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November 16, 2011 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE
Gas Drilling for Pennsylvania's Farms, Family and Future
Across Pennsylvania, natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has benefited not just companies but also human beings -- by creating tens of thousands of jobs, rescuing families from foreclosure, and generating fortunes and sustainable prosperity for farmers, workers and small-business owners.
September 13, 2011 | Commentary by JAMES MILLER, KATRINA CURRIE
The State of Inconvenience
Walk into any supermarket in Ohio and you can see shoppers purchasing everything they need for dinner - including the wine to go with it. In West Virginia, residents can fill up their gas tank and replenish their wine selection in one stop. In fact, every state except Utah provides more freedom over wine and spirits sales than Pennsylvania. This lack of liquor liberty has turned average residents into bootleggers.
August 30, 2011 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE, LEONARD GILROY
Preserving Penn’s Woods Proven by Public-Private Partnerships
Earlier this month, Gov. Tom Corbett suggested the commonwealth consider leasing state park operations and services. Almost immediately and without thoughtful consideration, pundits launched political fire, claiming "privateers" would exploit or commercialize our natural resources beyond recognition.
June 7, 2011 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE
The Real Victims of a Severance Tax
Jim VanBlarcom, a busy Bradford County dairy farmer, set a work day aside to come to Harrisburg and tell his story to Gov. Tom Corbett's Marcellus Shale panel. Royalty money from leasing farmland helped him double his dairy herd size, and he's glad the industry's here.
May 26, 2011 | Policy Report by LEONARD GILROY, HARRIS KENNY, KATRINA CURRIE, ELIZABETH STELLE
Privatizing "Yellow Pages" Government
This report surveys the scope of Yellow Pages Government in Pennsylvania, looks at examples of state and local privatization throughout the country, and outlines best practices to equip lawmakers to successfully transition government out of unnecessary services by implementing a variety of models.
March 17, 2011 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE, NICHOLAS FETT
Retaining the Film Tax Credit: Two Thumbs Down for Taxpayers
Behind the lens of Gov. Tom Corbett's budget the focus is largely on putting taxpayers first and fostering economic growth. But at a time when the director should be yelling, ‘cut,' to all handouts, retaining Pennsylvania's $60 million film tax credit program tells those who exist on corporate welfare that the show will go on.
January 24, 2011 | Policy Brief by ELIZABETH STELLE, KATRINA CURRIE
Citizen's Guide to Electric Choice & Competition 2011
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 in each designated region. Federal regulations then 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.
January 20, 2011 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE, NATHAN BENEFIELD
Fixing Rendell's Mess
Penn's Woods are darker and deeper in red ink than ever before thanks to the tax-borrow-and-spend agenda of the Rendell Administration and some General Assembly members who failed to put Pennsylvania back on a path to prosperity. To add insult to injury last month, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that Pennsylvania would lose another Congressional seat in 2012 due to stagnant population growth.
December 21, 2010 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE
Private Liquor Stores: A Reason for Cheers
As many Pennsylvanians are heading to their local state liquor store to pick up holiday cheer, there are three things they won't be celebrating: Higher costs, less selection and lower quality service in the bloated bureaucracy of Pennsylvania's state-run liquor monopoly.
November 18, 2010 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE
Does Professional Licensing Protect Consumers or Big Business?
After his friend was killed by a drunk driver, Illinois resident Jonathon Schoenakase began to offer bar patrons a free ride home. Although he never charged for this service, Schoenakase did accept the occasional tip. For this, he was busted in a sting orchestrated by the local taxi operators and the police for "operating without a transportation service license."
