JULY 19, 2010

PA House GOP Unveils Policy Agenda

Earlier this month, the PA House GOP put out a Policy Agenda for Pennsylvania. Not everything gets Commonwealth Foundation Approval - e.g., the "jobs package", praise for government preschool, forgiveness of doctors loans - and their government reform and health care sections are weak. But there is plenty of good idea and solid policy proposals. In fact, a great number of proposals were ideas take from the Commonwealth Foundation.

Proposals with links to CF research and analysis:

• Liquor Control Board Privatization
• Performance-Based Budgeting
• Reduce Corporate Net Income Tax
• Public Private Partnerships in Transportation
• P3s in State Parks
• Prison Privatization
• Mass Transit Reform
• Restore EITC
• Teacher Merit Pay
• Limit Property Tax Exemptions
• Address School Costs
• State Spending and Grant Accountability (Online spending transparency)
• Reforming Unemployment Compensation
• Pension Reform
• Don't tax Marcellus Shale out of PA
• Health Care Freedom of Choice Act
• PA BasicCare (Allow mandate-lite health care plan)
• Individual Tax Credits (Equitable tax treatment of health coverage)

Additional proposals that CF testified on:

• Welfare Fraud
• Design-Build P3s
• Highway Maintenance P3s
• PennDOT and Turnpike Commission Consolidation
• Whistleblower Protection
• Caution on Alt. Energy Subsidies

posted by NATHAN BENEFIELD | 08:10 AM | 0 comment

JULY 7, 2010

CF Blog Roundup

Here's some recent blog posts citing CF research and analysis:

• The Conservative Reform Network Blog highlighted some CF stats about the PA budget, deficit, and big government spending and later linked linked to some CF research on pensions and prioritizing state spending.
• OrangePower.com reposted a Patriot-News article mentioning CF's advocacy of liquor privatization.
• The Citizens to Protect PA Jobs website currently hosts a Recent News link to CF's blogpost, "When Unions Get Violent."
• Sights on Pennsylvania's post "What Budget???" included portions of CF's Taxpayer's Budget and research on PA Education Spending.
• Climate Change Fraud reposted a Morning Call story including CF's renewed call for an objective investigation of Michael Mann. Scholars and Rogues also mentioned CF's reaction to the Penn State "findings."
• Bristol Twp. and GrassrootsPA linked to CF's blog PA Taxpayers to Build Specter Library, Murtha Center.
• Lehigh Valley Conservative blogged a letter from Patricia J. Felix citing CF's research on education spending.
• To highlight Independence Day, The Heritage Foundation blogged CF President Matt Brouillette's reflection on America's ideological foundations.
• Americans for Tax Reform linked to CF research on pensions and taxes and as well as a policy brief on the detrimental severance tax.
• The Reason Foundation's blog post "Liquor Privatization: Rube Goldberg Style" linked to CF research on government-run liquor stores and potential privatization.  

posted by LEAH ACHOR | 09:23 AM | 0 comment