Policy Brief
Wed, May 08, 2013
Legislature Restarts Pension Reform
(May 8, 2013)--Is this the year changes come to Allegheny County's Retirement System, a self-insured defined benefit plan covering more than 7,400 non-uniformed employees, jail guards, deputy ...
Fri, May 03, 2013
Drilling Fee Revenue Slips Below 2011 Collections
(May 3, 2013)--On April 1st, drillers operating in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale formation were required to pay their annual well fees to the Commonwealth. As discussed in Policy Briefs Volume 12, ...
Tue, April 30, 2013
Social Impacts of Liquor Privatization
Social Impacts of Liquor Privatization
Submitted Testimony of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives to the Senate Law Justice Committee, April 30, 2013
Wed, April 10, 2013
PA State Budget 2013-2014
Governor Corbett's proposed budget of $28.4 billion in general fund spending and $67.6 billion in spending from all funds represents our highest spending levels ever–exceeding years when ...
Wed, April 03, 2013
US Airways Taking Pittsburgh for Another Ride?
(April 3, 2013)--USAirways has entered into a merger agreement with American Airlines. If the merger passes regulatory muster–it has already received approval of American's bankruptcy ...
Tue, April 02, 2013
Government Reform Caucus
A Republican State Representative and a Democratic State Senator have announced the creation of a new Government Reform Caucus in the General Assembly. The ideas they are advancing are state ...
Fri, February 01, 2013
An Update on Municipal Finances in Allegheny County
(February 1, 2013)--Many people keep fairly close tabs on the goings on of the Federal and State governments. However, they often are unaware of what is happening within their own municipality, ...
Fri, January 25, 2013
Another Tax Plan for Pittsburgh's Nonprofits
(January 25, 2013)--Noting that non-profits in the City of Pittsburgh
own a lot of property and employ a lot of people but are tax exempt
and not a lot of them participate in helping the ...
Tue, January 22, 2013
LTV Site Redevelopment Edging Toward Reality?
(January 22, 2013)--Recent announcements from the URA and the RIDC indicate that progress is being made on the long and winding road toward a redevelopment of the LTV Hazelwood site that was idled in ...
Tue, January 15, 2013
Turnpike Tolls Rise to Pay Bond Debt
(January 15, 2013)--For the fifth consecutive year, the Turnpike Commission welcomed 2013 with an increase in tolls, ten percent for cash customers and two percent for electronic customers (E-Z ...
Wed, January 09, 2013
Unheralded Source of Job Strength in Pittsburgh Region
(January 9, 2013)--There's a new jobs producing hero in town. Actually it has been around for a while but has stepped to the front of late. Professional and Technical Services now lays claim to ...
Fri, January 04, 2013
Report: Seniors Benefit from Improved Lottery
Senior citizens may experience cuts to social services and taxpayers incur tax hikes should state officials balk at a new and improved Pennsylvania Lottery contract, finds a Commonwealth Foundation ...
Thu, January 03, 2013
Supreme Court in Reassessment Thicket
(January 3, 2013)--It has been nearly four years since the state Supreme Court struck down Allegheny County's base year assessments. It might have to wade back into the issue based on an appeal to ...
Mon, December 03, 2012
Pittsburgh International Struggles
(December 3, 2012)--In early 2011 the Allegheny Institute wrote two Policy Briefs (Volume 11, Numbers 8 and 16) outlining some of the problems facing Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). The first ...
Mon, November 19, 2012
A Tale of Two Cities' Schools
(November 19, 2012)--School closings, borrowings to close a budget deficit, and calling on employees to make sacrifices: that's happening in the Philadelphia School District. There can certainly be ...
Thu, November 15, 2012
Sweet Deal for Steelers?
(November 13, 2012)--With all three Pittsburgh professional sports teams playing in fancy new digs, taxpayers could be forgiven for thinking they are through having to subsidize the teams. But they ...
Fri, November 02, 2012
Do Sto-Rox Teachers and School Board Really Care?
(November 2, 2012)--The Sto-Rox School District recently rejected a charter school proposal. This prompted a teachers' union official to declare victory and state that the district "has a school ...
Thu, October 25, 2012
Did Funding Decline Cause Drop in Achievement Scores?
(October 25, 2012)--The recent release of 2011-2012 PSSA test results showed a decline in the statewide percentages of student scoring at the proficient or advanced level (-1.4 percent in math and ...
Fri, October 12, 2012
Hill District Grocery
(October 12, 2012)--Where's the beef? Where is the chicken, the
bread, the canned soup, the detergent, or the coffee? Not in a Hill
District grocery store that's for sure. And since the ...
Fri, September 28, 2012
No More Per Diem Piggy Bank for Lawmakers
September 28, 2012:
CAP previously brought the 2011 Per Diem King to your attention, he collected $39,000 tax free:
"Members of the General Assembly don't have to ...
Fri, September 28, 2012
Pittsburgh Promise Goes for Broke
(September 28, 2012)--The Pittsburgh Promise program was launched to great fanfare in 2006 as the panacea for what ails City schools. It was claimed that by offering scholarships to virtually all ...
Mon, September 24, 2012
Economic Development or Legal Plunder?
Economic Development or Legal Plunder
September 24, 2012:
Should taxpayers "give" $2 million to a $16 BILLION company?
Wed, September 19, 2012
Analysis of Pittsburgh MSA Labor Force Growth
(September 19, 2012)--When the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the July household data many were happy to learn that the labor force for the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical ...
Tue, September 18, 2012
Affordable Care Act: PA's Costs
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act–often dubbed "Obamacare"–will cost Americans $1.2 trillion from 2012 to 2022 according to the Congressional Budget Office. These projections ...
Tue, September 18, 2012
V&V Q&A: Main Street, and QE3
Editor's Note: The "V&V Q&A" is an e-publication from The Center for Vision Values at Grove City College. In this latest edition, we interview the chair of the department of economics at Grove City ...
Wed, September 12, 2012
Big Drop in Pittsburgh PSSA Scores
September 12, 2012)--Last week the state reported that more stringent security measures had been implemented for 2012 PSSA testing as a result of evidence that scores were being enhanced by cheating ...
Mon, September 10, 2012
Will Ohio Gaming Threaten PA Casinos?
(September 10, 2012)--The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released revenue figures for August 2012 and noted that total gross revenue increased by 3.7 percent from casinos that were in operation ...
Wed, September 05, 2012
Will RAD be Tapped for PAT?
(September 5, 2012)--Call it a strange case of foreshadowing. When the Regional Asset District (RAD) became law under Act 77 of 1993, only a few people other than Legislators would have noticed the ...
Sun, September 02, 2012
Principles for Public Pension Reform
Pennsylvania taxpayers fund two statewide pension plans for government
employees—the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) for state employees and the Public School Employees' ...
Thu, August 30, 2012
Light is Dawning on Turnpike Debt Growth
(August 30, 2012)--In January of this year, the Pennsylvania's
Auditor General proclaimed that the Pennsylvania Turnpike was
"drowning in debt" to which the Turnpike CEO responded that it ...
Tue, August 28, 2012
Pittsburgh in Denial About Pension Assets
(August 27, 2012)--In yet another example of can kicking on a
critical public policy issue, the Pittsburgh pension board voted down
City Controller Lamb's proposal to study whether ...
Mon, August 20, 2012
Proposed AlCo Air Regs Could Hamper Growth
(August 20, 2012)--Hard on the heels of the recent release of CNBC's dismally low ranking of Pennsylvania's business friendliness (Policy Brief Volume 12 Number 36) the Allegheny County Health ...
Mon, August 13, 2012
Pension Battle Still Simmering
Pension Battle Still Simmering
(August 13, 2012)--Is Pittsburgh wearing rose colored glasses when it comes to estimating the rate of return on its pension plan investments? If so, should ...
Thu, August 09, 2012
PAT Bailout is the Wrong Approach
(August 8, 2012)--As the long running saga of the Port Authority's (PAT) tortured finances winds toward the metaphorical cliff on September 2nd, perhaps it is time to rethink the entire approach to ...
Thu, July 19, 2012
PA Slides in Another Business Climate Ranking
(July 19, 2012)--The Commonwealth slid in yet another ranking of the state's business climate. In their report "America's Top States for Business 2012" CNBC uses ten categories to rank the fifty ...
Mon, July 16, 2012
Are Public Sector Pension Changes Coming?
(July 16, 2012)--It is not going to get any easier on the pension front in Pennsylvania. Just this week, as the state put the final touches on the 2012-13 budget, the warning bells on the costs ...
Thu, July 12, 2012
Union Political Spending Exceeds Donations
By Tom McGinty and Brody Mullins for The Wall Street Journal
Organized labor spends about four times as much on politics ...
Mon, July 09, 2012
SW PA Job Growth Reviewed
As we have written in previous Policy Briefs, the Pittsburgh metropolitan statistical area (MSA) experienced strong employment growth in 2011 (as measured by the establishment survey), especially in ...
Thu, June 28, 2012
School Property Tax Reform Must Start with Cost Containment
(June 27, 2012)--On June 11th, H.B. 1776, a proposal to end school property taxes, came up for a vote in the House Finance Committee. The Committee believed the proposal contained too many ...
Wed, June 20, 2012
Pittsburgh Promise Raises Money, But Misses Primary Goals
(June 20, 2012)--Last week was a bounty of good news for boosters of the Pittsburgh Promise. It was announced that $160 million had been raised over the past four years, putting it well on its way ...
