Dec

19

Smoking Ban Violates Basic Property Rights

December 19, 2006 | 3 Comments

The whole smoking ban issue in Allegheny County is a property rights fiasco. Two downtown restaurant owners have filed lawsuits against the ban, stating it treats their businesses unfairly, putting them at a disadvantage to the exempted few.
While they may be right, that line of thinking ignores basic, constitutional property rights that anti smoking [...]

Dec

18

Rendell’s Department of Manna Busy For Holidays

December 18, 2006 | Leave a Comment

Governor Rendell has been hinting that he will announce further suspensions of the basic laws of economic gravity and push for The PA Department of Manna to bestow upon 1 million PA residents more “free” health care!
He will accomplish this feat by suspending the laws of biology with a government edict that will reduce health [...]

Dec

18

Pension Update

December 18, 2006 | Leave a Comment

The Post Gazette has a second in its series covering the fat benefits programs for government workers. Today’s covers the politicians themselves.
“In 2012, the cost of subsidizing pensions for state workers and school employees is expected to jump from less than $1 billion to more than $3 billion a year. The increase is being [...]

Dec

18

Fat Govt Employee Pensions Hang Taxpayers With Costs

December 18, 2006 | Leave a Comment

We’ve talked about the mess before: Fat government unions trade votes and contributions for pensions and other benefits that are far more generous than anything the private sector can afford to offer, and stick the hapless taxpayers with the costs.
Says the Post Gazette,
“The average pension in the two systems for those at normal retirement [...]

Dec

17

URA to Crush Longtime Pittsburgh Landlords

December 17, 2006 | Leave a Comment

You gotta love government meddlers when it comes to development. Their supporters always crow, crow, crow about what they build — even when it fails, as have many of their initiatives in the downtown Pittsburgh area  .  We are always reminded that nothing would have happened if the meddlers didn’t do their deals.  Then we [...]

Dec

16

PHEAA Wants to Hide the Truth

December 16, 2006 | Leave a Comment

There’s nothing those in government like least than for the public to actually know exactly how they are squandering the taxpayers’ money.  In the latest edition, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is fighting tooth and nail having to release the details of what the $900,000 they spent on seven board retreats since 2000.  [...]