Education
2024–25 State Budget Analysis
Key Points Pennsylvania’s $47.6 billion 2024–25 budget creates a $3.6 billion structural deficit. This will exhaust General Fund reserves, which will require draining from the Rainy Day fund—illegally—or raising taxes…
Read More: 2024–25 State Budget AnalysisPennsylvania’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
What can we cut?
An anonymous poster to GrassrootsPA defends the recently enacted state budget against criticism from the Commonwealth Foundation, along with that in other comments. The budget…
Media
Read More: What can we cut?State Budget
Will this budget’s ink be red in 2009?
No, that’s not our headline, but Pete DeCoursey‘s at Capitolwire.com…
Media
Read More: Will this budget’s ink be red in 2009?Government Accountability
More Spending, More Debt, Less Transparency
Commonwealth Foundation expresses disappointment in overall budget deal HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation provided its perspective on the FY 2008-09 budget agreement making its way to the governor’s…
Press Release
Read More: More Spending, More Debt, Less TransparencyState Budget
New budget may mean deficit, higher taxes
Marc Levy of the AP reports that the new $28.2 budget agreement may, according to Senate officials (both Republicans and Democrats), result in a budget deficit of $1 billion…
Media
Read More: New budget may mean deficit, higher taxesState Budget
PA Budget Secrecy
Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire asks an interesting question. Since lawmakers are likely to vote on the budget tomorrow (given they don’t want to come in on the 4th and they…
Media
Read More: PA Budget SecrecyState Budget
New borrowing in budget deal
While we are still waiting to see many of the details on the budget agreement, here are the numbers on borrowing that have been revealed. The new agreement…
Media
Read More: New borrowing in budget dealGovernment Accountability
The state budget: Secret sham
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorializes on the secret nature of the budget negotiations and the wheeling and dealing that occurs behind closed doors.
Media
Read More: The state budget: Secret shamState Budget
Budget Deal Reached
While taxpayers and state workers slept, lawmakers shook hands on a budget deal. John Micek has some of the details, as does the Patriot News. General Fund budget:…
Media
Read More: Budget Deal ReachedState Budget
Stop the Borrowing: $110B is Enough!
HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation sounded an alarm today that both Governor Rendell and state lawmakers are poised to take citizens deeper into debt. “Putting the people of…
Press Release
Read More: Stop the Borrowing: $110B is Enough!Regulation
House Republicans Highlight Debt, Rendell Spending
AP article on House Republicans (at least some of them) noting the enormous burden of debt on Pennsylvania taxpayers before voting on more borrowing for corporate welfare.
Media
Read More: House Republicans Highlight Debt, Rendell SpendingGovernment Accountability
Perzel, Fumo at Secret Budget Negotiations
John Micek reports on the details of the secret budget negotiations: The players last night:House Dems: Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, Whip Keith McCall and Appropriations Chair Dwight…
Media
Read More: Perzel, Fumo at Secret Budget NegotiationsState Budget
Pennsylvania Senate Proposes Spending Diet
Low-growth budget is a step in the right direction, but will House and Governor agree? HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed a state spending plan for the upcoming…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Senate Proposes Spending DietState Budget
Senate Passes Trimmed Down Budget
Tired of waiting for the House Democrats to pass a budget bill, the Senate today passed their own version (as an amendment to supplemental appropriations for last year).
Media
Read More: Senate Passes Trimmed Down BudgetState Budget
Rendell: Furloughs to begin July 1
The Rendell administration has announced that furloughs of non-essential state workers (which includes everyone but state troopers, prison guards, liquor store clerks, casino regulators, and of course, legislative staffers…
Media
Read More: Rendell: Furloughs to begin July 1State Budget
Put Pennsylvania on a Spending Diet
The Burden of Taxes In 2008, the average working Pennsylvanian will labor 111 days just to pay his or her federal, state, and local taxes—the equivalent of working January 1…
Press Release
Read More: Put Pennsylvania on a Spending DietState Budget
How Bad is the Farm Bill
In light of today’s front page commentary on the federal Farm Bill Fiasco, here are some more links describing how awful this legislation is. Citizen’s Against Government Waste…
Media
Read More: How Bad is the Farm BillState Budget
A Closer Look at Stadium Subsidies
The American magazine has an exposé on sport stadium subsidies, by Dennis Coates, reaching the conclusion that they do not result in broad economic growth: My own research,…
Media
Read More: A Closer Look at Stadium SubsidiesState Budget
Did Pork cause bridge collapse?
Yahoo! News has a story about McCain “backing off” an earlier statement that pork barrel projects caused the Minnesota bridge collapse. However, while earmarks didn’t cause the bridge to…
Media
Read More: Did Pork cause bridge collapse?State Budget
Who Gets Farm Subsidies
Environmental Working Group has a comprehensive database of US farm subsidies. (HT Club for Growth). Here are Pennsylvania’s top recipients in 2007.
Media
Read More: Who Gets Farm SubsidiesState Budget
Make Cardboard Checks Vanish
Senator Eichelberger’s stand against posing with cardboard checks when handing out taxpayer-funded grants is getting attention across the state, with a story in the Morning-Call, and…
Media
Read More: Make Cardboard Checks VanishState Budget
Time for a Spending Diet
As Pennsylvania taxpayers breath a collective sigh of relief after completing their 2007 tax returns, another tax day is looming. But this is a day to celebrate. It’s Tax Freedom…
Commentary
Read More: Time for a Spending Diet