Government Accountability
Government Transparency in Pennsylvania Becomes a Reality
The last few months saw immense partisan animosity and demeaning comments during numerous spats under the Capitol Dome. But amid the fiscal fist fights over school choice, a natural gas…
Commentary
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Corbett’s First Inning Scorecard
July signals the coming of two breaks in Pennsylvania—Major League Baseball's All-Star break and the end of the state budget season. Having endured his first budget as the commonwealth's chief…
Commentary
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Spending Transparency Coming to Pennsylvania at Last
Pennsylvania taxpayers are one step closer to finding out exactly how state government spends their money. Yesterday, the legislature passed HB 15 to establish PennWATCH—a free public spending database…
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Spending Transparency Coming to Pennsylvania?
PennWATCH (House Bill 15), sponsored by Rep. Jim Christiana, would create a user-friendly database with searchable information on all state government spending. The bill passed the Pennsylvania House unanimously on…
Commentary
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Pileggi Ignores Support for Real Pension Reform
Here is a letter I sent to the West Chester Daily Local, responding to a piece by state Sen. Dominic Pileggi, which argues for passing a flawed pension bill now,…
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Why Not A Defined Contribution Retirement Plan for Public Employees?
In a Capitolwire story about the Pennsylvania pension “reform” bill that would primarily defer costs to the future, Sen. Pat Browne says, We tried to go as…
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State Feeds Addiction by Creating A New Bureaucracy
Pennsylvania will soon be introduced to a new state bureaucracy. As lawmakers were finishing up the state budget, legislation was overwhelmingly approved and later signed by the Governor, to…
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Will the Budget Include an Independent Fiscal Office?
With much to jeer in this year’s budget one silver lining is the proposed Independent Fiscal Office. That is, if House Democrats don’t kill the proposal. Language to create…
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Government Preschool Delivers Few Results
State Sen. Pat Browne is quoted on John Micek’s blog Wednesday, citing an oft-repeated claim that government funding for preschool is one of the “best investments” of taxpayer money:…
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