Education

Education Funding in the Commonwealth

  • January 10, 2024

Pennsylvania Outspends the Nation on Public Schools Pennsylvania ranks among the highest-spending states on public education. According to National Center for Education Statistics data, as of fiscal year (FY) 2021,…

Backgrounder

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Regulation

Sparks Fly Over Creating a Carbon Tax in Pa.

  • Tirzah Duren
  • October 29, 2019

Walk outs, tin foil hats, and shouts from the audience characterized a tense House Energy and Environmental Resources hearing on Governor Wolf’s executive order to join the Regional…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Wolf Pollutes the Discussion on RGGI

  • Tirzah Duren
  • October 18, 2019

Power plants aren’t the only things blowing smoke in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf’s executive order forcing the state to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is based on deceptive “findings.” And…

Media

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Three Reasons to Avoid Tobacco Taxes

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • June 20, 2016

Media reports indicate the state House is formulating a tobacco tax package to raise an estimated $500 million. The proposal reflects Wolf’s original plan to raise cigarette…

Media

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Cigarette Taxes Aren’t a Budget Fix

  • May 10, 2016

Gov. Wolf’s plan to raise taxes by more than $2.7 billion stands little chance of passing the legislature. Indeed, Republican legislative leaders effectively nixed the governor’s proposal last…

Media

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Education

Two New Studies Show Benefits of School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 19, 2011

As the debate on school choice continues in Pennsylvania, a couple recent studies highlight the benefits of school voucher programs in the U.S. and internationally. The first study looks at…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

The Impact of Unions on Public Policy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 11, 2010

The latest Cato Journal takes on the topic of “Are Unions Good for America?” The journal features a number of good articles on issues of relevance nationally and in…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

A Failure of Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 10, 2009

The Institute of Economic Affairs in Britain has a new paper on the role of government in economic contractions in the United States, noting the interventions policies of Hoover…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

State Income Taxes and Economic Growth

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 10, 2008

The Cato Journal has an article looking at the effects of state taxes and economic growth. Their finding, which should not surprise our readers, is that high marginal…

Media

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