State Budget

Pennsylvania State Debt

  • August 31, 2009

In addition to the state operating budget, Pennsylvania lawmakers each year pass a capital budget, outlining how much the state can borrow, and detailing projects which may be funded through…

Fact Sheet

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Regulation

State and local owe enormous obligations to retirees

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 23, 2009

The Allegheny Institute has a new policy report examining the pension plans of the 10 largest Pennsylvania cities. They find these plans have a combined unfunded liability of $4.5…

Media

Read More: State and local owe enormous obligations to retirees

Regulation

Six Years of Rendells Stimulus is Enough

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 27, 2009

Gov. Ed Rendell is, as head of the National Governor’s Association as well as the chief of a state facing a major revenue shortfall, leading the push for a federal…

Commentary

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Regulation

There’s a reason so many Steeler fans have left Pittsburgh

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 19, 2009

Jerry Bowyer has an excellent piece in today’s Wall Street Journal on why sports – and taxpayer subsidized sports stadiums – do not lead to broader economic gains (a…

Media

Read More: There’s a reason so many Steeler fans have left Pittsburgh

Taxes & Economy

Higher taxes won’t help Pennsylvania economy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 3, 2008

The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) issued a news release, gleefully welcoming the looming state budget deficit and tax increase. Their exuberance is due to the fact…

Media

Read More: Higher taxes won’t help Pennsylvania economy

Taxpayer Protection Limit equal to 3.29%

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 2, 2008

With the latest population estimate from the Census Bureau (which shows continued anemic growth in PA), we can now estimate what the spending limit under the proposed…

Media

Read More: Taxpayer Protection Limit equal to 3.29%

States’ “Universal” Health Care plans not delivering

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 13, 2007

Mandates and government-run health insurance programs have failed to provide “universal health care” in Maine: Maine’s uninsured rate did not improve significantly between 2003 and 2006 despite…

Media

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PA’s Debt: $110 Billion

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 13, 2007

In response to a question from one of our readers, here is a analysis of Pennsylvania state and local government outstanding debt (the latest data for local governments from the…

Media

Read More: PA’s Debt: $110 Billion

Health Care

Health Care Reform: Diagnose, Then Prescribe

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 10, 2007

Following the latest Census Bureau report that 47 million Americans are without health insurance, the talking heads and newspaper editorial boards are renewing their call for “something to…

Commentary

Read More: Health Care Reform: Diagnose, Then Prescribe