MARCH 14, 2012 | Commentary by JONATHAN HUMMA, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Pennsylvania's Fork in the Road on Transportation Spending

Motorists frustrated with high gas prices should be on the alert—your pain at the pump could get worse, and it has nothing to do with Middle East tensions or gas company profits. Sadly, many in the transportation industry and some lawmakers in Pennsylvania believe the only way to fix our roads is to increase gasoline taxes and charge drivers more in vehicle fees.  This low-octane loser is surely another wrong exit for taxpayers whose tank is already on empty.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 | Testimony by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Transportation Funding Must be Tied to Reform

Governor Corbett's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission identified the dilapidated state of Pennsylvania's roads and bridges and future infrastructure needs.  Pennsylvania routinely finishes among the worst states in rankings of road conditions, and among the highest in the number of structurally deficient bridges.  Yet Pennsylvania also ranks high among states in terms of spending on roads and bridges, both in terms of spending per capita and spending per highway mile.

In other words, Pennsylvania's transportation system is one of high costs and poor quality.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE

Public-Private Parking Prevents Tax Hikes

Facing immense fiscal and political pressures, many local governments are looking for ways to fund services without raising taxes. But officials need not curb their enthusiasm for fiscal responsibility if they simply put the brakes on being in the parking business.

Pennsylvania has 41 special government parking authorities; the rest of the nation, combined, has five. Despite their abundance, few can explain exactly why Pennsylvania relies on government-run parking monopolies.

JANUARY 17, 2011 | Policy Report by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania

A Blueprint for Transforming the Commonwealth

Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition.  To provide a roadmap for success in this critical endeavor, the Commonwealth Foundation has compiled a list of 80 policy recommendations for Gov. Corbett and state legislators to help lead a Pennsylvania comeback.  Each of these recommendations links to Commonwealth Foundation research with more information on each issue.  Collectively, these recommendations represent a "A Blueprint for Transforming the Commonwealth," which can be found at CommonwealthFoundation.org/BluePrint.

AUGUST 27, 2010 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Gov. Rendell's Gamesmanship

While table games have been in Pennsylvania casinos for more than a month, I don't know if Gov. Rendell has tried his luck. But it would be a safe wager that he's a fantastic poker player. Why? For eight years, he's been able to bluff, bully, and stare down anyone who opposes his tax-borrow-and-spend agenda.

AUGUST 17, 2010 | Commentary by NATALIE ROGOL

Time to Exit Rendell's Road to Higher Taxes

Governor Rendell has proposed a series of tax increases to fill a $415 million transportation funding deficit created when the federal government rejected his plan to toll I-80 for a third time. The state's highway system is in sorry condition, but not because taxpayers pay too little.

Pennsylvania spends more on transportation than nearly every other state, and since the Governor took office, transportation spending increased 53%. The biggest problems with the state's infrastructure are misguided spending and inefficiency, which can be resolved without new taxes.

JUNE 23, 2010 | Testimony by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

More Reforms Before More Revenue in Transportation

Testimony before the Senate Transportation Committee

Good morning and thank you Chairman Rafferty for the invitation to testify before your committee and for your consideration of our policy solutions to help address Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure funding challenges.

While many in this building and in the transportation industry view Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure as a revenue problem, I would like to frame the issue as a spending problem.

MAY 3, 2010 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Transportation Special Session Survival Guide

Gov. Rendell has called a special session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to discuss transportation funding. Here are some resources on financing and managing Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure.

APRIL 14, 2010 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Transportation Funding Solutions Require Reforms and Reprioritization

Now that the federal government has rejected the ill-conceived plan to toll I-80 for a third, and supposedly final time, Gov. Rendell and the General Assembly must implement serious solutions to the Commonwealth's transportation funding challenges.

MARCH 9, 2010 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

For Whom The Turnpike Tolls

Tolls are appropriate because they are imposed directly upon travelers for their use of roads.  However, the plan to toll I-80 represents more than a toll.  It is also a tax on drivers because more than $160 million in toll dollars from the highway will be funneled to mass transit systems, primarily in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.  Taxing drivers in the northern tier to subsidize mass transit users in the southeast and southwest is bad public policy.