Fri, June 15, 2012
Lawmakers, Businesses Can Rescue Students Now
by Otto Banks and Priya M. Abraham
If lawmakers were in any doubt about how dire Pennsylvania's education crisis has become, they need only look to Harrisburg ...
Wed, June 13, 2012
Alco: Appeals of Homes Recently Sold
(June 13, 2012)--Many taxpayers are not happy with their new assessments. Those who think their new assessed value is too high have initiated appeals. Count among this group the County Executive, ...
Mon, June 11, 2012
Questons About Property Tax Reform Bill
In November 2011 we wrote a Policy Brief about a proposal to end school property taxes in Pennsylvania (Volume 11, Number 61). The proposal came from the House Majority Policy Committee with the ...
Tue, May 29, 2012
County Executive Vows to Fix Port Authority
(May 29, 2012)--Allegheny County's Chief Executive told the Tribune Review that changes are coming for the Port Authority (PAT), either within the existing structure or in a new structure–no ...
Mon, May 21, 2012
Selling Unused Building Will Benefit Pittsburgh School District
(May 21, 2012)--The Pittsburgh Public School District has 23 closed up school buildings on their hands and is spending $15.2 million per year on maintenance and debt service for them. In August ...
Fri, May 18, 2012
Is it Sayonara to Property Taxes in Allegheny County?
(May 17, 2012)--Stop the reassessment in Allegheny County, no matter what it takes. That has been the consistent mantra from the County Executive (before and after his election) who has asked for ...
Fri, May 11, 2012
Port Authority's Deal with the Devil
(May 11, 2012)--After all the hype about how wonderful it would be to have light rail service to the North Shore to serve the bustling development and entertainment venues, the Port Authority (PAT) ...
Tue, May 08, 2012
Has Business Executive Optimism Faded?
Tue, May 01, 2012
Lung Association Doesn't Tell All
(May 1, 2012)--Every year about this time–including last week's report on 2011 results–the American Lung Association reports on air quality across the country, singling out the cities and ...
Mon, April 23, 2012
Allegheny Institute: Assessment Changes
(April 23, 2012)--Notwithstanding the results of appeals, the total assessed value of real property in Allegheny County is expected to increase 35 percent when new values are certified for 2013. ...
Thu, April 19, 2012
Counties Vote to Impose Gas Well Fee
(April 19, 2012)--When Act 13, the Unconventional Gas Well Impact Fee Act, was signed into law on February 14th, it gave counties with such wells the option of imposing an impact fee. The counties, ...
Mon, April 16, 2012
Assessment Task Forces Shies From Solutions
(April 16, 2012)--Nearly three years after the Supreme Court ruled Allegheny County's base year plan to be in violation of the uniformity clause of the Pennsylvania Constitution comes the report of a ...
Wed, April 11, 2012
State Spending Limits Policy Points
State Spending Limits for Pennsylvania
State Spending is Growing Faster than Taxpayers' Ability to Pay
• Total Pennsylvania state ...
Thu, April 05, 2012
Revisions Boost 2011 Job Gains Estimates
(April 5, 2012)--When the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) issued the January workforce information release for the Pittsburgh metropolitan statistical area (MSA), the household ...
Wed, March 21, 2012
School District Seeks Answers
(March 21, 2012)--Cut personnel, raise taxes, or dip into the savings account. Those are the choices facing one of the largest school districts in Allegheny County. As the 2012-13 fiscal year ...
Thu, March 15, 2012
PA State and School Pension Costs
Taxpayer Pension Contributions
• Pennsylvania taxpayers fund two statewide pension plans for government employees–the State Employees' Retirement System ...
Wed, March 14, 2012
Assessing the Allegheny Reassessment Accuracy
(March 14, 2012)--In mid-2011–when all indications were that the County was on pace to complete the court-ordered reassessment and taxpayers would be getting notice of their new values as early ...
Fri, March 09, 2012
PA Corrections Spending
Pennsylvania's FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 ...
Thu, March 08, 2012
PA Hits Bottom in New Business Tax Ranking
(March 8, 2012)--Every year the Washington DC based Tax Foundation releases its State Business Tax Climate ranking report. For the past several years Pennsylvania has done reasonably well according ...
Mon, March 05, 2012
A Funding Proposal to Alleviate PAT's Financial Woes
(March 5, 2012)--By now it should be common knowledge that the source of the Port Authority's (PAT) financial problems stem from decades of labor contracts containing excessively generous pay and ...
Wed, February 29, 2012
Alco Airport Authority Involved in Privatization Effort
(February 29, 2012)--The recent news that the Allegheny County Airport Authority is supporting privatization came as a bit of a surprise given the longstanding strenuous anti-privatization stance ...
Wed, February 29, 2012
PA K-12 Education Spending
Pennsylvania's FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 ...
Mon, February 27, 2012
Assessing the Marcellus Well Impact Fee
(February 24, 2012)--Recently, Governor Corbett signed the long awaited bill that imposes fees on Marcellus gas wells. The legislation, known as Act 13, gives counties where unconventional ...
Wed, February 22, 2012
CF: PA Welfare Spending
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years. ...
Fri, February 17, 2012
Washington County Assessment Appeal Tossed
(February 17, 2012)--In a long running drama remarkably similar to the case in Allegheny County, a Commonwealth Court judge denied Washington County's appeal of a November 2011 lower court order ...
Thu, February 16, 2012
PA Welfare System Unsustainable
Contact: Jay Ostrich 717.671.1901; cell: 717.649.6547 |
jdo@commonwealthfoundation.org
Report finds Pennsylvania welfare system unsustainable, hurting poor
Tue, February 14, 2012
PA's Prevailing Wage Law
Pennsylvania's Prevailing Wage Law was enacted in 1961 to protect construction workers from out-of-state competition, mandating that contractors pay the wages that "prevail" in each region on all ...
Fri, February 10, 2012
Millage Change Requirements Following Reassessments
Policy Brief (Volume 12, Number 8)
Millage Change Requirements Following Reassessments
(February 8, 2012)--In the weeks since the 2012 assessed values ...
Mon, January 30, 2012
Solving PAT's Financial Woes
(January 30, 2012)--The ongoing saga of the financial morass at the
Port Authority (PAT) has developed an interesting twist. Governor
Corbett, through a spokesperson, has responded to ...
Wed, January 18, 2012
Turnpike Drowning in Debt
(January 17, 2012)--Recently Pennsylvania's Auditor General stated that the Pennsylvania Turnpike is "drowning in debt". This characterization was disputed by the Turnpike's CEO as "simply not true" ...
Mon, January 09, 2012
Alco Municipalities Holding Own on Pensions
January 9, 2012)--In our ongoing analysis and review of the financial conditions of Allegheny County municipalities, we take a look at the health of pension plans. Much has been made of the ...
Wed, January 04, 2012
Alco Tax Hike: A Regional Perspective
(January 4, 2012)--Setting aside all the madness surrounding the reassessment process that began with the mailing of new values to property owners in Pittsburgh and Mt. Oliver, it is important to ...
Mon, December 12, 2011
Pittsburgh Region Jobs Picture Looking Up
(December 12, 2011)--Has the Pittsburgh area climbed out of the recession? Notwithstanding the commentary nationally and locally lamenting the tough economic times across much of the Country and ...
Tue, November 29, 2011
Another Proposal to End School Property Taxes
(November 29, 2011)--Every so often the idea comes up--shifting the
school tax burden from property to something else such as the sales
tax or the personal or earned income tax. And as ...
Mon, November 28, 2011
County Tax Exemption Coming to an End?
(November 22, 2011)--Since 2003, Allegheny County has offered a homestead exclusion that reduces the assessed value of owner-occupied residences by $15,000. Under the exclusion, an owner living in a ...
Tue, November 22, 2011
Transportation Study Misses the Bus
(November 21, 2011)--On November 18th the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released a study claiming that Pittsburgh area commuters who drive to work could save $9,201 per year by ...
Wed, November 16, 2011
Debunking Keystone Research
(November 16, 2011)--How to speed job growth in Pennsylvania?
According to the latest offering from the Keystone Research Center
(KRC), the Commonwealth and local tax levying bodies should ...
Thu, November 10, 2011
Population Changes in Allegheny County Municipalities
(November 10, 2011)--In last week's Policy Brief (Volume 11, Number 56), we documented the per capita spending and revenues for most of Allegheny County's municipalities noting the high, low and ...
Thu, November 03, 2011
Update on Municipal Spending in Allegheny County
(November 1, 2011)--Local government is perhaps the most important to its residents, yet many are unaware of how much their municipality collects in revenues and spends on services. In 2010 we ...
Thu, October 27, 2011
Government Unions Steal Worker Freedom
By Cara Dochat and Priya Abraham
Imagine a lobbying firm with immense power over your government. This organization influences how much the government pays ...
Mon, October 24, 2011
Supreme Court Undermines Act 47
(October 24, 2011)--A recently announced momentous decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has severely limited the power of Act 47 to impose steps aimed at helping financially distressed ...
Sat, October 22, 2011
Dealing with City Pensions: What's Next?
(October 21, 2011)--Following closely behind the oversight board's
approval of the City's 2012 updated budget, which included putting an
additional $10 million toward pensions and bringing ...
Thu, October 20, 2011
Cows, Communists, Cell Phones - and Wall Street
V&V Q&A:
Cows, Communists, and Cell Phones–and Wall Street
With Herb Meyer
Editor's Note: The "V&V Q&A" is an e-publication from The Center for Vision Values at Grove ...
