Media

Regulation

Federal pay, benefits double private sector’s

• Nathan Benefield
• August 9, 2006

New data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, summarized on GovExec.com, finds that the average pay and benefits for federal civilian workers was more than double that of…

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Taxes & Economy

New Hampshire’s 365-Day Sales Tax Holiday

• Nathan Benefield
• August 9, 2006

While some states with surplus tax revenue are offering gimmicky “sales tax holidays,” New Hampshire has chosen the all-too-infrequenty policy of keeping taxes low. From The Tax Foundation.

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Government Accountability

The Lieberman Lesson

• Nathan Benefield
• August 9, 2006

New York Times analysis of the new partisan dynamics: “Traditional Democratic interest groups have steadily lost ground to a more partisan, progressive movement skilled at using the Internet to…

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Taxes & Economy

Cooling Off About Keeping Up

• Nathan Benefield
• August 9, 2006

Robert Samuelson editorial in the Washington Post on how the US will not be able to continue to be as dominant in the global economy in every sector as…

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Government Accountability

Lobbyist disclosure first

• Nathan Benefield
• August 8, 2006

Paul Carpenter editorial in The Morning Call on why we need a strong lobbyist and regulation and disclosure law before we consider shrinking the size of the General Assembly.

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Ending the Lame Duck Session

• Nathan Benefield
• August 7, 2006

Allentown Morning Call article on ending the lame duck session. Rep. Steil remarks that the lame duck session is needed because lawmakers don’t pass legislation while they’re campaigning for…

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Taxes & Economy

GIving Taxpayers a Voice?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 7, 2006

With the new property tax “relief” law (Act 1 of the Special Session) each school district must have a “tax commission” examine any proposed tax increase, as reported in the…

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Taxes & Economy

Jesus and Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2006

Dimitri Vassilaros questions, in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, whether Jesus really endorsed the estate tax, higher income taxes, and raising the federal minimum wage.

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Taxes & Economy

Repealing the Federal Estate Tax

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2006

Facts about the estate tax from the Cato Institute.

Media

Government Accountability

General Assembly Too Big & Expensive

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2006

Editorial in the Press Enterprise Online on reducing the legislature. While they use figures from my testimony, they fail to note that the crux of our position is…

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Reclaim government

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2006

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on shrinking and reforming state government, supporting “the Commonwealth Foundation’s commonsense solutions“.

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Calculator for Property Tax Relief/Increase

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2006

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers has created a calculator to determine how much relief, or how much of a tax increase you will get under the new property…

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Government Accountability

Swann on Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2006

Gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann’s response to a survey on government reform, compiled by Democracy Rising PA, with comments from the Commonwealth Foundation.

Media

Veon draws cheers, but not for his travel

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2006

Ruth Ann Dailey column in today’s Post-Gazette on pork, legislator travel and perks, and open records. Think-tanks and reform groups such as the Commonwealth Foundation, Common Cause and Democracy…

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Taxes & Economy

Time to Kill Castroism

• August 3, 2006

Peggy Noonan in today’s Wall Street Journal suggests that it is time to “seize the moment for some wise, judicious, free-market love-bombing” of Cuba.

Media

Government Accountability

Rendell on Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• August 2, 2006

Governor Rendell’s response to a survey on government reform, compiled Democracy Rising PA, with comments from the Commonwealth Foundation.

Media

Government Accountability

Does Size Matter?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2006

If you prefer audio podcast to the text version, you can listen to my testimony on reducing the size of the General Assembly. (Note: the file is 2MB…

Media

Regulation

Record Number of Lottery Losers

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2006

Governor Rendell issued a news release on the state lottery. Proud of what he calls “a success story of good government and an organization of which all Pennsylvanians can…

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Taxes & Economy

Why Congress Should Reject a Minimum Wage Increase

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2006

Two articles from the Heritage Foundation: The first details how a minimum wage increase will hurt job prospects among low skill workers, and won’t reduce poverty. The second…

Media

Regulation

Getting state legislators to work is costly

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2006

Post-Gazette article on the cost to taxpayers of the travel of several state lawmakers. Just another example of a failure of many in cover to be frugal when someone…

Media

State Budget

States Looking to Spending Caps

• Nathan Benefield
• July 28, 2006

While legislation limiting the growth of state spending in Pennsylvania (the “Taxpayer Fairness Act”) has stalled in the House Rules Committee, at least six states will be having ballot initiatives…

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