Education

Assessing the Cost of Tom Wolf’s Spending and Tax Proposals

  • October 8, 2014

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf has proposed several new spending initiatives and tax code changes, though specific details remain lacking. To give Pennsylvanians a better idea of the impact of these proposals,…

Memo

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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

Read More: The Real Victims of a Severance Tax