Fri, October 14, 2011
Predictable Knee Jerk Reaction to Voucher Plan
(October 14, 2011)--Hot on the heels of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association's attack on Governor Corbett's plan to improve educational opportunities for poor students in the state's weakest ...
Thu, October 06, 2011
Time for State to Terminate Duquesne School District
(October 4, 2011)--Almost a decade ago, the Allegheny Institute reported on the dreadful SAT scores recorded by Duquesne High School students. In 2003, we noted that Duquesne's average combined 2001 ...
Thu, October 06, 2011
Defense of Prevailing Wage Law Falls Short
(October 6, 2011)--The Keystone Research Center (KRC) recently
released a report touting the benefits of Pennsylvania's prevailing
wage law. The report appears to be timed to offer ...
Thu, September 22, 2011
PA: Naton's Leading User of Local Income Tax
(September 22, 2011) - Act 32 of 2008 will go into effect this coming January, changing the method of collecting local earned income taxes (wage taxes) levied by municipalities and school districts ...
Wed, September 14, 2011
One Young World: Many Local Questions
(September 14, 2011) - In October 2012, Pittsburgh will roll out the welcome mat for another international-flavored conference, this one called the One Young World summit. Of course the Mayor and ...
Mon, August 29, 2011
Public Sector Pay Study Misses Mark
Policy Brief (Volume 11, Number 44)
Public Sector Pay Study Completely Misses the Mark
(August 29, 2011) - A study just released jointly by the Keystone
Fri, August 26, 2011
Sexual Anarchy: The Kinsey Legacy
Judith A. Reisman, Ph.D. and Mary E. McAlister, Esq.
Our children are under attack by an insidious and virulent enemy. On August 17, 2011, more than 50 activists attended a conference for ...
Thu, August 18, 2011
Numbers Improve at Rivers Casino
(August 18, 2011) - As the second full year of operations came to a close, the Rivers Casino received some good news in the form of an upgrade in its credit rating by Moody's Investors Service. An ...
Wed, July 20, 2011
Is Pittsburgh Council Serious About Shutting Down Parking Authorty?
(July 20, 2011)--Members of Pittsburgh City Council have expressed frustration with the operations of the Public Parking Authority. Some have mentioned the possibility of dissolving the Authority. ...
Fri, July 15, 2011
Economic Impact of Marcelus Shale in Pittsburgh Region
(July 15, 2011) - The proponents of drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale formation are quick to point out the economic benefits this new industry is bringing to the Pittsburgh region and the state ...
Thu, July 07, 2011
Backpedaling on Assessment Completion Date
(July 7, 2011) - For those who were on the edge of their seats waiting to get assessment notices this month, the excitement will have to wait. Allegheny County won't be processing reassessment ...
Wed, June 29, 2011
Pittsburgh Retiree Benefits Problem Getting Worse
As we have written on previous occasions, the City of Pittsburgh's legacy cost issue is multi-faceted–although little attention is given to some important parts of the problem. Heavy focusing ...
Wed, June 22, 2011
Wisconsin Reins in Government Worker Unions
Back in the wintry days of February, the nation's attention was focused intensely on the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. Thousands of boisterous protestors took over the public areas of the building ...
Tue, June 21, 2011
Cut, Cap, Balance
By COLIN HANNA, CHRIS CHOCOLA AND KEN BLACKWELL
The U.S. debt is now above its current limit of $14.3 trillion, a figure so large that it is nearly impossible for ...
Wed, June 15, 2011
Alco: Gearing Up for New Assessments
"Assessments" and "fatigue" are two words normally not linked together, but they are forever joined in Allegheny County thanks to the events of the past decade. Since the ...
Tue, June 14, 2011
PA's Failing, Violent Schools
More than 106,000 children are enrolled in the 144 public schools comprising Pennsylvania's lowest performing 5 percent on student proficiency. These schools reported more than 5,400 violent ...
Thu, June 09, 2011
Bills to End Teacher Strikes Introduced
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more:" A Shakespearian cry from Henry the Fifth urging soldiers to take advantage of an important military opportunity that could soon be ...
Mon, June 06, 2011
PA Budget Facts: Pensions
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2011
Pennsylvania State Pension Liabilities
Taxpayer Pension Contributions
• Pennsylvania taxpayers fund two statewide pension ...
Thu, June 02, 2011
Debunking Demographic Hype in the 'Burgh
Giddy editorial writers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette nearly hyperventilated recently upon learning the City's median age had declined from 35.5 years in 2000 to 33.2 years in 2010. As they ...
Wed, May 25, 2011
What to Do About Mass Transit Costs in PA?
"Let's face it–transit agencies are not private companies and do not make a profit. Public transit has both a business and a social mission". So began the presentation on mass ...
Mon, May 23, 2011
Time to Repeal Prevailing Wage Law
Many, perhaps most, Pennsylvania school districts are facing a financial
crunch. With taxpayers already stretched to the limit and Harrisburg
contemplating large cuts to K-12 education ...
Fri, May 20, 2011
Welfare Medicaid Spending Skyrockets
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2011
Pennsylvania Welfare Spending Medicaid
GROWTH OF WELFARE SPENDING
• Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed FY 2011-12 budget would ...
Mon, May 16, 2011
Union Members Minority of PA Workforce
At only 15 percent of all employees, union members make up a small fraction of Pennsylvania's workforce. Yet somehow they exercise enormous and far out of proportion influence on elected officials ...
Thu, May 12, 2011
A Lesson on Costs and Causes in Education
Correlation: a relation existing between phenomena or things or between mathematical or statistical variables which tend to vary, be associated, or occur together in a way not expected on the basis ...
Thu, May 05, 2011
PA Budget Facts: Natural Gas Taxes
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2011
Natural Gas Taxes and Fees
Pennsylvania's Natural Gas Boom
• The Marcellus Shale is a large and difficult-to-drill ...
Tue, May 03, 2011
Data Revisions Change Region's Unemployment Picture
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has revised its labor force estimates for the period 2005 through 2010. This was done to reflect new Census Bureau population controls, updated input data, new ...
Thu, April 28, 2011
PA Budget Facts
The Commonwealth Foundation has two new fact sheets on the Pennsylvania State Budget.
Pennsylvania Educational Spending
• K-12 ...
Mon, April 25, 2011
Alco 'Base Year' Assessment Plan Failing
Although Allegheny County's base year plan has not completely given up the
ghost, the epitaph for the plan is beginning to be written. Created in
October of 2005 by Ordinance #45-05, the ...
Wed, April 20, 2011
Has Allegheny County Population Loss Ended?
Has the population decline in Allegheny County that dates back to 1960 finally ended? The latest Census figures show the rate of population loss since 2000 appears to have slowed to a halt–at ...
Mon, April 18, 2011
Education Employment Grows by Leaps and Bounds
School districts around the region and across the Commonwealth are grappling with the realities of the coming fiscal year and exploring methods of cost-savings and revenue enhancements. In recent ...
Mon, April 11, 2011
After Rapid Cost Increases, Can Universities Cut?
Governor Tom Corbett's first budget did more than ruffle a few feathers: it threw many of those on the public dole into a full throttle tizzy. Among them are the public universities that have for ...
Thu, April 07, 2011
PA Budget Facts
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2011
Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released two fact sheets on the Pennsylvania State Budget.
Mon, April 04, 2011
Where Was Pittsburgh Budget Oversight?
Legislate in haste, repent at leisure. Recent developments indicate that axiom applies to the City's budget, especially the New Years' Eve plan aimed at avoiding a state takeover of pensions. The ...
Tue, March 29, 2011
Uncertainty and Confusion Abound at PAT
What seemed to be a clear and straightforward agenda at the Port Authority (PAT) board's March 25th meeting turned into a much longer and drawn-out affair after the transit union made a last-ditch ...
Fri, March 25, 2011
Another View of Heinz Endowment Air Quality Findings
In a report [1] released March 9, the Heinz Endowments presented a very negative picture of air quality in the Pittsburgh region. Two of their key assertions need close examination.
Thu, March 24, 2011
Charter Members
The respective partisan caucuses of Allegheny County Council will soon be meeting to select members to fill the two vacancies caused by Council members who vacated their seats in order to run for the ...
Fri, March 18, 2011
Pensions Landscape in Allegheny County
Allegheny County is home to nearly 300 pension plans that cover the gamut of local government employees: from police officers and firefighters to bus drivers, clerks and garbage collectors, from ...
Wed, March 16, 2011
Streamlining State Government
Reforming the Regulatory Structure of Pennsylvania
Executive Summary
Across the nation, states are facing formidable fiscal challenges. In an effort to ...
Tue, March 15, 2011
Pittsburgh Airport Costs Hinder Growth
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) has failed to live up to its potential since construction was completed nearly two decades ago. As we wrote in a previous Policy Brief (Volume 11, Number 8), ...
Thu, March 10, 2011
PAT Moves Slowly on Private Bus Service
In response to the planned reduction of mass transit service that entails the elimination of 29 routes and the curtailment of 37 others, Lenzner Tours, a private service provider, has applied to the ...
Tue, March 08, 2011
Moratorium Needs on Calls for Moratoriums
Allegheny County Council is on the verge of taking up legislation that would instruct the Council's solicitor to ask the courts to halt the reassessment ordered by a local court and the Supreme Court ...
Tue, March 08, 2011
CF Grades Corbett Budget Address
Plan slows runaway government train, short of A+ improvement
HARRISBURG, PA (3.08.11)–The Commonwealth Foundation graded Gov. Tom Corbett's budget address a ...
Fri, March 04, 2011
Are Changes Coming to the Oversight Board?
