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Taxes & Economy

Minimum Wage Myth-Busting

• Nathan Benefield
• June 23, 2006

While the minimum wage debate heat up in DC and Harrisburg, check out this article in today’s Wall Street Journal on the “Labor Lost” from increasing the minimum wage…

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Education

Has School Choice Crossed the Rubicon?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 22, 2006

Clint Bolick argues yes in today’s Wall Street Journal. Even Democratic leaders (including Sen. Ted Kennedy and our own Governor Rendell) have signed on to school choice programs (albeit…

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Education

School Tax Hikes in Allegheny County

• Nathan Benefield
• June 22, 2006

Interesting article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about property tax hikes. Twenty of 43 school districts in Allegheny are planning to raise tax rates. Their justification is that the county…

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Regulation

Lovely parting gifts

• June 22, 2006

Lancaster New Era on legislative pensions. Once again demonstrating that “serving the public” doesn’t cost, it PAYS!…

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The Real Candidates For Office

• Nathan Benefield
• June 21, 2006

Read Grant Gulibon’s latest commentary in The Evening Bulletin.

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Government Accountability

Taxpayers spending over $1 million on lawyers to defend pay raise

• Nathan Benefield
• June 19, 2006

As first broken by the Philadelphia Inquirer: “”Do I like hiring lawyers to defend these kinds of suits? No, I hate to do this,” said House Majority Leader Sam…

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Public Union Democracy

Your Tax Dollars at Work

• Nathan Benefield
• June 19, 2006

Fine tribute to public sector unions, paid for with your tax dollars. I guess we were wrong to identify the Historical and Museum Commission as an example of pork…

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Regulation

Ousted legislators find silver lining

• June 18, 2006

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Some lawmakers who lost their jobs in the May primary will collect pensions almost as big as their current salaries. “Powerhouse Republican Sen. Robert Jubelirer,…

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Taxes & Economy

Does faux reform kill real reform?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 16, 2006

Brad Bumstead in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on the likelihood that significant property tax relief is dead following the passage of the facade of reform passed Wednesday. Read our News…

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Government Accountability

Is there a Speaker in the House?

• June 16, 2006

According to Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire.com, House Speaker John Perzel said this last night on public television’s “Smart Talk”: “When I see that a tattoo artist in the city of…

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Health Care

Reduce Health Insurance Cost Through Competition

• Nathan Benefield
• June 15, 2006

NCPA Analysis of how allowing insurers to offer healthcare coverage across state boundaries would reduce the cost of insurance. Examining only a handful of states, they find a discrepancy…

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Taxes & Economy

FEMA funds spent on divorce, sex change

• Nathan Benefield
• June 14, 2006

AP story on fraud in FEMA aid – as much as $1.4 Billion (16% of all FEMA aid for Katrina and Rita victims) may have been used improperly. My…

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Education

Arrogant PHEAA: More stonewalling

• Nathan Benefield
• June 13, 2006

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial review on how the public agency PHEAA refuses to disclose how they spend their money. Hence we propose privatizing PHEAA in our Pennsylvania Piglet…

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Government Accountability

Agency: Unvouchered expenses ‘income’

• June 12, 2006

The REPUBLICAN & Herald notes that two lawmakers paid taxes on their “unvouchered expenses.” But I thought UEs are not “income” so as not to be a direct violation…

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Public Union Democracy

Union officials must come to grips with reality of today’s economics

• June 11, 2006

George McGovern, former U.S. Senator from SD and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate, shows that he’s s slow learner, but a learner nonetheless. This commentary in today’s Patriot-News says what…

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Regulation

New York’s Pension Peril

• June 9, 2006

E. J. McMahon, the director of the Manhattan Institute’s Empire Center for New York State Policy, writes in the New York Post about NY’s pension problem.

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State Budget

Don’t spend state surplus; instead trim the pork : The Morning Call Online

• June 9, 2006

Commonwealth Foundation Fellow Grant Gulibon in today’s Morning Call.

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State Budget

Cut (half) the Waste!

• Nathan Benefield
• June 8, 2006

Williamsport Sun-Gazette editorial on the Pennsylvania Piglet Book 2006.

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Public Union Democracy

TV ad targeting unions raises profile of campaign against labor leaders

• June 8, 2006

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story on the Center for Union Facts’ commercial. Check out the commercial here.

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Taxes & Economy

The More You Know … The More You Wish You Didn’t

• Nathan Benefield
• June 7, 2006

How does a $56,000 salary sound? Not bad? What if that salary was for working on a political campaign? Still better? Now imagine that salary was for your 2nd job,…

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Regulation

Lawmaker Pensions too generous

• Nathan Benefield
• June 7, 2006

Coverage of lawmaker pensions (and our Pension Study) in The York Daily Record.

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