Government Accountability
How the left and right differ on reform
I was in DC on Monday at a conference hosted by the Brookings Institute on reforming Pennsylvania – yes, our state is so bad that we are a great case…
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How much do you work for Government?
Americans for Tax Reform has released their 2008 Cost of Government Report today, which happens to be Cost of Government day for the US. Their report is broader than…
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Read More: How much do you work for Government?Regulation
How long will PA’s smoking ban last?
Of course, Pennsylvania’s criminalization of smoking in private establishments hasn’t even gone into effect yet, but Jeremy Richards writes in the Heartland Institutes’s Budget & Tax News that “History…
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Read More: How long will PA’s smoking ban last?Taxes & Economy
Electricity Deregulation in Pennsylvania
In 2010, PPL rate caps will expire, which is expected to result in a sudden rise in the price of electricity. Ending government regulation signals an end to artificial…
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Movin’ Out
With all due respect to Billy Joel’s "Allentown," the tune which best describes Pennsylvania today would likely be "Movin' Out." For years, Pennsylvania has seen residents (particularly younger ones) move…
Commentary
Read More: Movin’ OutEducation
Report: Philly graduation rate 33% lower than suburbs
A new report on graduation rates in the largest US cities has troubling news for Philadelphia (and most urban districts). The Philadelphia City School District ranks 34th among the…
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Read More: Report: Philly graduation rate 33% lower than suburbsHealth Care
Give Consumers Choices in Health Care
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed a modified version of Governor Rendell’s "Cover All Pennsylvanians"—renaming it PA ABC (Access to Basic Care). Despite the clever acronym, the program…
Commentary
Read More: Give Consumers Choices in Health CareTaxes & Economy
Concerns About Turnpike Lease Misguided
Testimony before the PA House Transportation Committee Good morning. I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research…
Testimony
Read More: Concerns About Turnpike Lease MisguidedHealth Care
Stateline: Socialized Medicine = Fiscally Conservative
Stateline.org has an interesting article on health care funding in the states. The headline reads “On health care, govs are tightening belts.” Here are some examples of “belt-tightening”:…
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