State Budget

Pork-Barrel Projects Take Taxpayers to Slaughterhouse

  • April 3, 2008

Commonwealth Foundation condemns earmarking of $12.7 billion in taxpayer debt HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation expressed disappointment in the Pennsylvania Senate’s passage of House Bill 1589, which authorizes $12.7…

Press Release

Read More: Pork-Barrel Projects Take Taxpayers to Slaughterhouse

Education

Report: Philly graduation rate 33% lower than suburbs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 1, 2008

A new report on graduation rates in the largest US cities has troubling news for Philadelphia (and most urban districts). The Philadelphia City School District ranks 34th among the…

Media

Read More: Report: Philly graduation rate 33% lower than suburbs

Taxes & Economy

John Baer: Nutter & Obama are awesome

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 18, 2008

When Saturday Night Live made a mockery of the media’s gushing over Barack Obama, I was surprised at how quickly media-types responded by leveling some criticism and by starting some…

Media

Read More: John Baer: Nutter & Obama are awesome

Health Care

Pennsylvania proposes to cheat Medicaid

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 10, 2008

Michael Cannon writes that the Rendell administration’s plan to tax Philly and Pittsburgh hospitals, but give them higher reimbursements from Medicaid is a great plan … for Pennsylvania.

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania proposes to cheat Medicaid

Taxes & Economy

A Philly Tax Cutter?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 10, 2008

City Journal sounding on what Mayor Nutter needs to do to turn the Philadelphia economy around. The results of the city’s hostility toward business are evident. While the…

Media

Read More: A Philly Tax Cutter?

State Budget

The Truth About Spending Limits

  • February 1, 2008

Pennsylvanians want limits placed on the annual increases in state government spending.  Despite the strong support of taxpayers, many special interest groups that profit from higher taxes and more government…

Fact Sheet

Read More: The Truth About Spending Limits

Taxes & Economy

Rendell’s Extreme Makeover

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 29, 2008

Jerry Bowyer’s op/ed on Governor Rendell’s extreme makeover – from a Philadelphia mayor who was: a leading “new Democrat” who had outsourced over 40 government functions, stared down…

Media

Read More: Rendell’s Extreme Makeover

Government Accountability

Campaign Finance Limits Destroy Democracy

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • January 23, 2008

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court recently upheld Philadelphia's law limiting the amount of money that an individual can contribute to a political candidate. While advocates of campaign contribution limits cheered the…

Commentary

Read More: Campaign Finance Limits Destroy Democracy

Bill for Turnpike Lobbying: $700,000

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 22, 2008

Joe Grata in the Post-Gazette with a look at the Turnpike Commission’s $700,000 in lobbying contracts for 2007 ($396,000 at the federal level and $316,000 for Harrisburg lobbyist –…

Media

Read More: Bill for Turnpike Lobbying: $700,000