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Education
Key Takeaways from Governor’s 2024 Budget Proposal
Key Points Gov. Josh Shapiro’s startling spending increases and myriad of new initiatives would explode the budget deficit and invite massive tax hikes on working families in the coming years.
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Energy
Pa. Travelers’ Guide: Summer Gasoline Prices
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State Budget
Five Ways to Cut $5 Billion
Tom Corbett campaigned for Governor of Pennsylvania on a pledge not to raise taxes or fees to balance the state's $66 billion budget. With the loss of nearly $3 billion…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Five Ways to Cut $5 BillionHealth Care
Long-Term Care Reform
Long-term care is very expensive whether provided in a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or in someone's home. Medicaid pays for most professional long-term care (LTC) in Pennsylvania. LTC…
Report
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13 Reasons to Oppose HB 2497
Pennsylvania's largest public pension plans—Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees Retirement System (SERS)—are severely underfunded. But instead of reforming the defined-benefit pension system and paying down these…
Fact Sheet
Read More: 13 Reasons to Oppose HB 2497Regulation
Union Pension Bailout & Generational Theft
Pennsylvania's largest public pension plans—Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees Retirement System (SERS)—are severely underfunded. But instead of reforming the defined-benefit pension system and paying down these…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Union Pension Bailout & Generational TheftHealth Care
Health Care Reform: An Update
Before enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Congress had to pass the bill before we'd find out what's in…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Health Care Reform: An UpdateTaxes & Economy
Growing Money on Trees
In December 2009, the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee (PCCAC), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS), released its report,…
Report
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PennFuture’s Lobbying
PennFuture (a.k.a. Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future), the organization founded by Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection John Hanger over 10 years ago, frequently criticizes the lobbying by traditional energy industries. But…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Corporate Taxes
The Commonwealth has the second highest state corporate income tax (behind Iowa, which has more generous deductions and exemptions). When compounding state and federal corporate taxes, Pennsylvania's corporate income tax…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Corporate TaxesEducation
Pennsylvania Education Spending
Pennsylvania's education spending increased from $4 billion in 1980 to over $25 billion in 2009-a 133% increase in per-pupil spending, after adjusting for inflation. School construction and debt spending has…
Fact Sheet
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A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania
A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania identifies opportunities to cut over $4 billion in wasteful state spending in Gov. Rendell's proposed FY 2010-11 budget. The report also offers…
Report
Read More: A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Boom
The Marcellus Shale formation is believed to be the largest unconventional natural gas reservoir in America, and its exploration has been coined a modern-day gold rush. More than a mile…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas BoomRegulation
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Tobacco Taxes
Gov. Rendell proposed a tax of 30% on the retail price of cigars and smokeless tobacco products, in hopes of collecting $42 million in the upcoming fiscal year.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Tobacco TaxesState Budget
Pennsylvania State Budget Resources
Pennsylvania faces a projected General Fund tax revenue shortfall of at least $1 billion. Governor Rendell proposed a $29 billion General Fund budget for 2010-11 that increases businesses taxes, imposes…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania State Budget ResourcesState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Unemployment Compensation
Pennsylvania has borrowed over $3 billion from the federal government to keep its unemployment compensation fund solvent. Only California, with three times the population and a much higher unemployment rate,…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Unemployment CompensationPublic Union Democracy
Public vs. Private Employment & Pay
Pennsylvania's private sector lost 113,600 jobs while state and local governments added 40,200 positions between 2000 and 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, public-sector…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Public vs. Private Employment & PayState Budget
Pennsylvania State & Local Taxpayer Debt
Gov. Ed Rendell frequently argues that Pennsylvania taxpayers can afford to incur more state debt. However, in order to justify the borrowing of billions of dollars, the governor conveniently ignores…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania State & Local Taxpayer DebtState Budget
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2010
With April collections in the book, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue reports that state General Fund revenues are $1.1 billion below estimate for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2010Taxes & Economy
Transportation Special Session Survival Guide
Gov. Rendell has called a special session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to discuss transportation funding. Here are some resources on financing and managing Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Transportation Special Session Survival GuideState Budget
PA Budget Facts 2010: Pennsylvania Sales Tax Expansion
Gov. Rendell has proposed lowering Pennsylvania's Sales & Use Tax from 6% to 4% and expanding the tax to 74 goods and services currently not taxed. This is the fourth…
Fact Sheet
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Budget Facts 2010: Natural Gas Severance Tax
Gov. Rendell has proposed a tax of 5% on the value of extracted natural gas, plus $.047 per thousand cubic feet of extracted gas. There is an exemption for marginal…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Budget Facts 2010: Natural Gas Severance TaxGovernment Accountability
The Case for a Citizen Legislature
The operating cost of the Pennsylvania General Assembly has steadily increased, while Pennsylvania's economy has been stagnant. The Keystone State's burden of state and local taxes is among the heaviest…
Fact Sheet
Read More: The Case for a Citizen Legislature