State Budget

Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 19, 2009

Gov. Rendell and legislative leaders from three caucuses (House Republicans were not involved) announced a deal on the Pennsylvania state budget.  Via PLS and Capitolwire (subscription), here…

Media

Read More: Taxes and Revenue in Pennsylvania Budget Deal

Government Accountability

Legislative Staff and Term Limits

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 10, 2009

Following up on our blog post and Brad Bumsted’s article about Pennsylvania having the most legislative staff, I took another look at the…

Media

Read More: Legislative Staff and Term Limits

Government Accountability

Pennsylvania Has Most Legislative Staff

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 8, 2009

Brad Bumsted had an article over the weekend on Pennsylvania’s largest in the nation legislative staff and, of course, the high cost of keeping that staff.  The number of…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Has Most Legislative Staff

Education

PA’s Prepaid Tuition Program Under Fire

  • September 1, 2009

State Treasurer Robert McCord announced yesterday he is delaying increased premiums on Pennsylvania’s Guaranteed Savings Plan, which allows parents to purchase college tuition credits at current prices and…

Media

Read More: PA’s Prepaid Tuition Program Under Fire

Government Accountability

Dwight Evan’s Favorite WAM Recipient Has Plenty of Problems

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 7, 2009

The Philadelphia Inquirer exposes another nonprofit with ties to a state lawmaker – this time House Democrat Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans – whose use of tax dollars seems sketchy…

Media

Read More: Dwight Evan’s Favorite WAM Recipient Has Plenty of Problems

Government Accountability

Cost and Benefits of State Spending Transparency

  • July 17, 2009

The Mercatus Center has a new podcast on state online spending transparency.  Jerry Brito, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, discusses the need for spending transparency in states…

Media

Read More: Cost and Benefits of State Spending Transparency

State Budget

Budget Facts 2009: Personal Income Tax and Job Losses

  • July 3, 2009

Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state's General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed Rendell and the Republican-led Senate differ on raising taxes and reducing/reprioritizing…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Budget Facts 2009: Personal Income Tax and Job Losses

Taxes & Economy

The Real Effect of Rendell’s Taxes on Small Business

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 30, 2009

While Gov. Rendell continues his propaganda campaign for higher taxes (see WGAL for a related news story on the thousands Rendell has spent in taxpayer funds lobbying for more…

Media

Read More: The Real Effect of Rendell’s Taxes on Small Business

Government Accountability

State Spending Transparency Hearing

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 19, 2009

FYI by PLS has a brief summary of a hearing yesterday on proposals to create a state spending transparency for Pennsylvania, with particular attention paid to HB 1460…

Media

Read More: State Spending Transparency Hearing