Media

Regulation

Pennsylvania takes on online auctions

• Nathan Benefield
• January 30, 2008

Philadelphia Inquirer story on the state’s pursuit of eBay sellers with no auctioneer’s license. As we pointed out on this issue before, eBay’s seller rating do a better…

Media

Odd U-Turn on Property Tax Relief

• Nathan Benefield
• January 30, 2008

In the House debate over property taxes relief, focusing on David Levdansky’s HB 1600 (increasing the state sales tax and person income tax to provide about $1.5 billion in…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Rendell’s Extreme Makeover

• Nathan Benefield
• January 29, 2008

Jerry Bowyer’s op/ed on Governor Rendell’s extreme makeover – from a Philadelphia mayor who was: a leading “new Democrat” who had outsourced over 40 government functions, stared down…

Media

Regulation

Monopoly Money: The control of wine and spirits in Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• January 29, 2008

The Post-Gazette had an article on state run liquor stores (first in a four part series) over the weekend. Part 2 is here. The reader feedback for…

Media

State Budget

Bush on Earmarks

• Nathan Benefield
• January 29, 2008

If his State of the Union Address, Bush promised to veto and/or ignore earmarks in future appropriatiosn legislation. As CAGW and Heritage point out, this would only…

Media

Government Accountability

State of the Union Word Analyzer

• Nathan Benefield
• January 28, 2008

This neat website analyzes State of the Union speeches with word count (Jimmy Carter gave the longest speech) and key word analysis. I like playing with the graphic…

Media

PTC: We Not Spread Lies

• Nathan Benefield
• January 28, 2008

PA Turnpike Commission’s Tim Carson sent a letter to Toll Roads News in response to their story about the lack of caps on Turnpike tolls under Act…

Media

Education

Is School Choice Enough?

• Nathan Benefield
• January 28, 2008

A interesting discussion on City Journal on the subject of school choice. The discussion in a response to an article by Sol Stern implying that school choice advocates…

Media

Education

Vinsanity at PHEAA

• Nathan Benefield
• January 25, 2008

Vince Fumo came to the defense of excesses at PHEAA, demaninding that the Auditor General stop auditing. Jan Murphy of the Patriot News has the story. Fumo contends that…

Media

Act 44 – no cap on Turnpike tolls

• Nathan Benefield
• January 25, 2008

Toll Roads News has a story today on the Turnpike Commission’s claim that future Turnpike Tolls would be capped (with a 25% increase in 2009 and 3% annually thereafter).

Media

Taxes & Economy

Bush Revises Stimulus Deal to ‘Rebate All of It’

• Nathan Benefield
• January 24, 2008

Great fake news from ScrappleFace “It just makes sense,â€? said White House spokesman Dana Perino, “that if $800 per person would stimulate the economy, then giving back…

Media

Education

Good day for school choice in PA

• Nathan Benefield
• January 24, 2008

The Commonwealth Court ruled that Chester-Upland school district could not limit the number of students enrolling in charter schools. Read the Philadelphia Inquirer story. About 40% of Chester-Upland student…

Media

“Profit” ins’t a dirty word either

• Nathan Benefield
• January 24, 2008

We received an email in response to the “‘Foreign’ is not a Dirty Word” Commentary. I won’t print that whole email, but the essence was that a private company…

Media

Regulation

Plan would bar linking bonuses to pensions

• Nathan Benefield
• January 23, 2008

Rep. Sean Ramaley proposes ending the pension bump from bonuses. Currently a bonus (or other compensation, such as “unvouchered expenses”) increases the salary used to calculate pensions for state…

Media

‘Foreign’ is not a dirty word

• Nathan Benefield
• January 23, 2008

Great Op-Ed in the Post-Gazette by Todd Malan on the issue of “foreign” companies bidding on the Turnpike: Finally, if the bidding process is robust, the likely…

Media

Rendell offers toll parameters for Turnpike Lease

• Nathan Benefield
• January 23, 2008

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article covers Governor Rendell’s statements on a potential lease, with the headline that “Turnpike fare increases will be regulated”. The idea that a Turnpike lease would result…

Media

Taxes & Economy

How important are elections?

• Nathan Benefield
• January 22, 2008

Here are a couple of good commentaries on the importance of politics and elections. Though they draw the opposite conclusion, they follow a similar theme, and I find myself agreeing…

Media

Education

(Not) A closer look at Cyber Schools

• Nathan Benefield
• January 22, 2008

IssuesPA has a new article on Cyber School Funding. They claim to provide “a closer look at the ongoing debate”, but don’t look any closer than quoting what some…

Media

Bill for Turnpike Lobbying: $700,000

• Nathan Benefield
• January 22, 2008

Joe Grata in the Post-Gazette with a look at the Turnpike Commission’s $700,000 in lobbying contracts for 2007 ($396,000 at the federal level and $316,000 for Harrisburg lobbyist –…

Media

Government Accountability

Rendell Commits $126 Million in Secret Letters

• Nathan Benefield
• January 21, 2008

Democracy Rising on the fundraising letters sent by Governor Rendell (most during the 2006 campaign) promising taxpayer funding to a variety of corporations.

Media

Taxes & Economy

Economic Freedom and Prosperity

• Nathan Benefield
• January 21, 2008

The Heritage Foundation, in conjuction with the Wall Street Journal, released the Index of Economic Freedom 2008. The rankings have not change dramatically from past years, but what I…

Media