State Budget
Corporate Welfare in the 2024–25 Budget
Summary Pennsylvania’s economy is largely uncompetitive, with the state routinely losing businesses and residents to more economically competitive states like Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposes…
Read More: Corporate Welfare in the 2024–25 BudgetPennsylvania’s complex state budget has enabled policymakers to keep taxpayers in the dark when it comes to state spending. Year after year, some elected officials use budget gimmicks to both make the budget appear balanced and to secure their own agendas. Pennsylvanians deserve reforms that bring true transparency to the budgeting process. We must limit spending growth to a sustainable rate, ensuring the state government—like hardworking taxpayers—live within its means.
2024 state budget resources
Government Accountability
PA General Assembly Costs $50,000 Per Day for One Hour Sessions
ABC 27 News has a story on the high cost of the General Assembly – $50,000 per day – to have sessions during the budget impasse. This is very…
Media
Read More: PA General Assembly Costs $50,000 Per Day for One Hour SessionsState Budget
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax Hikes
The Commonwealth Foundation today launched a new effort to collect names of Pennsylvania lawmakers who agree with President Obama when he said “In an economy like this, the…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Against Tax HikesState Budget
Is Rendell Lying About State Police Layoffs?
Gov. Rendell has been quoted on numerous occasions claiming the budget passed by the Pennsylvania Senate last month would result in the layoff of 800 state police. We pointed out…
Media
Read More: Is Rendell Lying About State Police Layoffs?State Budget
Where does your legislator stand on raising taxes?
This email was just sent to your state Senators and Representatives… Stay tuned!_______ June 30, 2009 Dear Senator/Representative: President Barack Obama said, “In an economy…
Media
Read More: Where does your legislator stand on raising taxes?State Budget
Will Pennsylvania Budget Lead to Dogs and Cats Living Together?
After weeks of new releases, press conferences, and taxpayer-funded bus tours about the horrors that will ensue if the Pennsylvania state budget is $27.3 billion instead of…
Media
Read More: Will Pennsylvania Budget Lead to Dogs and Cats Living Together?State Budget
Rendell’s “Pay the Inmates, not the Guards” Strategy
The Morning Call’s John Micek has a follow-up article to yesterday’s revelation that inmates would be getting paid while the guards would not during the current budget impasse.
Media
Read More: Rendell’s “Pay the Inmates, not the Guards” StrategyState Budget
Rebutting Rendell’s Rhetoric
Rendell’s propaganda campaign continues today, with another press conference (his sixty-first, in support of legislation that does not yet exist) with tax eaters asking for more tax dollars. Rendell latest…
Media
Read More: Rebutting Rendell’s RhetoricState Budget
Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the Tree
Gov. Rendell’s hypocrisy on tax policy is on full display this budget season. While Rendell is demanding higher taxes on individuals and most businesses, he is also working to preserve…
Commentary
Read More: Tax Everyone But the Guy Behind the TreeState Budget
Why Don’t Men Like to Wear Condoms?
No, we haven’t been spammed. But if the question of ‘Why men don’t like to wear condoms?’ doesn’t seem an apt topic for PolicyBlog, does it seem an appropriate subject…
Media
Read More: Why Don’t Men Like to Wear Condoms?State Budget
Lawmakers Working Hard on the PA Budget?
If fundraising for the next campaign is considered working out the details of the state budget, Pennsylvania lawmakers are hard at it. John Micek points out no fewer than…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers Working Hard on the PA Budget?State Budget
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes Pledge
Twenty-nine Pennsylvania Legislators have signed American for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge, including six Democrats. Click here to see exactly what they pledged not to do. Assuming politicians…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Who Signed No Taxes PledgeState Budget
Cash for Rich People Who Drive Hummers
It is pretty clear that the Cash for Clunkers proposal is a dumb idea to intervene government in the economy and distort the market (or as Charlie Dent…
Media
Read More: Cash for Rich People Who Drive HummersRegulation
Another $1.3 Billion In Cuts for Governor Rendell
At the cabinet meeting yesterday (which the Commonwealth Foundation was escorted out of by security, being told it was a “closed meeting”, while media and staff for the PA…
Media
Read More: Another $1.3 Billion In Cuts for Governor RendellState Budget
Pennsylvania’s Income Tax Competitiveness
The New York Times covered Gov. Rendell’s proposed 16% increase in the Personal Income Tax. Immediately before citing the Commonwealth Foundation, the article states that “Pennsylvania currently has the…
Media
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Rendell’s propaganda machine
Brad Bumsted’s latest column wraps up some of the more absurd rhetoric coming from the Rendell administration about the Senate version of the Pennsylvania budget: The bill…
Media
Read More: Rendell’s propaganda machineState Budget
Gov. Rendell Calls the Kettle Black
The Sun-Gazette has a recent article on the Pennsylvania state budget titled “Rendell lashes out at Senate plan”. It didn’t sound like something that would surprise me – but…
Media
Read More: Gov. Rendell Calls the Kettle BlackState Budget
Do PA Democrats Really Want Higher Taxes? Probably Not.
While Gov. Rendell and House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans are talking up a potential increase in Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax, some of the rank and file Democrats are…
Media
Read More: Do PA Democrats Really Want Higher Taxes? Probably Not.Education
Bob Casey Still Needs to Read the Stimulus Bill
Sen. Bob Casey – in remarks designed to counter the facts laid out by the Commonwealth Foundation, namely that Pennsylvania school districts will get a dramatic increase in…
Media
Read More: Bob Casey Still Needs to Read the Stimulus BillEducation
Bonus Fact Check: Government Preschool
One point that has been raised during the Rendell administration’s taxpayer funding lobbying campaign for higher taxes was the benefits of the Pre-K Counts programs. On this, we…
Media
Read More: Bonus Fact Check: Government PreschoolEducation
Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850
While the Rendell administration is burning your tax dollars funding a bus tour across Pennsylvania to ask for more education spending (and the higher taxes needed to pay for…
Media
Read More: Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850State Budget
“Cuts First, Taxes Last”
The Philadelphia Inquirer comes out with an editorial calling for cutting wasteful spending in the state budget before talking about a tax increase. Here are some of the points…
Media
Read More: “Cuts First, Taxes Last”