Taxes & Economy

PA Gets Mediocre Grade on Economic Freedom

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 10, 2008

Not suprisingly, given other state rankings, Pennsylvania gets a mediocre grade on the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America report for 2008. PA ranks tied for 26th…

Media

Read More: PA Gets Mediocre Grade on Economic Freedom

State Budget

Kanjorski Earmark Denied

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 9, 2008

The US Department of Transportation is refusing to fund an earmark put in place by Rep. Kanjorski. The earmark was intended to fund a parking garage near Kanjorski’s monument…

Media

Read More: Kanjorski Earmark Denied

State Budget

Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budget

  • July 7, 2008

No one can say we didn’t warn lawmakers that their 4.06% increase in spending for the 2008-09 fiscal year was not fiscally prudent. The AP reports that Rendell,…

Media

Read More: Gambling in PA … with a $28 billion budget

Regulation

Time to end earmarks and WAMs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 7, 2008

Good op-ed in the Patriot News by William G. Williams on the need to end Congressional earmarks and WAMs by the PA General Assembly: For years in…

Media

Read More: Time to end earmarks and WAMs

The Transportation Committee Cerberus

  • July 6, 2008

Rep. Joe Markosek wants to become the next Cerberus of the General Assembly. Of course, that title is currently held by Rep. Babette Josephs for bottling up…

Media

Read More: The Transportation Committee Cerberus

Government Accountability

What can we cut?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 5, 2008

An anonymous poster to GrassrootsPA defends the recently enacted state budget against criticism from the Commonwealth Foundation, along with that in other comments. The budget…

Media

Read More: What can we cut?

Government Accountability

More Spending, More Debt, Less Transparency

  • July 4, 2008

Commonwealth Foundation expresses disappointment in overall budget deal HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation provided its perspective on the FY 2008-09 budget agreement making its way to the governor’s…

Press Release

Read More: More Spending, More Debt, Less Transparency

Health Care

Questionable Benefits of State Mandates for Health Insurance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 3, 2008

The Pacific Research Institute a new study on the cost of health insurance mandates.  As would be expected (see our commentary on autism and slacker mandates), they find…

Media

Read More: Questionable Benefits of State Mandates for Health Insurance

Health Care

New Mandates A Step Backwards in Health Care Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 2, 2008

State lawmakers claim to hear the cries of Pennsylvania residents about the escalating costs of health care. Unfortunately, instead of pushing reforms to help lower the costs of care, some…

Commentary

Read More: New Mandates A Step Backwards in Health Care Reform