Public Union Democracy

Protecting Seniors and Taxpayers from the Lottery Cliff

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 3, 2013

From the greatest generation to the latest generation, our senior citizens have sacrificed to make Pennsylvania safe and prosperous. Our seniors deserve world-class care and assurance that their growing needs…

Memo

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Regulation

Lottery Privatization Process = Full Term Pregnancy

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • December 28, 2012

Nine months is a long time…trust me, I’m seven months pregnant. So why are critics arguing the lottery bidding process has been hurried? Far from being secretive…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

PA Online Sales Tax Guidelines Claim First Casualty

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 30, 2011

When the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a new bulletin instructing online vendors about collecting state sales tax, tax reform advocates expressed a lot of concern. The new…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Chart of the Day: Shale Growth Fuels Tax Growth

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2011

We noted previously how the boom from Marcellus Shale natural gas has fueled a dramatic increase in state corporate tax collections.  Pennsylvania Department of Revenue data also show a…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Are Gas Drillers Paying Their “Fair Share”?

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • November 14, 2011

The Scranton Times-Tribune and the Patriot-News criticize HB 1950 (the natural gas fee proposal) for not taxing gas drillers enough, yet fail to include basic information about…

Media

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Regulation

Understanding the Proposed Gallonage Tax

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 16, 2011

Rep. Mike Turzai’s proposal to get state government out of the business of selling liquor (HB 11) would replace current alcohol taxes and fees with a “gallonage tax.” This…

Media

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State Budget

Pennsylvania’s $1.9 Billion Budget Shortfall

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 1, 2011

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released preliminary FY 2010-11 revenue collection. Their statement says: Fiscal year 2010-11 General Fund collections totaled $27.5 billion, which is $785.5 million,…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The Real Victims of a Severance Tax

  • June 7, 2011

Jim VanBlarcom, a busy Bradford County dairy farmer, set a work day aside to come to Harrisburg and tell his story to Gov. Tom Corbett's Marcellus Shale panel. Royalty money…

Commentary

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Regulation

The Phony “Surplus”

  • Nathan Benefield, Richard Dreyfuss
  • June 2, 2011

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released May General Fund tax collection data, and many lawmakers are clamoring to spend this “surplus”. But the idea there is any “surplus” is…

Media

Read More: The Phony “Surplus”