More Pay to Play in Harrisburg?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 6, 2009

John Micek does some digging on the House Democrats $28,000 contract with a head hunting firm, as reported yesterday: House Democrats defended the contract, which was…

Media

Read More: More Pay to Play in Harrisburg?

State Budget

Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too High

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 6, 2009

A poll conducted by the NFIB shows that Pennsylvania voters think that taxes are too high – no surprise there, except to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, who…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Voters: Taxing, Spending Too High

Government Accountability

Transparency on PA’s Stimulus Money

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2009

Governor Rendell announced his ideas for “oversight” of the funding Pennsylvania will receive from the federal stimulus (related story here), and unveiled a new website – recovery.pa.gov…

Media

Read More: Transparency on PA’s Stimulus Money

Taxes & Economy

More of the Same Failed Policies of the Past

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2009

Here is a spot-on blog post from the Cato Institute that I originally missed, but it is one of my favorite themes – that government spending dramatically increased…

Media

Read More: More of the Same Failed Policies of the Past

Education

Pennsylvania School Boards Want Less Government

  • March 4, 2009

The Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) is tired of amassing unfunded regulations from state legislators that grow school bureaucracies instead of improving education. In response, the PSBA has proposed legislation…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania School Boards Want Less Government

Taxes & Economy

Rendell: Unemployment Benefits will Cost State

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 4, 2009

As we have noted previously, the federal stimulus includes an increase to unemployment compensation that would also drive up state costs, and leave states on the hook once the…

Media

Read More: Rendell: Unemployment Benefits will Cost State

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2009

  • March 3, 2009

Updates on Pennsylvania’s Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the February revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.27 billion short for…

Press Release

Read More: Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: March 2009

Taxes & Economy

New PA International Business Strategy

  • March 3, 2009

Last week, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on the state of international business in Pennsylvania. Their conclusion: Central PA needs more international…

Media

Read More: New PA International Business Strategy

Criminal Justice Reform

Reforming State Corrections

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 3, 2009

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has a story on a Pew study on the cost of incarceration/corrections in states.  There is little question that the cost of our prisons…

Media

Read More: Reforming State Corrections