Is Health Spending Out of Control?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 17, 2007

NCPA Analysis of government health spending. Their conclusion is that health care expenditures have risen so dramatically because they are on auto-pilot – i.e. lawmakers don’t need to pass…

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Congressmen warn Governor about Turnpike lease

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 16, 2007

From Capitolwire.com. Having criticized the Governor in my previous post, I will give him praise for dismissing the anti-market rhetoric of two Democratic Congressmen. HARRISBURG (May 16) –…

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Stupid Voters!

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 16, 2007

After defeat of the Act 1 tax shift almost universally (the Patriot News identified only two districts that approved the shift, and one of those by a very tentative…

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On Top with THE BOX

  • May 16, 2007

Commonwealth Foundation radio program rated No. 1 in Harrisburg Metro HARRISBURG — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation announced that its radio program, THE BOX: Inside • Outside • On with Matt…

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RendellCare on Life Support

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 15, 2007

Patriot News on the lack of enthusiasm, and action, on most of Rendell’s health care plan.

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Forces build against leasing turnpike

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 15, 2007

Tom Barnes in the Post-Gazette on the line-up of opposition to a proposed Turnpike Lease – though all the opposition he names are lobbyists hired by the Turnpike Commission…

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SCHIP Crowds out Private Insurance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 14, 2007

A new CBO report on SCHIP (government-run health insurance for kids, recently expanded in PA under Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Kids”) remarks that government health insurance creates dramatic “crowd…

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Attacking Cyber Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 14, 2007

AP story in PhillyBurbs.com on the attacks on Cyber School funding. There are several highly misleading statements. The article asserts that the school boards association and the teachers’ union…

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School Tax Referendums

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 14, 2007

The Philadelphia Inquirer is the first PA newspaper that I have seen to endorse a “Yes” vote on the Act 1 tax shift (I have seen several endorsing a…

Media

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More Turnpike Lease Distortions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 11, 2007

The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) issued a news release claiming that voters overwhelming disapprove a Turnpike lease and citing exorbitant toll increases in Indiana. While elected officials should…

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GrowPA: Agitate for Change

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 11, 2007

GrowPA.com, an interactive website promoting pro-growth policies, limited government, and government reform (chaired by fromer Lt. Governor and Commonwealth Foundation Board Member Bill Scranton) has launched today – featuring…

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State Money Spent To Lobby State Officials

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 11, 2007

Ben Simmoneau for WGAL on the use of state money to lobby for more state money – specifically highlighting PHEAA and the Turnpike Commission, but taxpayer-funded lobbying included state…

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P3s could build Mon-Fayette Expressway

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 11, 2007

Private firms are being asked to enter bids to develop and run the Mon-Fayette Expressway: see Tribune-Review and Post-Gazette coverage. Using Public-Private Partnerships for new construction is one…

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Who are the judges?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 10, 2007

For those of you who are neither lawyers or criminals and are looking for more info about the judicial candidates before next Tuesday’s primary, here are various surveys/voter guides.

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Cost and Size of General Assembly debated

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 10, 2007

Brad Bumsted on the Speaker’s Reform Commission hearing on reducing the size of the legislature. While an NCSL analyst testified to the fact that Pennsylvania has the 2nd…

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Ethanol Gold Rush Carries Costs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 10, 2007

The rush to mandate and subsidize ethanol may turn out to be fools gold, from NCPA: Last year, about 4.9 billion gallons of ethanol were produced. Within…

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Education vouchers: Free to choose, and learn

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 10, 2007

Economist.com article on the benefits of school choice, both for students receiving vouchers and for those remaining in public schools. This augments the Friedman Foundation report showing…

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Expanding School Choice in PA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 10, 2007

Rep. Civera proposes increasing the cap on Educational Improvement Tax Credits to $109 million. This announcment nearly coincides with a report finding that the EITC saved taxpayers nearly…

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Budget Bill Introduced

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 9, 2007

The bill for the General Fund budget, House Bill 1286, was introduced without fanfare yesterday. There is no spreadsheet summary yet, but I was told it is not different…

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Strike possible as talks break off

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 9, 2007

Patriot-News on a looming teacher strike in the Annville-Cleona district. Visit Stop Teachers Strikes, Inc for salary info on Annville-Cleono salary, and how we can end teacher strikes…

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