Taxes & Economy

PA Property Tax Administration 2nd Worst in Nation

June 9, 2011

This past May, the commonwealth tied for second worse in the nation in state property tax administration, according to the Council On State Taxation (COST). States were evaluated in…

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Education

Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying at Pitt

Elizabeth Stelle
June 8, 2011

A reader shared the letter below from the University of Pittsburgh. It urges all parents and students to contact their state legislators and protest higher education cuts in the proposed…

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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

Regulation

Pennsylvania State Pension Liabilities

June 6, 2011

PSERS and SERS project total taxpayer contributions will increase from $1.1 billion this year to more than $5.5 billion in 2016—a 421% increase in five years.

Fact Sheet

Taxes & Economy

Marcellus Hiring Spree Continues

Elizabeth Stelle
June 6, 2011

The Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (the research arm of the Department of Labor and Industry) released their April Marcellus Shale Fast Facts, demonstrating tremendous growth in Marcellus…

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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

Union Red Herring Erring

June 2, 2011

The recent Pennsylvania AFL-CIO media campaign to malign Rep. Scott Perry by saying he wants to “punish workers” is as off base as it is disingenuous. The union, for…

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Public Union Democracy

Pennsylvania’s State Union Contracts

June 2, 2011

On June 30, 2011, 15 of the state's 19 government union contracts expire, with two more expiring in August. These 19 public sector unions represent 62,271 state employees, whose compensation…

Fact Sheet

Education

Make the Case to Voters

Nathan Benefield
June 1, 2011

My letter to the editor in today’s Post-Gazette on school tax referendum. The article “Groups Fighting…

Media