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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.
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 C
JUNE 2, 2010 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010: Unemployment Compensation
Pennsylvania has borrowed over $3 billion from the federal government to keep its unemployment compensation fund solvent. Only California, with three times the population and a much higher unemployment rate, pays out more in unemployment claims.
FEBRUARY 17, 2010 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE
The True Cost of Unemployment Compensation
Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation fund is bankrupt. Beginning in March 2009, the Keystone State borrowed over $2 billion from the federal government to keep it solvent. Unfortunately, unemployment continues to grow, making a bad situation worse. Since December 2007, Pennsylvania has lost more than 200,000 jobs. It is imperative tha
DECEMBER 16, 2009 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE
Five Threats to Pennsylvania's Prosperity
Pennsylvania has long been one of the most economically stagnant states in the nation. For the period 1991-2008, the Commonwealth ranked 45th in job growth, 46th in personal income growth, and 47th in population growth. Pennsylvania has also faired poorly in independent evaluations of states' business climates, i
DECEMBER 8, 2009 | Commentary by ABHILASH SAMUEL
Outward Bound - Taxes Driving People Out Of Pennsylvania
Between 2000 and 2008, Pennsylvania suffered the depletion of one of its most valuable resources - people. During this period, the state lost 56,000 net residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, ranking 11th in migration loss among all states. In the decade prior, Pennsylvania lost over 250,000 net residents to interstate migration - rank
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD
Whoops, We Were Wrong...
One of our goals at the Commonwealth Foundation is to predict the effect of proposed public policies. Most of the time, we are proven correct, and humbly announce, "We told you so!" But sometimes, our predictions miss the mark. Case in point: in a November 2008 commentary, we predicted "Obama's presidency will likely be less radica
JUNE 26, 2009 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE, JAKE HAULK
The Road Less Travelled in Pennsylvania
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of occasional commentaries on how Pennsylvania can turn around its economic fortune. In their first installment, “Reviving Pennsylvania,” Brouillette and Haulk described Pennsylvania’s economic si
MAY 29, 2009 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE
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 curre
MAY 7, 2009 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE
Pennsylvania's Path to Prosperity
In any economic crisis, politicians scramble to "do something" to show voters they're "on the job." Ironically, the greatest threat to our recovery is not government's inaction, but rather its actions without regard to its limitations and competencies. Government can competently perform functions the private sector does
