Government Accountability
Reviving the Push for Transparency
Taxpayers scored a victory last year with the passage of Senate Bill 644 (now Act 15). The new law requires the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) to provide cost…
Media
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The Cost of Pennsylvania’s Pension Crisis
In recent Appropriation Committee hearings, Pennsylvania’s two statewide pension funds (PSERS and SERS) reported $62.2 billion in unfunded liabilities (or debt) that taxpayers must pay. This number—which assumes…
Media
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Obamacare: Say No to Status Quo
A recent WSJ/NBC poll shows almost everyone supports reforming Obamacare. Only 4% think Obamacare is working well as is. A majority (52%) think it needs a major overhaul or…
Media
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Protect Students, Not Subsidies
Gov. Wolf’s request to reduce tax credits by $100 million is causing a stir in the legislature. According to a Capitolwire story (paywall), Republicans raised objections on several fronts,…
Media
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Policy Memo: The Downside of Raising the Minimum Wage
In February, Gov. Wolf proposed raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $12, claiming a higher minimum wage will raise revenue, reduce welfare participation and spur job growth. These claims are…
Memo
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Expanding School Choice is Vital to Pa. Children
It's nearly impossible to overstate the significance of Pennsylvania's private school scholarship programs. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) have created more than 500,000…
Media
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Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2017
February proved to be another poor month for revenue collections. For the fourth straight month—and now seven of the last eight—collections fell short of official estimates from the the Pennsylvania Department of…
Media
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Op-Ed: Is the Sky Falling on Children’s Education?
In the aftermath of Betsy DeVos’s confirmation as Secretary of Education, opponents predict she could decimate public education. Their perspective is misguided, unsupported by facts, and ultimately harmful for the future…
Commentary
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Double-Down on Reinventing Government
Imagine if Stephen King had written Green Eggs and Ham. What if Dr. Seuss had penned The Shining? Gov. Wolf’s third budget address was an equally disorienting shift in tone…
Media
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