Regulation

The Pennsylvania Pension Bailout

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 25, 2009

Pennsylvania legislators are drawing nearer to implementing a bailout bill for Philadelphia and a state takeover for insolvent municipal pension funds in cities like Pittsburgh. While pension reforms are…

Media

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Health Care

ObamaCare Is Bad Medicine for Pennsylvania

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 25, 2009

America faces divergent prescriptions for health care reform—one calling for more government control, the other for patient empowerment. Unfortunately President Obama, Governor Rendell, and Democrats in Congress and…

Commentary

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Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Sales Tax Exemptions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 25, 2009

There has been some discussion lately about filling the Pennsylvania budget hole with additional revenue by expanding the state sales tax to include currently exempt goods, services, or categories.

Media

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Regulation

Problem of PA Prison Population and Price

  • August 25, 2009

Last week Bill Cosby declared that it only costs taxpayers $4,000 a year to educate a child, but $33,000 a year to incarcerate someone (this statement is inaccurate, unless…

Media

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Regulation

What Happens When There is No Funding for Corporate Welfare?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 24, 2009

Gov. Rendell has noted on many occasions that without large state “economic development” grant programs, Pennsylvania’s economy would tank. He has argued that the Senate budget, which would eliminate many…

Media

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Public Union Democracy

Address the Spending Side on Road Funding First

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 21, 2009

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issued a statement responding to our blog post that explains state transportation spending has increased 121% since 1995, more than triple the rate…

Media

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Regulation

We’re Twice as Smart of the People of Shelbyville

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • August 21, 2009

Harley-Davidson continues to tour business friendly states to re-locate its York plant that employs over 2,000 workers – among the four options considered are Shelbyville, Indiana and Shelbyville, Kentucky.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Auditor General Finds More Waste and Fraud in Pennsylvania Welfare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 20, 2009

A new report from Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner finds that the Special Allowances program in the Department of Public Welfare is “rife with mismanagement and potential for fraud.” …

Media

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Who is Blogging about CF?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 20, 2009

Lots of love from the Blogosphere about Commonwealth Foundation studies, events, are blog posts this week: Tony Phyrillas writes about the high level of debt in Pennsylvania state…

Media

Read More: Who is Blogging about CF?