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Taxes & Economy

Tax Dollars Spent on PR

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2006

The Patriot News reports on how your tax dollars are working hard to fund the public relations campaigns of legislative leaders – namely House Speaker Perzel spending $5,000/month on…

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Regulation

Nice Pensions for Lawmakers

• Nathan Benefield
• June 5, 2006

Coverage of lawmakers’ pensions in the Chambersburg Public Opinion and Lebanon Daily News.

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Public Union Democracy

And you probably thought the Soviet Union collapsed!

• June 2, 2006

The union water-boys at the Keystone Research Center had Paul Krugman in Harrisburg last night, as reported in the Patriot-News. Gotta love Krugman’s solutions for our economic woes.

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Taxes & Economy

Groups target legislative spending

• June 2, 2006

From the Courier Times: “Asked about the WAMS — legislative grants for economic development — Rep. Scott Petri, R-178, said, “I don’t know any one of them I would…

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State Budget

When Fish is Really Pork

• Nathan Benefield
• June 1, 2006

A press release from the PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) attempts to justify the Fish Fund as a core function of government. However, we maintain our assertion…

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Public Union Democracy

Unions and Politics

• Nathan Benefield
• June 1, 2006

A couple of very good reads on teacher unions and education in the Summer 2006 Education Next. In Strike Phobia, Frederick Hess and Marty West look at the…

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Regulation

Groups identify $4.3 billion in ‘wasteful’ spending

• June 1, 2006

Public Radio Capitol News on our Piglet Book 2006. Although reporter Damon Baughmer probably doesn’t appreciate the fact that we think his employer (we, the taxpayers) should be funding…

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Government Accountability

Reform Needed in PA

• Nathan Benefield
• June 1, 2006

Mike Folmer on the primary and the need for reform in Pennsylvania in today’s Wall Street Journal.

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Government Accountability

It wasn’t the raise; it was the lack of Republican principles

• June 1, 2006

Pat Toomy in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the message of May 16, 2006…the Primary Election that will go downin history for ousting 17 incumbents, more than every year combined…

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Regulation

Pension problem looming

• May 31, 2006

The Altoona Mirror says “Pennsylvanians need to look past the headlines on legislators because there is a much bigger problem lurking.” We couldn’t agree more!…

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Piglet Book Coverage

• Nathan Benefield
• May 31, 2006

Coverage of the Piglet Book in the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, the Scranton Times-Tribune, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…

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GOP targets Rendell budget pork

• May 31, 2006

Despite the misleading title (the Commonwealth Foundation and Citizens Against Government Waste are not the GOP, just the ask the GOP!), Alison Hawkes writes an excellent story for the…

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State Budget

Piglet Book Coverage

• Nathan Benefield
• May 30, 2006

Coverage of the Pennsylvania Piglet Book in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Download the full Piglet Book here.

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Regulation

EDITORIAL | Public servants retire in luxury

• May 30, 2006

Centre Daily Times on how our “servants” have become “masters” at the expense of the public.

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Regulation

Pinching pennies? Not ousted lawmakers

• May 28, 2006

“Voters probably weren’t thinking about it at the time, but when they ousted Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair, and Senate Majority Leader David “Chip” Brightbill, R-Lebanon, they opened…

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Regulation

State gaming official arrested

• May 28, 2006

“A state Gaming Control Board investigator arrested outside a South Side bar early Saturday, allegedly after threatening and then trying to run from police, has become the fifth agency employee…

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Taxes & Economy

Swann plan requires work …

• May 28, 2006

So says our friend Jake Haulk of the Allegheny Institute in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Dr. Haulk concludes that “it’s still tax-shifting, relies on magic money, wrongly disses property tax…

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Regulation

Pa. lawmakers find retiring pays

• May 28, 2006

Excellent article from the Centre Daily Times on the coming pension crisis. “It’s a train wreck waiting to happen — it’s barreling down the tracks at us,” said Centre…

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Taxes & Economy

Minimum Wages Politics vs. Economics

• Nathan Benefield
• May 25, 2006

The push for a minimum wage increase is going on in North Carolina as well as here in PA. A piece in the Raleigh News Observer looks at the…

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Regulation

Govenment benefits for retirees grow into ‘monster’

• Nathan Benefield
• May 25, 2006

An article in today’s USA TODAY points out that future unfunded liabilities for Medicare, Social Security, and govenment employees pensions and retirement benefits have grown to $57.8 trillion. To…

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Taxes & Economy

Government made bumper stickers

• Nathan Benefield
• May 24, 2006

The Pennsylvania Office of Tourism (part of the Department of Community and Economic Development) have started voting for a PA Bumper Sticker. Not only is developing an “official state…

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