The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority for Cities of the Second Class–commonly known as the ICA and more commonly as the oversight board–was created in 2004 to help prevent a fiscal ...
Wed, March 02, 2011
Allegheny County Council Continues Irresponsible Voting
Hard on the heels of its repugnant and indefensible vote to smear W and K Steel by designating it as a "sweatshop", County Council has added to its irresponsible record by voting ...
Wed, February 23, 2011
Another Misleading Analysis of PA Jobs
In a February 8, 2011 report, the Keystone Research Center credits Pennsylvania's recent comparatively good jobs performance on all the money spent in the last few years to promote green energy, ...
Mon, February 21, 2011
New Hampshire Flirts with Right to Work
Last week, the New Hampshire House of Representatives sent a shock wave through New England and North Atlantic states by passing Right-to-Work legislation by an overwhelming majority. New Hampshire's ...
Thu, February 17, 2011
Promise Program Sends a Better Message
The Pittsburgh Promise college scholarship program, in an abrupt departure from its original plan, announced changes to the amounts available to graduating students who qualify for funds. The ...
Wed, February 09, 2011
What to Do About Pittsburgh Airport?
The new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) was constructed in the early 1990s at the behest of US Airways to strengthen Pittsburgh's status as the principal "hub" in the airline's ...
Tue, February 08, 2011
Commonwealth Foundation on S.B. # 1
Senate Bill 1, The Opportunity Scholarship Act sponsored by Sen. Jeff Piccola (R) and Sen. Tony Williams (D), would expand scholarships available to children in lower- and middle-income families ...
Thu, February 03, 2011
Allegheny County Employment: 20 Years of Falling Behind
Economic development in Allegheny County over the last few decades has been driven heavily by government subsidies and directives putting taxpayers–County, state and municipal–in the role ...
Tue, February 01, 2011
Sunset Review: Better Late Than Never?
Compare and contrast the events that occurred around this past New Year's Eve for the region's most high profile governments. Pittsburgh City Council and the City administration were in a virtual ...
Thu, January 27, 2011
County Officials Avoid Assessment Responsibility
An Allegheny County Council Committee has voted to instruct the Solicitor to file suit against the state Legislature in an effort to force it to enact a moratorium on reassessments and rewrite ...
Wed, January 26, 2011
Corbett's Plan: This is Reform?
Facing mounting criticism for appearing to brush off a campaign pledge to issue a "reform plan" his first week in office (a commercial said he would do it on "Day One"), Gov. Tom Corbett yesterday ...
Tue, January 25, 2011
Voter Approval of Taxes Out of Reach
Should voters in the City of Pittsburgh have the right to approve or reject property tax increases? A majority of City Council does not think so, and have effectively killed a measure that would ...
Thu, January 20, 2011
Fixing Rendell's Mess
Katrina Currie and Nathan A. Benefield
Penn's Woods are darker and deeper in red ink than ever before thanks to the tax-borrow-and-spend agenda of the Rendell ...
Wed, January 19, 2011
P-G 'Mapping Mortality' Raises Concerns
A review of the analysis and data used in the Post-Gazette series "Mapping Mortality" raises very serious concerns about the accuracy of the conclusions drawn regarding the alleged need for drastic ...
Mon, January 10, 2011
Is a Taxpayer Referendum on Its Way to Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh Councilman Burgess has introduced a measure to give City voters the power to approve or reject property tax increases. The proposed ordinance calls for a referendum asking voters if they ...
Thu, January 06, 2011
Pittsburgh Council Pension Funding Raises Questions
As the proverbial clock moved close to midnight on December 31st Pittsburgh City Council finalized a plan it believed would be sufficient to avoid a state takeover of the City's underfunded pensions. ...
Thu, December 30, 2010
Municipal Spending in Allegheny County
With municipalities across Allegheny County setting their budgets for the upcoming year, several are patting themselves on the back for not raising taxes. That is a good thing but it would be even ...
Wed, December 22, 2010
IS the Capital City Headed for Bankruptcy?
Just last week, the state's capital city, Harrisburg (population 47k), was declared financially distressed under Act 47. Harrisburg becomes the 20th city since the statute became law in 1987 to be ...
Thu, December 16, 2010
Rivers Casino Profitability Disadvantage
As we have documented in past Policy Briefs, the Rivers Casino has gotten off to a rocky start–first with ownership problems and then with weak gross terminal revenues from slots operations. ...
Thu, December 09, 2010
Crucial Decision Time for the SPC
On December 13th the board of the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission (SPC)–which consists of elected and appointed officials responsible for steering planning and transportation priorities for ...
Fri, December 03, 2010
Brookings Tells Us Nothing About Pittsburgh Economy
Since 2008, the Allegheny Institute has commented many times on the slow arriving recession and its relatively moderate negative impact on the region's economy. With no housing or general real ...
Mon, November 29, 2010
State Must Act Now to Fix the Port Authority
The Port Authority (PAT) is bankrupt. It is bankrupt financially, intellectually and morally. PAT's board and the elected officials who appoint the board members refuse to listen to suggestions of ...
Fri, November 19, 2010
A Plant o Mitigate Bus Service Cuts
As expected, the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) has announced that it is out of options and will make drastic cuts in service beginning in March. Faced with a near $50 million budget ...
Tue, November 16, 2010
PAT Bus System Still Expensive
There is s lot of hand wringing over the Port Authority's (PAT) plans to cut bus service dramatically to deal with the agency's nearly $50 million budget shortfall. While civic leaders, businesses, ...
Thu, November 11, 2010
Getting Serious About Public Sector Pensions
A Tribune Review article of November 8 reminds once again just how desperate the unfunded pension plan situation is for many Pennsylvania communities, including the two largest cities as well as ...
Wed, November 10, 2010
What Will Become of Oversight Board?
Next year marks the end of the current life span of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) for Cities of the Second Class, commonly known as the Oversight Board. Created by Act 11 of ...
Fri, November 05, 2010
Union Pension Bailout Generational Theft
Pennsylvania's largest public pension plans–Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees Retirement System (SERS)–are severely underfunded. But instead of ...
Thu, November 04, 2010
Are Pittsburgh School Luchring Toward Fiscal Nightmare?
As the Pittsburgh Public School District Board prepares to release its proposed budget for 2011, they are quick to point out there will be no tax increase for the tenth consecutive year. Supporters ...
Wed, November 03, 2010
Pittsburgh School Enrollment Slide Continues
Pittsburgh Public Schools have seen yet another enrollment decline continuing a trend dating back over a decade. The student count for the 2010-11 school year fell 3.1 percent (797) below the year ...
Thu, October 28, 2010
Health Care Reform: An Update
Before enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Congress had to pass the bill before we'd find out what's in it. Sadly, it's worse ...
Wed, October 27, 2010
Pittsburgh School Enrollment Slide Continues
Pittsburgh Public Schools have seen yet another enrollment decline continuing a trend dating back over a decade. The student count for the 2010-11 school year fell 3.1 percent (797) below the year ...
Wed, October 20, 2010
Garage Privatization Should Remain Option in Pittsburgh
With City Council's final vote and the Mayor's pronouncement that it is "time to move on" to other issues, the stage appears to be set for the troubled pension plans to move from City ...
Fri, October 15, 2010
What Will a State Pension Takeover Mean for Pittsburgh?
"A City of the Second Class that is determined to be in Level III distress based upon the required actuarial valuation reports for a plan year beginning on January 1, 2011, shall transfer all ...
Wed, October 13, 2010
Will Leased Parking Garages be a Tax Shelter?
Pittsburgh is contemplating a lease of its publicly owned parking to the high bidder for a sum of $452 million. The lease of nearly 18,000 spaces in garages or lots and on-street metered spots owned ...
Wed, October 06, 2010
Has Recession Loosened Its Grip on the Pittsburgh Region?
Is the recession loosening its grip on the Pittsburgh area? According to the latest payroll employment data for August, the answer may be "yes". August marked the third straight month that total ...
Fri, October 01, 2010
Improving Home Rule in Allegheny County
As home rule government begins its second decade in Allegheny County–the effective date of the Home Rule Charter was January 1, 2000–taxpayers and residents of the County have several big ...
Fri, October 01, 2010
V&V Q&A with Dr. Paul Kengor on Dupes
Editor's Note: The "V&V Q&A" is an e-publication from The Center for Vision Values at Grove City College. This is an interview with Dr. Paul Kengor, professor of political science and executive ...
Thu, September 30, 2010
Will Table Games Solve Rivers Casino Revenue Problems?
Gmail Calendar Web Documents Reader more ▼Photos
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has released revenue data for the first full month of table game operations at the state's ...
Wed, September 22, 2010
Comparing Municipality Employee Counts
Our recent report on municipal financial statistics (Report # 2010-04) shed light on the spending and revenues of a cross section sample of twenty municipalities in Allegheny County. The report ...
Thu, September 16, 2010
PA SAT Scores Point to Futility of Higher Spending
Once again reality intrudes on the fantasy world of the politicians, educrats, teachers' unions, school board members, and many parents who have swallowed hook, line and sinker the narrative that ...
Thu, September 16, 2010
Natural Gas: Myths v Facts
The Marcellus Shale formation is believed to be the largest unconventional natural gas reservoir in America, and its exploration has been coined a modern-day gold rush. It has the potential to create ...
Tue, September 14, 2010
Can County Corral Authorities?
Under a proposed resolution (5836-10) before County Council, several of the County's larger special purpose authorities would be studied by an independent panel that could then recommend remedial ...
