Media

Lancaster New Era endorses Taxpayer Protection Act

• Nathan Benefield
• June 13, 2007

Lancaster New Era (registration required) editorial supporting the Taxpayer Protection Act, along with the Commonwealth Foundation’s Diet Plan.

Media

Somewhat slimmer budget passes Senate Appropriations

• Nathan Benefield
• June 13, 2007

Senate Appropriations Committee sent to the floor an amended budget which includes very few of the Governor’s new programs, cuts some of the corporate welfare from DCED, and promised…

Media

Super-majority on tax increase legislation proposed

• Nathan Benefield
• June 13, 2007

Senator Eichelberger (along with co-sponsors) today introduced legislation (SB 975) which would offer a Constitutional Amendment requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers to pass any tax increase. This…

Media

Education

Count the Costs of Pre-K Counts

• June 13, 2007

Academic and financial costs of taxpayer-funded preschool questioned, alternatives proposed at news conference HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation joined with a coalition of organizations to call on lawmakers…

Press Release

Rendell shares Turnpike bid info with legislative leaders

• Nathan Benefield
• June 12, 2007

Governor Rendell announced he has provided the expressions of interest regarding a potential Turnpike lease to legislative leaders, on the grounds they not be made public until a lease…

Media

Healthcare For PA Families

• Nathan Benefield
• June 12, 2007

House Republicans unveiled the outlines of a alternative health care reform plan, which they are calling the “Real Prescription for Pennsylvania” (their website name, Healthcare For PA Families, is…

Media

When a spending increase is a spending decrease

• Nathan Benefield
• June 12, 2007

Watch the video and more at PADietPlan.com…

Media

DeWeese Ends Bonuses

• Nathan Benefield
• June 11, 2007

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that House Dem. Leader Bill DeWeese will end bonuses to staffers following scrutiny of past bonuses. In related news Rep. Glen Grell is proposing cuts…

Media

Turnpike Commission’s proposal gains support

• Nathan Benefield
• June 11, 2007

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the proposal of the Turnpike Commission to raise tolls, enact special “congestion tolls,” take control of and toll I-80, and issue debt (tied to…

Media

New rules force tally of retiree health costs

• Nathan Benefield
• June 11, 2007

Post-Gazette story on new accounting rules requiring governments to report how much they owe for health care costs of retirees, with comments by CF senior fellow Rick Dreyfuss.

Media

Another assault on school choice

• June 8, 2007

Cyber school operator responds to the School Board Association’s attacks in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Media

State Eminent Domain Report Card

• Nathan Benefield
• June 8, 2007

One major success for individual rights in Harrisburg in recent years is Eminent Domain reform. The Castle Coalition’s Report Card on Eminent Domain Reform Legislation since Kelo, released this…

Media

More Tax Money for Movies?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 8, 2007

Do we need to spend more money to get movies made in PA? The Rendell administration is currently proposing giving filmmakers a 25 percent refundable tax credit (i.e. a grant)…

Media

Injunction bars collection of union dues from workers

• June 8, 2007

Turnpike union is told to stop collecting dues from workers who are waiting to resign from the union. They have to wait because of a clause in the contract…

Media

State pensions need realistic strategies

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2007

Good editorial in The Morning Call on reforming our state pension systems.

Media

Government Accountability

4 Bills In 5 Months

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2007

WGAL (NBC 8) with a story on the sluggish pace of the full time Pennsylvania legislature. So far this year, they have passed only 4 bills – two renaming…

Media

What Taxpayers are buying Mark Cohen

• Nathan Benefield
• June 6, 2007

Two Philadelphia Inquirer stories today highlight the use of tax money by Rep. Mark Cohen. The first details how he billed 3 weekends in N.Y. to taxpayers to attend…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Is State Government Ready for a Spending Diet?

• June 6, 2007

Taxpayer Protection bills sent to Senate floor HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the State Senate Finance Committee voted to send the Taxpayer Protection Act (SB 707) and the Taxpayer Protection Amendment…

Press Release

MO’s Free-Market Health Care Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2007

The state of Missouri has become to the first to enact a number of free-market reforms in health care – many of which are needed in Pennsylvania. This legislation:…

Media

Open-Records Bill Strengthened

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2007

Sen. Pileggi has announced that he will amend his open records bills (SB1) to change the presumption – i.e. all government records will be considered public information unless specifically exempted…

Media

Bill targets teacher strikes

• Nathan Benefield
• June 4, 2007

Rep. Todd Rock will be introducing a bill that will ban teacher strikes and fine teachers for each day they strike illegally. This legistlation is supported by StopTeacherStrikes.org.

Media