High taxes make for a slow-growing economy. And communities feel the pinch of high taxes as more and more native Pennsylvanians leave the Keystone State to prosper elsewhere. To remain economically competitive, Pennsylvania must lower state taxes and ensure businesses have the opportunity to succeed. Lower taxes will incentivize more individuals to call Pennsylvania their home, ultimately spurring our statewide economy forward.

Taxes & Economy

The Property Tax Relief Scholarship Act

  • April 13, 2006

It is “like throwing gasoline on a fire,” said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reivew. The idea is “definitely…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

New, Better Property Tax Relief Proposal – Media Coverage

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 12, 2006

Patriot News “Breaking News” coverage of our Property Tax Relief Scholarship proposal. Get our press release, or download our Policy Brief for more details and district-specific property…

Media

Read More: New, Better Property Tax Relief Proposal – Media Coverage

Health Care

Health care for everyone?

  • April 11, 2006

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney writes in today’s Wall Street Journal that he believes he’s found a way to provide health care for everyone, with “no new taxes, no employer…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Governor Rendell: The Era of Big Government is Just Beginning

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 10, 2006

Two Gems from Governor Rendell in The Scranton Times-Tribune: “Rendell says voters have a clear choice between a candidate who talks of cutting taxes and limiting spending – Swann…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Renouce the “Faith”

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • April 10, 2006

NOTE: This commentary was originally published on June 15, 2004. Politicians are fond of saying, "Government doesn't create jobs, the private sector does." Yet the machinations of state and federal…

Commentary

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Taxes & Economy

“Populism in pursuit of power preservation”

  • April 9, 2006

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Colin McNickle has a few thoughts on the House’s passage of the minimum wage bill last week. Here’s an excerpt from today’s commentary, “Stop supporting fake…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

China’s Economic Development Lessons for Pennsylvania

  • April 8, 2006

NOTE: This commentary was originally published on April 19, 2004. Tax Day 2004 has come and gone, and as Pennsylvanians wrote their annual big checks to big government, they should…

Commentary

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Taxes & Economy

PA Personal Income Growth Still Lagging Behind

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 28, 2006

Release from the BEA this morning on State Personal Income 2005. Pennsylvania ranked 37th in personal income growth in 2005, not as low as past years, but below the…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Wages of Politics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 28, 2006

Wall Street Journal on the minimum wage.

Media

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Regulation

War on Wal-Mart coming to PA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 28, 2006

From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Best quote: “Wal-Mart is trying to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.” Those heathens, trying to compete against unionized stores.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Abuse of Eminent Domain

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 23, 2006

Harrisburg Airport continues its quest to use eminent domain to take over a nearby competitor, according to the Patriot News. The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA) is trying…

Media

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Health Care

Health benefit costs

  • March 21, 2006

Th Bucks County Courier Times looks at the healthcare benefits crisis… Good health comes at hefty cost to taxpayers “Biting the bullet’ at public systems Public…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Gov. Rendell and PA’s Business Climate: Rhetoric Doesnt Match Reality

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • March 20, 2006

As election time draws nearer, Gov. Ed Rendell is issuing a flurry of press releases to convince voters that his administration has improved Pennsylvania’s competitiveness and economic growth. To that…

Commentary

Read More: Gov. Rendell and PA’s Business Climate: Rhetoric Doesnt Match Reality

Taxes & Economy

Minimum wage push continues

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 17, 2006

From The Morning Call Online: “Kate Philips, Rendell’s spokeswoman, said the administration is grateful the bill emerged from the committee, but that $6.25 ”barely keeps us competitive” with…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Who Pays for the Minimum Wage?

  • March 16, 2006

From Michigan’s Mackinac Center…. “When a business experiences increasing inventories, raising prices is the last thing it should do to resolve the problem. The same principle applies to labor.

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Hey, Big Spender

  • March 16, 2006

Peggy Noonan in today’s Wall Street Journal on President Bush’s bankrupt fiscal policies and his notion of “compassionate conservatism” Noonan: “That’s not what I understood him to mean. If…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Close the Loopholes

  • Matthew Brouillette
  • March 15, 2006

Few issues get politicians more exercised than the issue of tax “loopholes” – provisions in the tax code that allow affected taxpayers to reduce the amount of money they must…

Commentary

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