Thu, September 09, 2010
Merging Municipal Functions into Counties: A Bad Idea
A recently introduced bill in Harrisburg would mandate that all municipal functions be merged into their host county. The rationale is an old one–too many municipalities are stifling economic ...
Fri, September 03, 2010
No Labor Day Joy in Pittsburgh
Compounding the litany of financial difficulties confronting the City of Pittsburgh the latest jobless figures (July 2010) show a recession-high unemployment rate in the City's labor force of 9.1 ...
Mon, August 30, 2010
Why So Many Non-Teaching Employees in Pittsburgh?
A pop quiz as another school year gets underway: what is the student-to-teacher
ratio in the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS)? According to the most recent audited data (2009) the District shows ...
Tue, August 24, 2010
Corporate Welfare Apologists Never Give Up
Back in 2001, an editorial in Pittsburgh's liberal/progressive newspaper justified the taxpayer investment in PNC Park and Heinz Field on the basis of a couple of million dollars in projected ...
Tue, August 24, 2010
Time to Fix Hole in Allegheny County's Oath of Office
The Mayor of Pittsburgh, members of Pittsburgh City Council, and all City appointees do it; so too do the members of Allegheny County's personnel board; county officials in Erie County also do it; ...
Tue, August 17, 2010
Sunset Review Still Hasn't Seen Light of Day
Back in March of this year (Policy Brief Volume 10, Number 16) we inquired as to the whereabouts of Allegheny County's mandated periodic sunset review. Under language in the Home Rule ...
Wed, August 11, 2010
Casino Anniversary: A Disappointing Year
August 9th marked the one year anniversary of the Rivers Casino opening. While the Casino and its supporters claim the last year was a success, analysis of their gross terminal revenues (slot ...
Mon, August 09, 2010
Senatorial Connector Criticism Gets Lame PAT Response
In a recently released report by Senators Coburn and McCain titled "Summertime Blues", the North Shore Connector–Pittsburgh's $529 million "big dig"–was identified as ...
Wed, August 04, 2010
Has SPC Derailed Flex Plan?
In Policy Brief Volume 10, Number 39 we discussed the Governor's mention of the possibility of "flexing" highway money to help the Port Authority (PAT) with its impending deficit thereby repeating ...
Fri, July 30, 2010
PA #1 in Teacher Strikes
We have pointed on many occasions how Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that give teachers the right to strike if collective bargaining does not produce a contract. Teacher strikes are ...
Fri, July 30, 2010
Unemployment Comp Debate Missing Key Points
The attention given to the ongoing back and forth over unemployment compensation, while making good fodder for election year pundits and newspaper headlines, is not directed at the real issue: how to ...
Fri, July 23, 2010
Flexible Healing of PAT is No Cure
"In the future our limited highway dollars should first be used to repair our existing roads and bridges, not close holes in the transit budget"–Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission ...
Tue, July 20, 2010
Pittsburgh's Pension Solution
In last week's Policy Brief (Volume 10, Number 37) we showed that the proposal to lease Parking Authority facilities as a means to raise $200 million for Pittsburgh's pension funds would ...
Thu, July 15, 2010
Proposed Pittsburgh Parking Lease
As the Mayor takes his case for leasing the parking garages, lots, and meters to the public he has to wonder if at least one of the interested companies will see sufficient earnings potential from a ...
Wed, June 30, 2010
What Will Pittsburgh Parking Study Accomplish?
What Will Council's $250,000 Parking Study Accomplish?
City Council wants to leave no stone unturned and wants to make sure that when it decides to approve or disapprove of any agreement ...
Thu, June 24, 2010
Rendell Gets It Wrong on Education Spending
Speaking to group of Pennsylvania teachers on June 22, Governor Rendell tried to make the case for asking the Legislature to approve an additional $355 million in education spending in the 2010-2011 ...
Wed, June 23, 2010
Legal Reform Proposals Miss the Mark
While job creators, health-care providers, consumers and others impacted by Pennsylvania's dismal legal system continue the fight for any progress on meaningful lawsuit abuse reform, some state ...
Thu, June 17, 2010
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Governor Rendell proposed a $66 billion total state operating budget for 2010-11 that increases taxes. What will these new taxes go to pay? Here is the second in a series looking at Your Tax ...
Wed, June 16, 2010
Port Authority Irresponsibility: A Never Ending Story
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
Is history repeating itself? Later this week the state will convene a meeting in the ...
Tue, June 08, 2010
Rivers Casino Credit Rating Drops to Dismal Low
Investors in Rivers Casino are pouring more money into the underperforming facility. The investors include Rivers Casino Chairman Neil Bluhm and the Detroit fire and police pension funds that ...
Fri, June 04, 2010
PA's Anti-Growth Trifecta
The decades' long anemic growth of Pennsylvania's economy has been well documented. Consistently over many years, the state has posted job gains ranking among the bottom five or ten states. That ...
Wed, June 02, 2010
PA Budget Facts 2010
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010
Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released two fact sheets on the Pennsylvania State Budget, and offered testimony on ways to reduce ...
Tue, June 01, 2010
Is Port Authority Headed for a Federal Bailout?
Here we go again. Port Authority (PAT) is facing yet another financial crisis. This time they can blame it on the failure of the Feds to approve tolling I-80. So now they are looking at a $50 million ...
Thu, May 27, 2010
Rivers Casino Revenue Up, But Below Expectations
There is some moderately good news from the Rivers Casino–at least from the casino's perspective. Gross terminal revenue has picked up 20 percent thus far in 2010 compared to the opening five ...
Tue, May 25, 2010
Another Weak Start for Pirate Attendance
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
Welcome to another ...
Tue, May 25, 2010
Sorry Governor, That's Not Correct
As Gov. Ed Rendell and his supporters press for higher taxes in the 2010-11 state budget, they continue to make statements that range from misleading to factually incorrect, significantly clouding ...
Fri, May 21, 2010
Teacher Union President Needs Some Education
In an opinion piece earlier this week the president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association set out the teachers' association position on the impending requirement for massive contribution ...
Wed, May 19, 2010
Pittsburgh Loses Again
Pittsburgh has lost again, although this time it was not a sports contest. The City lost an arbitration award to the labor union representing Public Works employees. The grievance was over the ...
Thu, May 13, 2010
Pittsburgh's 0.3% Solution is a Very Bad Idea
According to Mayor Ravenstahl there is unanimous agreement in his task force of government, university and business leaders that Pittsburgh needs a new source of revenue to bail out its ailing ...
Thu, May 06, 2010
'Most Livable' a Dubious, Fleeting Honor
Quick–who did Forbes magazine recently name as its "Most Livable City"? Unless one has been under a rock in southwestern Pennsylvania they would know that Pittsburgh was crowned with ...
Tue, May 04, 2010
Candidates Spar Over Allegheny County Jobs
Two candidates vying for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination have questioned the accuracy of County Executive Onorato's campaign ads regarding claims of job creation and are suggesting they are ...
Tue, April 27, 2010
Pittsburgh's Financial Watchdogs Lose Their Bark
Pittsburgh City Council recently enacted a prevailing wage bill and is now considering a living wage bill. Both measures will almost certainly increase City spending either directly, by raising the ...
Wed, April 21, 2010
The Bell Tolls for PAT: Do They Hear It?
Without tolls on Interstate 80 (I-80) to generate funds for roads, bridges, and mass transit, the CEO of Port Authority (PAT) says that what was a $25 million deficit for the coming fiscal year will ...
Wed, April 14, 2010
Great Schools Ranking of Schools Flawed
GreatSchools, a San Francisco non-profit organization, recently ranked cities according to school performance and city affordability. According to GreatSchools the rankings were done to assist ...
Thu, April 08, 2010
Strike Three: Tolling I-80 is Out!
For the third time Pennsylvania's application to toll Interstate 80 (I-80) has been denied by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated that the FHWA ...
Mon, April 05, 2010
Are Public Pensions Becoming a Financial Suicide Pact?
Here are two hard and uncomfortable truths about public pensions that will undoubtedly play an enormous role on policy and legislative decisions by the state and local governments in coming years:
Wed, March 31, 2010
Mt. Lebanon Condo Plan Falls Through - Again
Mt. Lebanon's controversial condominium project known as Washington Park, to be built on property formerly owned by the municipality's Parking Authority, has officially fallen through. Officially, ...
Fri, March 26, 2010
Has the Sun Set on Sunset Review in Allegheny County?
Since Allegheny County's Home Rule Charter and administrative code clearly spell out that a sunset review of all County operating departments is to be conducted every four years, why has it been ...
Wed, March 24, 2010
Measuring Pittsburgh's Financial Performance
Compared to our Benchmark City–an amalgamation of financial data from four U.S. regional hub cities that differ in geographic location, population, square mileage, and political ...
Wed, March 17, 2010
Recession Continues to Grip Region
According to some analysts the recession is over. The Bureau of Economic Analysis has reported that real gross domestic product increased in both the third and fourth quarters of 2009, suggesting the ...
Fri, March 12, 2010
CF: The Case for a Citizen Legislature
CF Releases The Case for a Citizen Legislature
The Commonwealth Foundation today released The Case for a Citizen Legislature, a policy brief by Elizabeth Bryan and ...
Wed, March 10, 2010
Gaming Revenue Impact on Government Spending
Money received by Allegheny County from gaming taxes almost certainly delayed hard budgetary choices. Would the County have raised taxes or cut spending in the absence of gaming dollars promised or ...
Wed, March 03, 2010
Hard to Feel Sympathy for PAT
Another year, another budget crisis. The Port Authority's (PAT) budget projection for 2010-2011 calls for yet another funding shortfall; this time about $25 million. PAT's planning and development ...
