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.

March 8, 2010 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Rendell’s War on (Some) Special Interests

Gov. Rendell, of course, didn't declare war on all special interests - only those who oppose his tax-borrow-and-spend agenda.  For example, while he lambasts the natural gas industry for opposing yet another tax upon the several it already pays, he gives a pass to the special interests clamoring for more of its money.

February 17, 2010 | Commentary by ELIZABETH BRYAN

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 that policymakers revisit the unemployment compensation system and understand how the existing structure hinders economic recovery.

February 10, 2010 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

No Solutions in Rendell's Budget

The Keystone State for years has been afflicted by government inefficiency and overspending. 

Since Gov. Rendell took office in 2003, Pennsylvania’s burden of state and local taxes has increased from the 17th heaviest in the nation to the 11th.  State spending has increased by $3,600 per family of four (in inflation-adjusted dollars).  State debt has increased by $18 billion to a whopping $41 billion—a 78 percent increase—or $5,600 per family of four.

February 3, 2010 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Six Opportunities for Pennsylvania

Once upon a time, "Keystone State" represented more than just a nickname, as Pennsylvania was central to America's economy. Over the past several decades, however, our importance has diminished.

Our Commonwealth lags the rest of the nation in economic growth. We lose residents every year to other states, and we've surrendered-and are projected to continue to surrender-congressional seats and influence. Pennsylvania's business climate now ranks among the worst in the nation. Furthermore, the state faces numerous economic threats that could make things even worse. However, there are several reasons to be optimistic about our return to prosperity.

January 26, 2010 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Five Alternatives to Tolling I-80

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) continues its push for federal approval to toll Interstate-80, claiming that without it bridges will collapse, highways will crumble, and dogs and cats will start living together.  But the proposal represents little more than a tax on I-80 drivers, as 40% of the toll revenue would be diverted to other projects, and it fails to address unnecessary transportation spending.

January 21, 2010 | Commentary by JOE STERNS

Time for Term Limits Again

Unfortunately, this spirit of civic virtue yielded to self-aggrandizement. Early on, legislators served a few terms in a public office and then returned to private life to live under the laws they created. Today, politicians make a career out of getting re-elected to the same office.

January 19, 2010 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Mann-Made Global Warming?

Climategate was born in late November 2009 with the release of more than a thousand emails and other documents from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England.  One of the prominent figures in these emails is Penn State's Michael Mann, a professor in the university's Department of Meteorology.

To Penn State's credit, the university announced it would investigate Mann's alleged misconduct.  But the school has a serious conflict of interest that legitimately calls into question its ability to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation.

January 15, 2010 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

A Third Stimulus Won’t be the Charm

Some members of Congress are pushing a third economic "stimulus" in as many years (pundits often forget the Bush stimulus of 2008). Supporters of yet another round of deficit spending make three claims: the Obama stimulus "worked," the New Deal brought us out of the Great Depression, and states need the money to avoid painful budget cuts.  They are wrong on all counts.

December 29, 2009 | Commentary by DICK THORNBURGH

A Road to Savings: Abolish the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

The top-heavy PTC, with more than 2,000 employees, is responsible for overseeing an exponentially smaller infrastructure than PennDOT. The PTC manages 537 miles of turnpike highways; PennDOT manages nearly 40,000 highway miles along with tens of thousands more miles of local roads, railways and bridges. There is an obvious opportunity to merge the two and save a wealth in funds.