Government Accountability
Unlearned State Budget Lessons
Charles Mitchell, newly appointed President and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, appeared last week on PMA Perspective to discuss this year’s state budget process and the “unlearned lessons” of last…
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Budget: Still Irresponsible, Still Unbalanced
Budget: Still Irresponsible, Still Unbalanced Despite Fanfare, Budget Remains $300 Million in the Red July 14, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Yesterday, Gov. Wolf and lawmakers approved a tax and revenue package…
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Legislature Sends $600 Million Tax Increase to Gov. Wolf
Legislature Sends $600 Million Tax Increase to Gov. Wolf Pennsylvanians to Pay More for Cigarettes, eBooks, Apps, Streaming Video July 13, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Hoping to balance the unconstitutional, unbalanced…
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State Spending Addiction Leads to Tax Hike
Lawmakers are on the cusp of pushing through a $650 million tax increase on working Pennsylvanians. Earlier this afternoon—without much warning or debate—a conference committee passed House Bill…
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Pa. Enters Day #1 of Illegal, Unbalanced State Budget
Pa. Enters Day #1 of Illegal, Unbalanced State Budget Gov. Wolf Abdicates Constitutional Responsibility to Correct Legislature’s Error July 12, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Today is uncharted territory for Pennsylvania.
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Will Wolf-Enacted Budget Violate Law?
Will Wolf-Enacted Budget Violate Law? Law Requires Gov. to Veto Spending Above Official Revenue Estimates July 11, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Governor Tom Wolf yesterday announced he would allow the $31.6 billion…
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Gov. Wolf’s Budget Reversal
In his many press conferences about Pennsylvania's fiscal future, Gov. Wolf was adamant about one thing: the state budget must be truly balanced. He lambasted the General Assembly for its…
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Lower State Spending Could Improve Bond Rating
Last week Moody’s warned an out-of-balance state budget could result in another credit downgrading. By not acting to balance the budget, Governor Wolf is aiding in the devaluation of the…
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Philadelphia’s Cigarette Tax Falls Short
Philadelphia collected nearly $59 million in cigarette taxes between July 2015 and June 2016. Well below the $77.5 million originally anticipated by state lawmakers, according to Anna Orso…
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