Wed, February 24, 2010
Commonwealth Foundation Budget Facts
Pennsylvania Budget Facts 2010
Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released two new analyses of the Pennsylvania State Budget.
Pennsylvania State Budget Overview
Wed, February 24, 2010
Pittsburgh's Apologists Return with Bad Policy Suggestions
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
In 2003 a duo of the City's elite chaired a task force known as the Hillman/Roderick Committee to study Pittsburgh's financial problems and to ...
Mon, February 22, 2010
Can Johnstown Regain its Financial Footing?
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
In Act 47 status since 1992 and on its fourth amended recovery plan, the City of Johnstown just started ...
Tue, February 16, 2010
Mt. Lebanon Schools Become a Taxpayer Mightmare
Mt. Lebanon taxpayers, like many taxpayers in Pennsylvania, are facing a shocking increase in school taxes over the next five years. Between now and 2015, property tax collections in Mt. Lebanon are ...
Wed, February 10, 2010
Allegheny Institute: Harrisburg Contemplates Bankruptcy
Could a $288 million debt, most of which is related to a publicly owned trash
incinerator, turn Harrisburg's finances to ashes?
That's a question officials in ...
Thu, February 04, 2010
Penn Hills Teacher Strike Mean-Spirited and Spiteful
Penn Hills School District is cancelling classes in response to a teacher strike. This situation is all too commonplace in the state that annually leads the nation in teacher strikes.
Mon, January 25, 2010
Allegheny Institute: Return of the Living Wage
Pittsburgh City Council's attempt to install a prevailing wage for employees at City-subsidized development projects has emboldened one Council member to take it a step further and revisit the idea ...
Thu, January 21, 2010
More Reassessment Bluster from the Chief Executive
"Allegheny County will comply with the court-ordered 2012 reassessment…"–press release from the Chief Executive, December 4, 2009
"I will do everything in my power to make ...
Wed, January 20, 2010
Mandated Wage Mania in Allegheny County
Hard on the heels of the efforts of Pittsburgh to put together a "prevailing wage" law for workers on development projects that receive government financial assistance, now appears ...
Thu, January 14, 2010
Pittsburgh Tax Revenue: A Better Approach
When Pittsburgh's plans to use projected tuition tax revenues were denied by the Oversight Board, the resulting loss of $15 million in projected revenue for 2010 necessitated some reworking of the ...
Mon, January 11, 2010
Prevailing Gamesmanship
In a bold New Year's Eve gambit, Mayor Ravenstahl's veto was able to stymie City Council efforts to institute a "prevailing wage" law in Pittsburgh through a bill it passed unanimously on ...
Sat, January 09, 2010
Time for More Transparency in Government
There is a national movement to make government spending and finances accessible to taxpayers. Pennsylvania lags behind, but state lawmakers are moving toward greater transparency.
Tue, January 05, 2010
Commonwealth Foundation Guide to Electric Choice
Citizen's Guide to Electric Choice Competition
Background
Why are we now getting electricity choice and competition?
Wed, December 23, 2009
Humbug: Coal to the Coalition for More Taxes
Monday, December 21st marked the demise of the proposed tuition tax, also known as the "Post Secondary Education Privilege Tax" and the "Fair Share Tax", as the City and the Pittsburgh college and ...
Mon, December 14, 2009
Pittsburgh's Worsening Policy Spiral
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
Pittsburgh's City Council is holding debates over proposed prevailing wage legislation. The ...
Thu, December 10, 2009
Allegheny Institute: Legislature Moves to Squash Tuition Tax
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
________________________________________
December 10, 2009 ...
Wed, December 09, 2009
Labor Market Weakness Persists in Pittsburgh Region
Despite the wishful thinking of some civic leaders and pundits, recessionary labor market conditions persist in the Pittsburgh area. The latest household survey data from the Bureau of Labor ...
Fri, December 04, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Allegheny County Taxes: The Rest of the Story
At last Tuesday night's County Council meeting the Council President stated that "the story here is that for the ninth year in a row now, this council has not raised property taxes even as all our ...
Thu, December 03, 2009
Spending Transparency Accountability
There is a national movement to make government spending and finances accessible to taxpayers. Pennsylvania lags behind, but state lawmakers are moving toward greater transparency.
Wed, December 02, 2009
Missing the Housing Boom
Conventional thinking among local leaders is that because the area didn't "boom" during the last few years, it didn't suffer the economic "bust" to the degree some other areas ...
Tue, November 24, 2009
Every Generation Needs a Revolution
By Matt Brouillette, Tim Potts, Barry Kauffman Olivia Thorne
Pennsylvania's government is a prime exhibition of Lord Acton's well-known admonition that "power ...
Tue, November 24, 2009
Summing Up the G-20 Summit
Shortly after the conclusion of the September G-20 Summit, the head of VisitPittsburgh claimed the event's economic benefits to the City and region reached $35 million. As we pointed out in an ...
Fri, November 20, 2009
Assessment Fiasco Gets New Life
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
At the October 19th hearing to determine how and when to ...
Tue, November 17, 2009
College Students: Welcome to Taxburgh
The Mayor of Pittsburgh is trying to levy a new tax on college and university tuition to shore up the City's calamitous legacy costs. A City Council member has countered with another proposal. That ...
Tue, November 10, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
County Council Oversteps Yet Again
Against the opinion of their own legal counsel and in the face of a threatened veto, County Council-on a 14 to 0 vote-passed legislation to impose service fees on certain tax-exempt, non-profit ...
Wed, November 04, 2009
Pittsburgh Enrollment Decline Forecast to Continue
An independent consultant hired by Pittsburgh Public Schools to study facility usage recommended closing 16 buildings and reconfiguring another 19 of the District's 70 facilities. The recommendations ...
Thu, October 29, 2009
Allegheny Institute
Clarifying Pittsburg's Employment Picture
Pittsburgh's mayoral race has produced some heated rhetoric about the jobs situation in the City. One candidate has criticized the Mayor's characterization of the unemployment situation as being ...
Tue, October 27, 2009
Eds and Meds Jobs: Another Look
September jobs numbers for the Pittsburgh region monotonously repeat the story of the past several months–significant year over year employment declines. Total private jobs fell 32,000 from ...
Fri, October 23, 2009
Stronger Graduation Requirements Pay Off in the Long Run
By Joe Torsella
For almost two years, Pennsylvania has been engaged in spirited debate about the academic expectations we hold for our young people. In public hearings, the halls of the ...
Wed, October 21, 2009
Allegheny Institute: County Officials's Assessment Confusion
While running for the County Executive position the first time, the current holder of that office was unrelenting in his harsh criticism of the 2002 assessment values, arguing they were hopelessly ...
Fri, October 16, 2009
Allegheny Institute: A Look at the 2010 Allegheny County Budget
While state budget deliberations have come to a close, discussions about Allegheny County's budget are just beginning. The County's general fund-where most of the day to day operations are accounted ...
Wed, October 14, 2009
Lingering Problems at Pittsburgh International
The Allegheny County Airport Authority has released its budget for 2010. And while it contains a very slight increase in expenditures over this year's budget it has been necessary to boost airline ...
Wed, October 07, 2009
Allegheny Institute: Home Rule Law Needs to be Revamped
Almost a year ago to the day (Policy Brief Volume 8, Number 65) we asked this question: "who has the power to set tax rates in a home rule community?" The issue at hand was whether a citizen-led ...
Tue, October 06, 2009
G-20: Did Pittsburgh Come Out Ahead?
Pittsburgh's cheerleaders are lauding the benefits of hosting the G-20 summit with a claim the City and region reaped $35 million in direct economic benefits as well as what amounts to $100 million ...
Wed, September 30, 2009
Pittsburgh's Star Crossed Casino Not So Majestic
It seems that if something can go wrong for Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino, it will. From problems with ownership, location, long construction delays, a grand opening that fizzled, to six weeks of ...
Mon, September 28, 2009
Allegheny Institute: A Tax Ruling the Supreme Court Ought to Consider
It has been two and a half years since Judge Wettick ruled Allegheny County's base year assessment system unconstitutional and ordered an updated assessment to be carried out. It has been six months ...
Wed, September 23, 2009
Allegheny Institute: Wishful Jobs Thinking
Folks in the Pittsburgh area were given a double dollop of wishful thinking about jobs over the past few days. One arrived in the form of a forecast, the other from a protest march led by the Bailout ...
Tue, September 22, 2009
Allegheny Institute: Another Example of Union Tone Deafness
Teachers in the South Butler School District are on strike for the second time in the last twelve months. They can stay on the picket lines until early October under Act 88. They face no ...
Fri, September 18, 2009
Is Pittsburgh's Casino Being a Good Citizen?
When Pittsburgh's casino license was transferred from Don Barden to Neil Bluhm's group, the latter agreed, as a condition of the transfer, to honor all obligations associated with that ...
Wed, September 16, 2009
Allegheny Institute: Assessment Saga Continues
The never ending saga of Allegheny County's assessment system continues as the County Court of Common Pleas, the County government, and the legal counsel for the opponents of the base year huddle to ...
Fri, September 11, 2009
Allegheny Institute: What Happens in Chapter 9 Bankruptcy?
In a previous Policy Brief (Volume 9, Number 51) we raised the question of whether Pittsburgh's legacy costs could force the City to seek relief under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Under ...
