Energy

Natural Gas Severance Tax

  • March 20, 2015

A severance tax must be considered in light of the state’s total tax structure. Pennsylvania taxes the natural gas industry in many ways that don’t exist in other drilling states.

Fact Sheet

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Taxes & Economy

Fair Share? How Pennsylvania Gas Taxes Compare

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 2, 2015

Pennsylvania is the only top natural gas producing state that doesn’t tax drilling. Sound familiar? It’s a favorite argument of tax proponents, but it misses the big picture. Pennsylvania taxes…

Media

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Regulation

PA Tops in Corporate Welfare

  • May 14, 2014

Pennsylvania’s system of economic development subsidies costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually, yet this spending does little to promote overall job growth. Given the state’s fiscal hurdles,…

Media

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Regulation

End Special Subsidies to Lower Taxes for All

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • February 26, 2014

Taxpayers have spent millions on four different occasions to subsidize the infamous “Sony site” in Westmoreland County. In the 1970’s Volkswagen got $70 million in state aid under Gov.

Media

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Regulation

Should Taxpayers Subsidize Chocolate Making?

  • September 20, 2012

I testified yesterday before the House Finance Committee about how government-directed “economic development” hampers economic growth. A prime example of this happened Tuesday, where taxpayers forked over more…

Media

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Regulation

Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy

  • September 19, 2012

Testimony of Katrina M. Currie to Pennsylvania House Finance Committee, September 19, 2012 Good afternoon, my name is Katrina Currie; I am a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s…

Testimony

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Energy

Marcellus Shale Impact Fee

  • October 28, 2011

Companies should pay for the cost of government they use.  Many advocates of a new tax simply want more money for Harrisburg politicians to dole out.

Fact Sheet

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Education

What the PHEAA is Going On?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 17, 2011

The Patriot News reports that former Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) boss Michael Hershock got $200,000 in a settlement over his 2009 firing.   To recap, he was fired…

Media

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Energy

Never Enough Green for Renewable Energy

  • October 27, 2010

According to Pennsylvania's Public Utilities Commission, the annual cost of ownership for solar energy per kilowatt-hour is over 700% more than the cost of coal, and wind energy is almost…

Commentary

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