Tax on Tag Tough to Take

• April 19, 2011

From the “You can’t make this stuff up file,” nanny state legislators from New York have finally found a way to tax toughness by enacting a punitive tax…

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State Budget

Understanding the Pennsylvania State Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• March 7, 2011

Pennsylvania's total state operating budget for FY 2010-11 is approximately $65.4 billion-or $5,193 for every man, woman and child in the commonwealth.  This policy brief looks at the entire state…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Is State Bankruptcy a Solution?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 16, 2011

What do New York, California and Illinois have in common? They are in fiscal disarray and may soon be asking for a bailout from Congress. Bailing out these states would…

Media

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…

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Regulation

Joel Klein Gets the Public Pension Problem

• Nathan Benefield
• January 10, 2011

Joel Klein has an excellent article on teacher pensions in today’s Wall Street Journal: Whether the investment returns are there or not, defined-benefit pensions require the government to…

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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…

Media

Unemployment Compensation Time Bomb Set to Explode

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 2, 2010

Unemployment woes are back in the news.  With benefit extensions up for debate, a much bigger unemployment problem is on the horizon. Pennsylvania’s unemployment compensation fund is bankrupt, but…

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Taxes & Economy

PENNVEST to Vote on $12 Million “Pipeline to Nowhere” Tomorrow

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 8, 2010

Tomorrow, November 9th, PENNVEST will meet to approve a $12 million dollar grant & loan to construct a 12 mile water line from Montrose to Dimock Township in…

Media

Health Care

Is FactCheck Recycling Talking Points on ObamaCare?

• Nathan Benefield
• October 29, 2010

Here is an email I sent to FactCheck.org: Your recent article claims insurance premiums won’t go up. Are you kidding? Simple economics, or the experience of states like…

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