Thu, September 03, 2009
Allegheny Institute
Casino Revenues Face Uphill Struggle
Earnings for the third week of operations at the Rivers Casino were lower than the already disappointing levels of the first two weeks. This pattern is rapidly becoming a problem for Pittsburgh's ...
Wed, August 26, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Pittsburgh Casino Not Off to a Good Start
The Rivers Casino on Pittsburgh's North Shore just finished its first two full weeks of operations (August 10th through August 23rd). Wagering and revenue data are available to the public through the ...
Wed, August 19, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Pittsburgh Encounters Pension Reform and Doesn't Like It
If the health of Pittsburgh's three pension plans doesn't soon improve and if pending municipal pension reform legislation becomes state law, the City will see its oversight and administration of ...
Fri, August 14, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
What Would PA Gain by Consolidating School Districts?
Could Pennsylvania see another reduction in the number of school districts in coming years? If it does, would the reduction be of the magnitude of the late 1950s and early 1960s when the district ...
Thu, August 13, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Assessing Pittsburgh's Casinos
Pittsburgh's casino is now open. Its first day of operations saw $14 million wagered and gross profits for the casino $1.29 million. In the midst of all of the excitement surrounding the slots ...
Tue, August 11, 2009
Policy Points
Quick Facts from the Commonwealth Foundation
August 11, 2009
Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released two new Policy Points highlighting Pennsylvania's state and local tax burden and state and local government debt, in light of ...
Fri, August 07, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Is the eighth grade PSSA reading exam too easy?
A close perusal of 2007-2008 PSSA (Pennsylvania System of Schools Assessment) reading test scores uncovers a serious question. What is going on with the 8th grade test that such high percentages of ...
Tue, August 04, 2009
Quick Facts from the Commonwealth Foundation:
Electricity Restructuring and Rate Caps
With electricity rate caps expiring, state lawmakers are concerned that Pennsylvanians will see steep increases in their utility bills. What will happen as the electricity deregulation, which is ...
Mon, August 03, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Pittsburgh Schools Still Not Making the Grade
While waxing ecstatic last month about the Pittsburgh school district's improving achievement scores in the 2008-2009 school year, the Superintendent studiously avoided a thorough discussion of some ...
Thu, July 30, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Achievement Test Results and Education Spending
A lesson well learned by all departments reporting to the Governor is how to milk anything resembling good news and obfuscate or remain silent about less pleasant news. Recent case in point: The ...
Mon, July 27, 2009
Allegheny Institute Policy Brief:
PAT Finances Suffer Despite New Contract
State and local revenue assistance is flat, the capital budget might be raided to pay day-to-day costs, money has to be plowed into the pension fund, and the cost to patrons has to rise. These ...
Fri, July 24, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Bluhm on the Hook: But Taxpayers May Get the Bill
With less than a month until the Rivers Casino opens in Pittsburgh the slots parlor is facing a $7.5 million payment due this October for its share of the hockey arena debt service. Predictably, ...
Tue, July 14, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Pittsburgh Job Gains in Eds and Meds Are Not Unique
As the deep recession continues to hold the economy in a tight grip, much is being made of how Pittsburgh's job market is being buoyed by the growth in the Education and Health sector. Comparative ...
Mon, July 06, 2009
Budget Fact s 2009
Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released three new Pennsylvania Budget Facts highlighting Gov. Rendell's proposals to fill a $3.2 billion revenue shortfall in the state's General Fund budget. The ...
Mon, July 06, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Population Slide Continues in City and Region
The recently released 2008 population figures show the City of Pittsburgh posting a yearly loss of nearly 1,700 residents, continuing a trend that has been ongoing for several decades. City officials ...
Wed, July 01, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
The Best Laid Plans Not Good Enough
When the Secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development rejected Pittsburgh's petition to have its Act 47 designation lifted last July, he noted that the City needed ...
Fri, June 26, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Silly Season for Meaningless Rankings
News magazines apparently do not have enough real news to report so they have taken to creating news by preparing a seemingly endless flood of city rankings. Evidently the competition to produce such ...
Thu, June 25, 2009
City Wants Commuters, Visitors and Nonprofits to Pay More
To say the least, there has been little or no support in the state Legislature for the Mayor's call to boost Pittsburgh's revenue by increasing taxes paid by people working in the City (through a ...
Fri, June 19, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Recession Deepened in April
Recession Deepened in April
April employment numbers show a significant deepening of the recession in the Pittsburgh metro area. April data continued a disturbing trend of losses ...
Fri, June 12, 2009
Allegheny Institute
Privatizing Airport Parking: Will it Fly?
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
June 11, 2009 ...
Fri, June 12, 2009
Budget Facts 2009
From the Commonwealth Foundation
Budget Facts 2009
From the Commonwealth Foundation
June 2009
Spending Increases by Department
Pennsylvania faces a $3 ...
Tue, June 09, 2009
Budget Facts 2009
From the Commonwealth Foundation
June 2009
Pennsylvania State Budget Overview
Pennsylvania faces a $3 billion tax revenue shortfall in the state's General Fund Budget. Competing proposals from Gov. Ed ...
Thu, June 04, 2009
Spot Appeals: Another Problem Created by Base Year Assessments
When counties adopt a base-year assessment system, they can lock in assessed values for very long periods. As a result, tax revenues cannot grow unless; (1) there is growth in total property value ...
Fri, May 29, 2009
Policy Brief
Turnpike Renewing Plans to Toll I-80
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
________________________________________
May 29, 2009 ...
Thu, May 28, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Act # 47 Errs Badly with Tax Recommendations
Pittsburgh's Recovery Team unveiled its amended Recovery Plan last week, the latest step in the City's tenure under Act 47 distressed status that began in December of 2003. The amended Plan came ...
Thu, May 28, 2009
Will More Government Spending Stimulate the Economy?
Over the past eight years, federal, state, and local government spending increased from 30% of U.S. GDP to 35%. Economists warn that when government spending exceeds 25% of GDP, it hampers economic ...
Thu, May 21, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
The Stimulus in Allegheny County: The Seen and the Unseen
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act–better known as the stimulus package–will inject $377 million into Allegheny County for transportation, community improvements, and education ...
Tue, May 19, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Reassessments: Rhetoric and Reality
Ever since the County scuttled its long standing commitment to carry out a property reassessment in 2005 and adopted a base year plan, the Chief Executive has defended the actions with three basic ...
Wed, May 13, 2009
Businesses Balk at Pittsburgh Promise Program
According to a Tribune Review report, the Pittsburgh business community has not warmed to the Pittsburgh Promise program. This is the program that plans to offer college scholarships to virtually all ...
Tue, May 12, 2009
Where Will the Chief Executive Take Assessments Next?
Having recently lost a Pennsylvania Supreme Court case regarding his base-year assessment scheme, the County Executive is now threatening to take the case to Federal court. Considering the lawsuit ...
Thu, May 07, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
PA Budget Debate: Where Does Government's Obligation Lie?
Thomas Jefferson writing in the Declaration of Independence lays out the self-evident truths that form the basis of the nation's founding. To wit; all men are created equal and endowed by their ...
Mon, May 04, 2009
PA Deficit Watch
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: May 2009
Update on Pennsylvania's Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation
05.04.09
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the ...
Thu, April 30, 2009
Supreme Court Tosses Out Allegheny County's Base Year Assessments
"…We hold that the base year method property valuation, as applied in Allegheny County, violates the Uniformity Clause. We therefore agree that a countywide reassessment is required and remand ...
Wed, April 29, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Push for City-County Merger Continues Despite Flaws, Unpopularity
Not since the Regional Renaissance Initiative debacle has so much study group brainpower, City and County elected official political muscle, and high powered civic leadership influence been employed ...
Thu, April 23, 2009
Can PA Cut Spending and Still Provide Essential Programs Services?
Those who feed at the trough of taxpayer funding typically argue that the state budget can't possibly be reduced–or even see its growth limited to inflation and population growth–without ...
Wed, April 22, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Social Assistance Jobs to the Rescue?
Pittsburgh area jobs continue to fall as the recession tightens its grip on the region. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for March show private payroll jobs dropping by 19,200 from the year earlier ...
Mon, April 20, 2009
Common Sense for Mayoral Candidates: Economic Development
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
April 17,2009 ...
Tue, April 14, 2009
Common Sense for Mayoral Candidates: Legacy Costs
Legacy costs–pensions, retiree health care, general obligation debt, and long-term workers' compensation liabilities–hang like a millstone around the City's neck. Consider these numbers ...
Thu, April 09, 2009
IS PA a Friendly Place for Job Creators?
Gov. Rendell frequently claims that his policies–namely increased government spending on "economic development", and the higher taxes and debt that accompany that–make ...
Wed, April 08, 2009
Common Sense for Mayoral Candidates: Education Policy
A good public school system can be, and often is, an important factor in the overall economic success of a city. At the same time, one thing is certain; bad school systems chase people with school ...
Tue, April 07, 2009
Government Wage Mandate Squeezes Low Income Homebuyers
In an attempt to revitalize some of Pittsburgh's declining neighborhoods, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), in conjunction with neighborhood community organizations are embarking on a project ...
Mon, April 06, 2009
Common Sense for Mayoral Candidates: Taxes and Spending
Prior to 2004, the City's tax and spending plans were almost entirely under the direction of successive City Councils and Mayoral administrations. The City, like all home rule municipalities, had to ...
Fri, April 03, 2009
PA Deficit Watch
Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: April 2009
Update on Pennsylvania's Revenue Shortfall from the Commonwealth Foundation
04.03.09
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the ...
