Staff

Taxes & Economy

Utility Rates Drop Again Thanks to Marcellus Drilling

• March 5, 2012

Natural gas drilling is continuing to provide significant savings for Pennsylvania families across the state through lower electricity and natural gas prices. Last week, PPL Electric Utilities, servicing eastern…

Media

PLCB Stars in Magnum P.U.!

• March 5, 2012

While Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board execs have been jet setting around the globe on the taxpayer dime to Paris, Dubai, Barcelona and Argentina, their taxpayer-paid marketing team has been…

Media

State Budget

Chart of the Day: Welfare Spending

• Elizabeth Stelle
• March 5, 2012

Total welfare spending in Pennsylvania more than tripled from 1991 to 2012, rising 227 percent. During the same period (1991-2011) population rose by a paltry 6.7 percent. It goes without…

Media

Public Union Democracy

The Squeeze: Government Unions’ Grip on Pennsylvanians

• Priya Brannick
• March 5, 2012

Pennsylvania's government unions wield tremendous political influence and advance policies that harm the commonwealth's taxpayers, children, and even their own members. Pennsylvania is a forced union state, meaning even workers…

Report

State expands banned crimes for school district employees

• March 5, 2012

Media Hit

PLCB: One Bourbon, One Scotch, Two Bills

• March 2, 2012

In a massive money mishap that would make Delaware Destroyer George Thorogood mad to the bone, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s latest snafu comes at, not surprisingly, the customer’s expense.

Media

State Budget

Big Government Limits Economic Growth

• March 2, 2012

Last month, Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget address kicked off state budget negotiations. As lawmakers debate priorities, one thing is crystal clear—low government spending fosters economic growth. The Mercatus Center’s…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Pop Quiz: Would You Pay $126 or $84 for the Same Product?

• Matthew Brouillette
• March 2, 2012

Yesterday, we noted how Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage law is a “rent” for labor unions.  Here’s an example of how it plays out in real life—when our schools are…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Businesses Face the Highest Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• March 1, 2012

A new study from the Tax Foundation finds that mature Pennsylvania businesses are the highest taxed in the nation. Newly established operations in the commonwealth are the second highest taxed,…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Rent Seeking: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Musical

• Priya Brannick
• March 1, 2012

“Rent” isn’t just a depressing musical about New Yorkers facing AIDS. It’s also a term economists use to describe the benefits special interests win for themselves in the political…

Media

Regulation

Sounding the Alarm to Save Pennsylvania

• February 29, 2012

A four-alarm fire is engulfing Pennsylvania's economy.  If we don't regain control of the state debt, corrections costs, public welfare growth and government employee pensions, our state taxpayers will be…

Commentary

State Budget

5 Scary Facts about Pennsylvania’s Welfare Spending

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 29, 2012

Welfare spending in Pennsylvania is out of control. The Department of Public Welfare is now the largest department in the state. It will continue to crowd out education, environmental…

Media

Education

Pennsylvania K-12 Education Spending

• February 29, 2012

Pennsylvania's K-12 education revenue increased from $13 billion in 1995-96 to $26 billion in 2009-10. Adjusted for inflation, that represents a 44% increase in revenue per student.  …

Fact Sheet

Got Freedom? PLCB Has No App for That!

• February 28, 2012

Ah yes, the Merry Minions of Merlot, makers of mediocrity, mismanagement and the modish mockery of “modernization” are at it again.  But instead of truly bringing us into the 21st…

Media

Education

Exposing Two Class Size Myths

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 27, 2012

The Patriot-News reports that while schools in the mid-state have laid off some employees, most districts are still below the national average student-teacher ratio of 15.1. The student-teacher ratio…

Media

Tobacco tax could boost Phantoms’ arena zone development

• February 26, 2012

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania’s Once-Great Cities

• Nathan Benefield
• February 23, 2012

If you missed it, ReasonTV put out a great video on the city of Harrisburg’s fiscal disaster, asking whether Harrisburg’s nightmare is America’s Future. Much of what…

Media

Regulation

Goodbye Gus, Hello Private Partnerships

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 23, 2012

Say goodbye to the second-most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. Not having Gus in Pennsylvania lottery commercials will save $140,000. But changes in the state lottery may not end with dropping…

Media

Much needed repairs to the Capitol Complex to cost $55 million

• February 23, 2012

Media Hit

Rights Buttons

• February 22, 2012

Commentary

Criminal Justice Reform

Sec. John Wetzel Talks Corrections Reforms on The BOX

• February 22, 2012

In latest podcast from The BOX, Corrections Secretary John Wetzel chats with Matt Brouillette about reducing the cost of corrections – a major expenditure in the Pennsylvania state budget…

Media