Legislators Seek ‘Accountability’ For Cyber Charters

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2007

Article in today’s Evening Bulletin on the battle over cyber schools. Karen Beyer claims that “school choice proponents have paid lobbyists a sizeable amount to argue against HB 446:…

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More I-80 Tolling Opposition

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2007

Another letter from state lawmakers to US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters on I-80 tolling. This one from the “I-80 House Coalition” – twelve Republican House members with I-80 running…

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Supreme Court Fight Club

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2007

The state Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a grand jury could continue investigate Louis DeNaples, owner of Mount Airy Casino. Of course, John Baer broke this story over…

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Calendar Update

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2007

Our first batch of Capitol Calendars for Property Tax Relief are now for sale on eBay.(Click here for details). The latest Democracy Rising newsletter features a…

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Uninsured will grow under RendellCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 10, 2007

Pop quiz: The Rendell administration has estimated that 800,000 Pennsylvania adults are currently uninsured. If Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Pennsylvanians” were implemented as designed – costing up to $1.4 billion…

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The (Tax) War Between the States

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 10, 2007

Art Laffer and Steven Moore in today’s Wall Street Journal look at how tax competitiveness between states (i.e. lower taxes) results in greater population and economic growth: Of…

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Calendars for Property Tax Relief

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 10, 2007

ave your Capitol Calendars! You know those calendars you get from state legislators, which come with “Compliments of [Your Legislator]”, though they were paid with…

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Arthur Laffer on taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 9, 2007

Interesting conversation with Arthur Laffer on the effect of tax cuts in The Curious Capitalist blog. Also check out Laffer’s response to “Crackpot Economics”…

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A Zero-Sum Wealth Quiz

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 7, 2007

Coyote Blog takes on the zero-sum game myth of wealth and the economy, with a simple comparison of the rich of 100 years ago and the middle class of…

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All’s good, according to Bill DeWeese

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 7, 2007

Pennsyltucky Politics gets a positive prognosis from Bill DeWeese (along with some choice words about Patriot News reporter Charlie Thompson, “slithering around in his usual unkempt reptilian fashion.”) DeWeese…

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Sam Smith joins I-80 Toll Opposition

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 6, 2007

House Minority Leader Sam Smith has joined in the calls for the US Dept. of Transportation to reject I-80 tolls. Get his news release and letter here.

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Anti I-80 Tolling Blogs and Websites

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 6, 2007

Here are a couple of new websites and blogs focusing solely on the tolling of I-80 and Act 44. The I-80 Toll Disaster Blog (including an interesting post titled…

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Pennsylvania gets an “F” for worker Freedom

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 6, 2007

A report card from the Alliance for Worker Freedom gives Pennsylvania an “F” for meeting none of the ten measures of worker freedom. As with all states…

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What do “highly-paid lobbyists” want?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2007

I had to share this email exchange between Simon Campbell of StopTeacherStrikes and Rep. Karen Beyer, prime sponsor of HB 446 (which, in the name of “accountability” includes…

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DePasquale to take on school spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2007

One lawmaker who seemingly did read our Edifice Complex report is Eugene DePasquale, who is going to propose legislation to “to rein in spending on school construction”. DePasquale…

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Response to Cyber School News Release

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2007

Following our call for rejection of unequal limits on cyber schools (which passed the House Education Committee today), I had an interesting email exchange with a public school employee.

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Rx For Health Care: Pain

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2007

Robert Samuelson has a interesting commentary on health care costs: The politics of health care rests on a mass illusion: Most Americans think that someone else pays for…

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