Taxes & Economy

Lancaster County Home Rule Charter Vote

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 30, 2008

Here is some information I have compiled on the Lancaster County home rule ballot measure (per a request from a Lancaster County Resident). Currently six counties in Pennsylvania have…

Media

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Government Accountability

More on ACORN and Voter Fraud

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 9, 2008

As a followup to Jessica’s post on ACORN and Voter Fraud, here are some recent updates: The Tribune Review notes that investigations of ACORN could be coming to…

Media

Read More: More on ACORN and Voter Fraud

Taxes & Economy

Property Taxes by State and by County

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 29, 2008

The Tax Foundation has a new analysis of property taxes by state and by county. The state data shows that Pennsylvania ranks 15th in median property taxes ($2,159),…

Media

Read More: Property Taxes by State and by County

Taxes & Economy

End of the “Second Whiskey Rebellion”?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 4, 2008

The Allegheny Institute writes that a court ruling, disallowing a referendum on the Allegheny County drink tax, will likely be overturned on appeal, because is so shoddy. Pittsburgh…

Media

Read More: End of the “Second Whiskey Rebellion”?

Regulation

Steelers and the Death Tax (and stadium subsidies)

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 17, 2008

Wall Street Journal article on how the estate tax may force the Rooney’s to sell the Steelers (not to mention other family owned sports teams, newspapers, and even…

Media

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How many lobbyists does it take to drive a bus?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 20, 2008

Mass transit is in trouble, we are told. Despite exposes of waste, legislators and the Governor feel we need to pump more money into transit systems (without reforming them),…

Media

Read More: How many lobbyists does it take to drive a bus?

Colossal Waste of Tax Dollars for Useless Education Study

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 16, 2007

Allegheny Institute Policy Brief on the “costing out study”. To further illustrate the wrongheadedness of the study, consider its recommendation for two Southwestern Pennsylvania school districts that…

Media

Read More: Colossal Waste of Tax Dollars for Useless Education Study

$2 million spent by PHEAA on giveaways

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 5, 2007

Jan Murphy of the Patriot News exposes more PHEAA expenses – including “giveaways” such as golf balls, LL Bean Jackets, and T-Shirts bearing the PHEAA logo, I-Pods and DVD…

Media

Read More: $2 million spent by PHEAA on giveaways

Taxes & Economy

Mass Transit Reform: Lessons for Pennsylvania

  • June 26, 2007

Executive Summary Pennsylvania’s two major public transit agencies, the Philadelphia-area Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Pittsburgh-based Port Authority Transit (PAT), have been in financial crisis for years, with…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Mass Transit Reform: Lessons for Pennsylvania