Health Care

Treating the Symptom Rather than the Cause

• Matthew Brouillette
• January 22, 2007

Governor Rendell wants to expand health insurance to 767,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians by increasing taxes on employers and tobacco users, to name just a few. The full costs have yet to…

Commentary

New Pa. House members get free cars

• Nathan Benefield
• January 19, 2007

Nearly half of the new state legislators are taking taxpayer-funded cars, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (see list of lawmakers, vehicles, and price tag here). The quandry some have…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Public-Private Partnerships: Paying for Our Paving

• January 17, 2007

Pennsylvania is facing a $1.7 billion annual shortfall in funding for roads, bridges and mass transit. The only thing worse than the deficit is the proposed “solution” to this shortfall:…

Commentary

Will leasing PA Turnpike be a 21st-century taxpayer bargain?

• December 31, 2006

Will leasing PA Turnpike be a 21st-century taxpayer bargain?By MARC LEVYAssociated Press Writer HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP, Dec. 30) – Let the bidding begin. With lots of private money looking…

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To lease or not to lease

• Nathan Benefield
• December 20, 2006

From Capitolwire.com (subscription): While Gov. Ed Rendell waits for a Dec. 22 deadline for private firms to submit “expressions of interest” to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike, public policy…

Media

Turnpike Lease is Win-Win for Taxpayers, Lawmakers

• Nathan Benefield
• December 12, 2006

Governor Rendell’s recent announcement that the state would seek “expressions of interest” on a lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is a recognition of the potential benefits of public-private partnerships (P3s)…

Commentary

Amtrak service between Philly, Harrisburg trying to improve on ‘beyond pathetic’

• Nathan Benefield
• December 5, 2006

The Morning Call reports that the $145 million taxpayer grant to Amtrak for “high speed rail.” Not only was this project not worth the benefit (See here), but…

Media

Local Lawmakers Collect Thousands Before Leaving Office

• November 30, 2006

WGAL’s Ben Simmoneau reports…. “After he gave himself a pay raise last year, the voters tossed Lebanon County state Rep. Pete Zug out of office on May 16. Dauphin…

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Sense of Irony?

• Nathan Benefield
• November 17, 2006

The PA House Democratic Leadership Letter features two items that either show a sense of irony, or a complete blindless to the shadiness of Harrisburg politics. The first items…

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