Media

Budget Questions

• Nathan Benefield
• July 9, 2007

Lingering questions/issues about the budget negotiations (with links to Commonwealth Foundation information on these issues): What will be the final percent increase in the General Fund? The Taxpayer Protection…

Media

More Debt for Pork?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 9, 2007

According to reports, the House Democrats are holding up the budget negotiations for more $500 million in new bonds for “Redevelopment Assistance Capital Projects.” What the heck are those, you…

Media

Regulation

Gov. Ed Rendells Ransom

• July 9, 2007

PA Governor holds state workers and public services hostage for higher taxes and fees, despite $650M tax surplus. HARRISBURG, PA – Nearly 25,000 state workers were furloughed and many public…

Press Release

A Letter To Ed

• Nathan Benefield
• July 8, 2007

Letter from a soon-to-be furloughed state worker to Gov. Rendell, courtesy of PA Clean Sweep.

Media

Tax Impact of SCHIP Expansion

• Nathan Benefield
• July 6, 2007

Last week I pointed out that Governor Rendell’s call for increased federal funding of SCHIP was because by passing “Cover All Kids”, the General Assembly created a program which…

Media

Public Schools Respond to School Choice

• Nathan Benefield
• July 6, 2007

Post Gazette story on Regional Choice Initiative in Beaver County. This would allow students who want a particular class, not offered by their district, to enroll in that class…

Media

Pass it all NOW – Don’t think!

• Nathan Benefield
• July 5, 2007

News release from the GovernorEditorial by the Post-Gazette calls for legislators to act on “reform” and pass a bunch of legislation in early July – unrelated to the budget…

Media

Some Definitions

• Nathan Benefield
• July 5, 2007

“Ponzi scheme,” from Wikipedia Rendell Energy Plan, from the Governor’s office Note the striking similarities. Also read Jared Walczak’s commentary on Energy Depletion. Despite all of the…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Rushed Legislation is Usually Flawed Legislation

• July 3, 2007

Commonwealth Foundation and Reason Foundation urge lawmakers to slow down on the transportation proposal MEMORANDUM TO: Members of the Pennsylvania State Senate, Members of the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesFROM:…

Press Release

More Rendell Rhetoric

• Nathan Benefield
• July 3, 2007

Governor’s latest news release: “Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are without health insurance, roads and bridges are crumbling, public transit services are being cut and medical research facilities…

Media

Gov: “Spend it All!”

• Nathan Benefield
• July 3, 2007

Central Penn Business Journal on Governor Rendell’s press conference:. Rendell said he is particularly disturbed by comments Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Gibson Armstrong (R-Lancaster and York counties)…

Media

Interest earned vs. interest paid

• Nathan Benefield
• July 2, 2007

Geoff Segal on the Reason Foundation’s blog points to a counter of the interest earned by Indiana from privatizing the Indiana toll road – currently at $180 million,…

Media

Don’t bank on legality of I-80 tolls

• Nathan Benefield
• July 2, 2007

Altoona Mirror advises lawmakers not to pass a plan that spends money from I-80 tolls, since getting I-80 tolls are questionable at best. From our News Release: “It…

Media

Spending Increases = Cuts

• Nathan Benefield
• July 2, 2007

Rep. Tim Solobay issues the first press release calling spending increases “cuts” (though several House Democrats did so in the floor debate): “The Senate removed millions from education” –…

Media

Rendell’s Compromise: $3.7 billion in new spending

• Nathan Benefield
• July 2, 2007

Gov. Rendell has been recently quoted naming all his “concessions” during budget negotiations. Even with “concessions” the Governor is still demanding $3.7 billion more in new taxes, fees/tolls, and debt…

Media

Stealth Lawmaking Lives

• July 2, 2007

From Democracy Rising….Stealth Lawmaking Lives: House Suspends Rules, Commits $1.65 BillionThis week the PA House proved why changing the rules doesn’t…

Media

Budget Updates

• Nathan Benefield
• June 30, 2007

Some stories on the state budget negotiations:Patriot NewsPost-GazetteInquirer/APAP on tolling I-80, quoting PennDot study from two years ago: “Based on the long…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Higher Taxes, More Debt Coming Down the Pike

• June 30, 2007

Commonwealth Foundation warns against transportation funding proposal Harrisburg, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation warned against the higher fees and long-term debt encompassed in the transportation funding proposals winding their…

Press Release

Senate votes to ban lame duck session

• Nathan Benefield
• June 29, 2007

The state Senate voted to pass a Constitutional amendment, authored by Sen. Regola that would ban the “lame duck” session. One small step for reform.

Media

Higher Debt and tolls coming soon

• Nathan Benefield
• June 29, 2007

Marc Levy of the AP reports that the Turnpike Commission’s Mike Long’s Vince Fumo’s “Senate compromise” plan to toll I-80, issue $4 billion in new debt, and increase Turnpike…

Media

Taxes on the Poor

• Nathan Benefield
• June 29, 2007

NCPA report looks at how certain taxes disproportionately fall on low income holder – specifically taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and the most regressive of all, lottery/gambling. Funny how those…

Media