Sound the 6:00 a.m. alarm and cue Sonny and Cher! “Groundhog Day” is previewing in Harrisburg with rumblings that the General Assembly may yet again delay the expiration of the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax (CSFT). One business tax expert sarcastically characterized CSFT as the go-to tax if your aim is to stunt business growth. […]
The Edward H. Arnold Institute for Policy Studies
Hal Mowery: Driven by Policy, Not Politics
His given name was Harold F. Mowery, Jr., but to most folks he was simply Hal. His recent passing was marked by an extensive recitation of jobs and positions held and titles and recognitions earned. While this reflection was nice and true, there is still more to be said about a highly accomplished and warm-hearted […]
True Charter School Reform Closes Gaps in Law But Keeps Doors Open for Innovation
Pennsylvania is frequently knocked for being slow to adopt policy innovations. Ironic, then, how much criticism is heaped on one of the true innovations of the past generation – charter schools. On the plus side, charter schools have proved every bit as creative and popular in practice as the originators believed. On the minus side, […]
Setting The Record Straight on Governor Corbett’s Education Funding
A central focus of Governor Corbett’s recent budget address was investment in education. However, many of the governor’s most vocal opponents often refer to his record on education funding as their chief criticism of his administration. For example, State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-7) recently referred to “the legacy of the governor slashing classroom funding by […]
Why We Must Fix Pennsylvania’s Broken Pension System
Is it as maddening to you as it is to me when government seems to make the same mistake over and over again but never learns? It can happen again in Pennsylvania if we don’t make needed changes to our public pension system. I have introduced a commonsense plan in the General Assembly that will […]
A Return to Aspirational America
Americans have always been an aspirational people. Instead of hardening into permanent class resentment, the less-well-off or just-starting-out generally prefer to think of themselves as temporarily embarrassed millionaires, as John Steinbeck put it. That faith in the future is vital to our success as a society and we all must see it vindicated. The post-recession […]
Shifting Our Focus on Education
During the last three state budget debates, education discussions focused on spending. Unfortunately, what has been lost is a meaningful conversation about how we improve the quality of our education system. This has been to the detriment of our children. Is the answer to our challenges a never-ending supply of taxpayer money? Far too often, […]
New Study Reaffirms Energy’s Link to Economic Growth
There is one thing about our economy that everyone seems to agree about–things are looking up, but don’t be too optimistic.President Barack Obama is calling it “stability, not security” in his current rounds of economic talks. Recent Wall Street Journal headlines echo this “glass half full, glass half empty” assessment, noting that while housing is […]
Congress Needs To Stop Subsidies To Sugar Farmers
The steamboat conveying Andrew Jackson up the Ohio River toward his tumultuous 1829 inauguration had brooms lashed to its bow, symbolizing Old Hickory’s vow to clean up Washington. But sweeping out Washington’s Augean stables, like painting the Golden Gate Bridge, is steady work, so steady it never ends. Neither do the policies that cosset sugar […]
A New Day for U.S. Manufacturing Thanks To Natural Gas
AMERICA, WHICH NEVER LOST ITS HIGH-TECH DOMINANCE, IS NOW SEEING A JOBS BOOM IN NATURAL GAS Remember the 1980s? It was to be the decade of Japanese dominance. A post-Jimmy Carter America would be unable to compete with the efficient Japanese jobs machine. Aging technology, lazy management and high-cost labor would ensure America’s rapid demise […]