Regulation

Cigarette Taxes Increase Crime

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 21, 2010

Our friends at the Mackinac Center have released a study on the smuggling of cigarettes due to high cigarette taxes. While politicians often tout raising taxes as a tool to…

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Taxes & Economy

Which States are Stealing Pennsylvania Residents?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 17, 2010

The Tax Foundation has launched a new, awesome interactive tool that looks at IRS data, tracking moves into and out of each state. The bottom line for Pennsylvania is…

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Regulation

Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Corporate Taxes

  • June 29, 2010

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

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Criminal Justice Reform

Instituting Meaningful Corrections Reform

  • February 11, 2010

Eric Boehm has a good article on the opportunity to help balance the state budget by reforming prison and probation. The inmate population in Pennsylvania’s prisons is growing at…

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Taxes & Economy

Who Pays Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax? Part III

  • December 18, 2009

Pennsylvania has a flat rate Personal Income Tax (PIT) of 3.07%.   In this blog series, I will highlight some real facts about Pennsylvania’s PIT.  Visit Who Pays the…

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Government Accountability

Will State Lawmakers Take a Pay Cut?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 18, 2009

As many readers will be aware, Pennsylvania lawmakers, judges, and executive branch officials receive an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), using the CPI for Philadelphia as the measure for inflation. What…

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Criminal Justice Reform

Pennsylvania Corrections Spending

  • October 15, 2009

Facing a massive budget deficit, and with sizeable financial obligations looming, Pennsylvania needs to re-examine how taxpayer dollars are spent.  Spending on the Department of Corrections has grown far beyond…

Fact Sheet

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Taxes & Economy

Two New State Business Climate Rankings

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 25, 2009

The Tax Foundation released their updated State Business Tax Climate Index for FY 2010. In the latest rendition, Pennsylvania ranks 27th overall. Broken down by category the Keystone State…

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