Wed, April 01, 2009
Recession Comes to Pittsbsurgh
After a valiant struggle through most of 2008 to elude the clutches of the recession that has hammered the nation's economy, the Pittsburgh region now appears to have fallen victim to full fledged ...
Mon, March 30, 2009
Common Sense for Mayoral Candidates
This year, Pittsburgh voters will cast ballots for the office of Mayor. The four year term will last until the beginning of 2014.
What will the City look like then? It is very ...
Thu, March 26, 2009
Commonwealth Foundation: Should State Government Borrow More Money?
While Gov. Rendell is fond of claiming Pennsylvania has a low state debt burden relative to other states, this ranking excludes a vast majority of taxpayer-owed debt. In fact, state debt is ...
Wed, March 25, 2009
Stimulus Spending on Schools in Inept Public Policy
States and school districts across the country are salivating at the prospect of receiving Federal money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as the stimulus bill. ...
Thu, March 19, 2009
Differences in Municipal Taxes and Spending
As discussions of a City-County merger continue and issues surrounding local economic competitiveness are always a concern, it is worthwhile to examine the taxing and spending levels of the region's ...
Wed, March 11, 2009
Are Pennsylvanians Under Taxed?
Pennsylvania's tax burden is high, and growing, relative to the rest of the nation.
• Pennsylvania residents pay, on average, $13,000 per person each year in ...
Tue, March 10, 2009
Allegheny Institute
A City Ranking That Won't Get Much Attention
In 2007 Pittsburgh was rated as "America's Most Livable City" (Places Rated Almanac), and this past January it was crowned as the 6th best city in "Top Ten Places Where They are ...
Thu, March 05, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Casino Led Renaissance?
Speaking at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's annual meeting, Mayor Ravenstahl told his audience that 2008 building permits for large-scale projects ($10 million or greater) showed that ...
Thu, February 26, 2009
Regulators Dredging up Trouble for Western PA
Pennsylvania's Fish and Boat Commission is planning to expand the threatened and endangered species list to include five new freshwater mussels. By so doing they will effectively halt sand and ...
Mon, February 16, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Fiscal Irresponsibility Reigns in Pittsburgh as Well as in Washington
Despite the stumbling economy and rising concerns over government budget shortfalls, political leaders are still planning to throw substantial sums of taxpayer money at projects that should be built ...
Thu, February 12, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
PA's largest municipal pension plans in serious trouble
New data from the state's Public Employee Retirement Commission (PERC) provides the 2007 actuarial valuations and other related statistics (membership, number of plans, etc.) on Pennsylvania's local ...
Fri, February 06, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Proposal to Consolodate School Districts is a Distraction
The Governor's recent budget message had a proposal that is cause for concern. He wants to explore the possibility of consolidating the state's 500 school districts to something he thinks is more ...
Tue, February 03, 2009
Merger Advocates Need Better Arguments
Proponents of merging the governments of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County claim the county's numerous municipalities hinder economic growth. Recently a local advocate said, "We know businesses will ...
Tue, February 03, 2009
PA Deficit Watch
Updates on PA's revenue shortfall
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the January revenue collections showing state General Fund revenues are $1.08 billion short for the fiscal year to date.
Fri, January 30, 2009
Recession Hits Region's Employment
While jobs news from across the country has been horrible for several months, until very recently the Pittsburgh region was able to resist the weakness, showing small year over year gains. Now it ...
Wed, January 28, 2009
Port Authority's Convenient Memory Loss
In an effort to explain the recent revelation that the North Shore Connector would need another $117.8 million to complete–bringing the total cost to $553 million–a Port Authority (PAT) ...
Thu, January 22, 2009
Proposal to Lease Parking to Fund Pensions Raises Opportunities, Questions
Seeking a major infusion of cash for the City's three pension plans, the Mayor of Pittsburgh has proposed leasing parking facilities owned by the City's Parking Authority. The Mayor is to be ...
Tue, January 20, 2009
$533 Million and Counting for PAT's Big Dig
We knew it was coming. The folks at the Port Authority (PAT) have now admitted what everyone has known for some time: $435 million will not be enough to complete Allegheny County's biggest boondoggle ...
Wed, January 14, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
Why the Surge in Pittsburg Region's Labor Force?
The Pittsburgh MSA (metro area) labor force showed surprisingly strong gains in 2008 following a four year period (2003 to 2007) in which the region's labor force actually fell by over 15,000, ...
Tue, January 06, 2009
Allegheny Institute:
The Pathetic State of the Pittsburgh Public School District
Problems for the Pittsburgh Public School District continue to mount. For the current school year enrollment is 26,649, declining more than 1,600 students from the previous year. Moreover, the ...
Mon, December 22, 2008
Science Test Scores Paint a Disturbing Picture of Education
It is a constant refrain: Our children must do better in science and math if the nation hopes to compete effectively in the 21st century. Sadly, if recently released (2008) science test scores of ...
Fri, December 19, 2008
Allegheny County Headed to Court over Plan to Spend Drink Taxes
So now it begins. Yet another lawsuit has been filed against Allegheny County for violating or getting ready to violate state law. As we wrote in an earlier Policy Brief (Volume 8, Number 55), the ...
Thu, December 11, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
PAT Bus Service Still Has the Highest Employee Costs in the Nation
As a backdrop to Port Authority (PAT) labor negotiations it is useful to remember how costly bus service is in Allegheny County. In 2007, the latest year of available Federal Transit Administration ...
Thu, December 04, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
Little Cheer for Taxpayers in Transit Contract
If the Port Authority (PAT) and Local 85 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) agree to sign off on a tentative agreement that will set contract terms through 2012, the two parties will be walking ...
Wed, December 03, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
Time to Outlaw Transit Strikes in PA
While the terms of a new contract agreement between the Port Authority and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 have yet to be approved by either the Board or the drivers, many passengers, ...
Thu, November 20, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
Tallying Recent Teacher Strikes Across the Nation
Newsflash: Pennsylvania maintains its long held number one ranking as the state with the most teacher strikes. During the period beginning with school year 2000-2001 and running through school year ...
Wed, November 19, 2008
Affordable Education Remains PASSHE's Top Priority
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY CENTER POLICY BRIEF
www.susvalleypolicy.org
AFFORDABLE EDUCATION REMAINS PASSHE'S TOP PRIORITY
By John C. ...
Fri, November 14, 2008
Pittsburgh's Budget: Legacy Costs Have Large and Lasting Impact
For the 2009 budget and the years beyond, legacy costs–pensions, retiree health care, workers' compensation, and debt–will dominate the discussion about taxes, spending, the level of ...
Wed, November 12, 2008
Harrisburg's Most Powerful Special Interest
New policy brief addresses the impact of unions on public education
NEWS RELEASE from the Commonwealth Foundation
11.12.08
Harrisburg's Most Powerful Special Interest
New policy brief addresses the impact of unions on public education
Tue, November 11, 2008
Policy Brief:
Adding Up the Costs of Pittsburgh School District's Failures
Pittsburgh Public Schools face serious problems–high per pupil spending (almost $20,000) and a rapidly declining enrollment (18 percent in the last four years) –that are seemingly ...
Thu, November 06, 2008
Promises, Promises
Here's a stunner. Based on the 2008 general fund budget of $526.6 million and a September enrollment of 26,649, the Pittsburgh Public Schools are spending at a rate of $19,796 per student. This in a ...
Mon, October 27, 2008
Water and Sewer Ballot Question
POLICY POINTS from the Commonwealth Foundation
10.27.08
Water and Sewer Ballot Question
When Pennsylvania voters head to the polls on November 4, 2008, they will also ...
Mon, October 27, 2008
Socking it to the Airlines at Pittsburgh International
Policy Brief
An electronic publication of
The Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
________________________________________
October 27, 2008 ...
Wed, October 22, 2008
Analyzing the Talk About a Transit Shutdown
For months we have been watching a marathon bargaining impasse between the County Executive and the Port Authority Board on one side and the Amalgamated Transit workers on the other. The impasse is ...
Thu, October 16, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
The Great Transit Tax Grab of 2008
In a stunning stretch of logic and reason, the County Executive–the same County Executive who has gone to great lengths to convince the public that new taxes on drinks and car rentals were ...
Wed, October 08, 2008
Ending the Tax Referendum Legal Dispute
Who has the power to set tax rates in a home rule community? A definitive answer to that question will go a long way in determining who retains ultimate sovereignty in communities that have adopted ...
Tue, October 07, 2008
More Self-Congratulatory Blather About PA Job Picture
The Governor remains optimistic about Pennsylvania's job situation. He compares employment changes in the Commonwealth to the nation as a whole and notes in the August Employment Report that ...
Mon, September 29, 2008
Uncovering the True Cost of Government Retiree Benefits
State and local governments across the nation are coming face to face with the true cost of post-retirement benefits thanks to an accounting rule change mandated by the Governmental Accounting ...
Fri, September 19, 2008
Allegheny Institute
Failed Attempt to Toll I-80 Costly to Taxpayers
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rejected the plan to toll Interstate 80. Tolling I-80 was the linchpin of Pennsylvania's transportation funding under Act 44 and was to provide funds for ...
Mon, September 15, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
A Stacked Deck Favors the Transit Union
When one party to a negotiation, because of law and prior experience, holds all the metaphorical high cards, it is child's play to predict who will come out on top in the bargaining process. Such is ...
Fri, September 12, 2008
Allegheny Institute:
Drink Tax Referenda Questions: Ballot Incompatible
Presently weaving their way through the courts, the dueling referenda questions on the County's drink tax could both end up on the November ballot. But as our analysis shows that should not be ...
