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Health Care

Health care for everyone?

• April 11, 2006

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney writes in today’s Wall Street Journal that he believes he’s found a way to provide health care for everyone, with “no new taxes, no employer…

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Education

Philly quadruples number of teachers fired for lack of performance

• April 10, 2006

Before you think there is a major focus on teacher quality in the Philadelphia School District, the quadrupling of the number of teacher fired for performance was from 2 in…

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Taxes & Economy

Governor Rendell: The Era of Big Government is Just Beginning

• Nathan Benefield
• April 10, 2006

Two Gems from Governor Rendell in The Scranton Times-Tribune: “Rendell says voters have a clear choice between a candidate who talks of cutting taxes and limiting spending – Swann…

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State Budget

Are they really “Fake” Republicans?

• Nathan Benefield
• April 10, 2006

OpinionJournal – John Fund on the Trail: “‘The Republican Party is now principally moderate, if not liberal’ on spending, Mr. Specter told reporters after a majority of GOP senators…

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Public Union Democracy

Rendell caught trying to help union buddies

• April 10, 2006

The Rendell Administration recently made a rules change that he changed again. Gov. Rendell’s Department of Labor and Industry had advised state and municipal governments that they would have to…

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Taxes & Economy

“Populism in pursuit of power preservation”

• April 9, 2006

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Colin McNickle has a few thoughts on the House’s passage of the minimum wage bill last week. Here’s an excerpt from today’s commentary, “Stop supporting fake…

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Can a black Republican win in a blue state?

• April 8, 2006

Interesting Wall Street Journal article on Maryland’s Michael Steele run for U.S. Senate.

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State Budget

CAGW Pig Book: $29 BIllion in Pork in 2006

• Nathan Benefield
• April 6, 2006

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released their annual Pig Book yesterday, which indentifies $29 billion of pork-spending (defined as requests by members of Congress for special projects) in the…

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Public Union Democracy

“The truth is in the toilet”

• April 6, 2006

Michael Smerconish of the Philadelphia Daily News writes about the REAL reason his newspaper is being sold — the labor unions.

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Education

PHEAA says receipts would reveal secrets

• Nathan Benefield
• April 5, 2006

PHEAA refuses to disclose what they are spending their money on, the Patriot News reports, citing “trade secrets.” Far be it from me to suggest that taxpayers and…

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Government Accountability

Cohen hits the books: $28,200 worth

• April 3, 2006

Rep. Cohen, the #3 leader of the House Dems, is a self-described “voracious reader.” The bad news is that we taxpayers are being compelled to support his habit. According to…

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Government Accountability

TV Coverage of Commonwealth Foundation at PLC

• Nathan Benefield
• March 31, 2006

If you won’t be able to attend the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, you will still be able to catch it all live on PCN – Pennsylvania Cable Network, starting…

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Taxes & Economy

PA Personal Income Growth Still Lagging Behind

• Nathan Benefield
• March 28, 2006

Release from the BEA this morning on State Personal Income 2005. Pennsylvania ranked 37th in personal income growth in 2005, not as low as past years, but below the…

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Taxes & Economy

Wages of Politics

• Nathan Benefield
• March 28, 2006

Wall Street Journal on the minimum wage.

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Regulation

“That’s the way the system works”

• March 28, 2006

Alletown Morning Call editorial on the “Quiet bump for legislators’ pensions adds to outrage over 2005 pay-grab“: Of the lawmakers retiring, 17 will see their pension benefit improve because…

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Regulation

War on Wal-Mart coming to PA

• Nathan Benefield
• March 28, 2006

From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Best quote: “Wal-Mart is trying to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.” Those heathens, trying to compete against unionized stores.

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Regulation

Pay Raise and Pensions Linked

• Nathan Benefield
• March 27, 2006

Coverage of the pay raise and pension link from Centre Daily Times, citing Rick Dreyfuss and our pension study.

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Taxes & Economy

Where does the state rank?

• March 27, 2006

Philadelphia Daily News edits down our commentary.

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Education

PSBA takes issue with my referendum commentary

• March 26, 2006

Equal time was given to Tim Allwein of the PA School Boards Association to offer a rebutal to my commentary in last Sunday’s Patriot-News. Fair game. It should…

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Regulation

State lawmakers look to boost their pensions

• March 26, 2006

Alison Hawkes in the Herald-Standard on the pension COLA debate. Side-Note: We’re not sure where, when, or why we started being called a “libertarian” think tank (although I think…

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Regulation

Ballooning Pa. pension costs could increase taxes substantially

• March 26, 2006

Excellent story on the looming pension crisis by Alison Hawkes in The Herald-Standard. But Rep. Mark Mustio points out the bigger problem: “It’s not like the system’s going to…

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