Taxes & Economy

The Fizz Tax Is on the Fritz

• August 15, 2017

Philadelphia’s soda tax was the final blow to the Orlando family’s nearly 70-year-old bakery. The business closed earlier this month following a steep decline in sales after the soda…

Media

State Budget

Cost of Proposed Tax Hikes: 3,600 Jobs Lost

• Nathan Benefield
• August 2, 2017

The tax hikes included in the revenue plan passed by the Senate (26-24) and supported by Gov. Wolf amount to nearly $600 million in total new taxes for next…

Testimony

Criminal Justice Reform

Policy Memo: Principles for State Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• June 14, 2017

With the 2017 budget, lawmakers have an opportunity to double down on the idea of reinventing government and adopt meaningful reforms that will save taxpayers money, stimulate economic growth, and improve services…

Memo

State Budget

Three States Offer a Glimpse into Pennsylvania’s Three Possible Futures

• June 7, 2017

Raising taxes on the wealthy is the answer to Pennsylvania’s fiscal problems. At least, that’s what we’re told by government union executives and their allies. But Connecticut's experience paints a very…

Media

Regulation

Op-Ed: Zippo Lights the Way on Pension Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• May 25, 2017

When you think of lighters, you probably think of Zippo. Recently, the company announced a move that shines light of a different kind: Zippo is transitioning from pension plans for its…

Commentary

Regulation

News Release: State Senate Committee Advances Critical Pension Overhaul

• May 24, 2017

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee approved SB 1, a critical overhaul of Pennsylvania’s troubled public pension system. The bill offers new public workers a side-by-side hybrid pension option that…

Press Release

State Budget

News Release: Pa. Spends Nearly One-Third of Year Working to Pay Taxes

• April 20, 2017

April 18 was this year’s tax return filing deadline, but how long do Pennsylvanians work to earn enough to pay their total tax bill? In 2017, that date—dubbed Tax Freedom…

Press Release

Regulation

The Strong Case for?and Weak Case Against?Pension Reform

• April 18, 2017

Pennsylvania’s public pension plans are woefully underfunded, with enough assets to cover just 60 percent of liabilities. This poor financial showing has relegated the commonwealth to the bottom of the Tax Foundation’s ranking of…

Media

Changing the Conversation

• February 1, 2017

To leverage this evolving medium, Commonwealth Foundation recently launched its new podcast, Commonwealth Insight. This podcast brings national, state, and local leaders into a forum where listeners can learn about…

Commentary