January 5, 2010 | Policy Brief by ELIZABETH BRYAN, KATRINA ANDERSON

Citizen's Guide to Electric Choice & Competition

In the late 1990s, Pennsylvania's electricity rates were 15% above the national average, despite the abundance of low-cost coal generation in the Commonwealth. At that time, electricity was sold by a monopoly utility provider per designated region. Then federal regulations changed to allow electricity markets to develop. The state legislature responded with the Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act, signed in December 1996, promising lower prices and better service through consumer choice and generation competition.

November 30, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Taxing Tuition: The Future of Higher Education?

With Pittsburgh on the brink of bankruptcy thanks to its continual out-of-control spending, Mayor Ravenstahl and his allies on City Council have hatched a new scheme to collect more money to pay for their profligate ways: a 1% tuition tax on the city's financially-strapped college students.

November 10, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN, KATRINA ANDERSON

Break Up SEPTA

How can Pennsylvania lawmakers avoid this mess? The first step is to open mass transit in Philadelphia to competitive contracting, whereby private companies would compete to operate SEPTA's network. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston use competitive contracting of transit services. In addition to bus services, approximately 15% of commuter rail services in the United States are competitively contracted. This practice has reduced operating costs 20% to 51%, with savings of about 35% being the norm. Las Vegas, home of the largest fully contracted-out U.S. system, has costs approximately 30% below systems of similar size.

September 24, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN

Reform, Not More Spending, Key to College Affordability

This year's budget debate has generated several silly schemes, including a few related to higher education funding. But Gov. Rendell's proposed video poker tax and  House Democrats' ploy to move university appropriations off-budget do raise an important discussion about how the state should finance post-secondary education.  While lobbyists have eagerly advocated the popular notion that more higher education spending will increase affordability, this is far from reality.

September 1, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN

Rendell’s Mixed Energy Agenda

Governor Rendell frequently talks about the need to combat rising energy costs. Yet he continues to support policies that will increase Pennsylvanians’ electric bills and endanger thousands of jobs in the coal and burgeoning natural gas industries. Rendell’s mixed bag of energy policies centers on politics instead of policy outcomes.

June 17, 2009 | Testimony by ELIZABETH BRYAN

State Spending Transparency

Pennsylvania needs greater transparency in how taxpayer money is spent. Creating an online database to track all of the state’s spending is key to spending reforms; it allows every citizen to become a government watchdog and see for himself how government money is being spent. It’s inexcusable, particularly in our current economic environment, for lawmakers to deny Pennsylvanians the cost-saving tool available to taxpayers in more than 20 other states.

June 3, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget Debate

With the approach of June 30th and the end of the state’s fiscal year comes the annual argument in Harrisburg over Pennsylvania’s budget.  With Senate Republicans having passed a spending plan that sheers $1.7 billion from Gov. Rendell’s $29 billion proposal, the debate promises to be especially acrimonious.

May 29, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN

Government Intervention Prolongs Recessions

Recessions are a tough time for all—many lose their jobs, family incomes shrink, and budgets are squeezed. But recessions are natural and, in the long-run, foster a stronger economy.  It is important that policymakers recognize the ups and downs of the economy, and the lessons from past recessions, so as to not over-react to the current downturn and the political pressure to “do something.”

A recession exposes poor management and waste in the business world by clearing out poorly performing and overextended segments of the economy, while simultaneously rewarding sustainable business models that serve consumers. Recessions are a healthy correction needed to re-establish a sound economy.

April 7, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN

Electricity Deregulation: A Successful Transition

Most Pennsylvania residents will soon see significant increases in their electricity bills. Many state lawmakers are concerned about the political backlash they will receive as a result. But it is important that both residents and politicians understand how we arrived at this situation and how best to resolve it.

February 12, 2009 | Policy Report by NATHAN BENEFIELD, ELIZABETH BRYAN

Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009

Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009 identifies $5 billion in unhealthy state spending in FY 2008-09 and offers a series of recommendations to both resolve the current revenue shortfall and reduce the size and burden of government on Pennsylvanians by $1,600 annually for each family of four.