-financing of presidential elections: Since 1976, taxpayers have shelled out about $3 billion in current dollars to…

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Government Accountability

Influence-Peddling

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2008

John Stossel on Townhall.com on the rhetoric against “special interests” and “corporate lobbyists” in Washington (also applicable to Harrisburg): None of the reforms gets near root of the…

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Taxes & Economy

Turnpike Comission seeks private bidders to finish roads

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2008

With no sense of irony, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is adverstising for for “expressions of interest” from private firms interested in finishing and managining the Mon-Fayette Expressway and Findlay…

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