Author Archives: Jonathan Humma

About Jonathan Humma

Please see "About Keystone Liberty" and scroll down to "About the Author" to learn about my background.

Private PA Lottery Means Multi-Billion Dollar Jackpot

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As the General Assembly reconvenes for a new session, the Senate Finance Committee scheduled a hearing on the proposal to privatize the Pennsylvania Lottery.

A Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report released in February 2012 revealed that the state’s aging population will demand more in services than lottery revenue growth. Rather than cut critical programs or raise taxes on working Pennsylvanians, the administration has sought private experts as a means to boost essential revenues.  Continue reading →

Reps. Aument and Cutler: PA Can’t Afford Washington’s Bad Medicine

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Pennsylvania faces a number of critical issues that Gov. Tom Corbett and the newly elected General Assembly will soon be required to confront. Perhaps the most consequential to job creators and taxpayers is implementation of several mandates contained within the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 28 ruled that the federal government may not withhold Medicaid funds from the states if they do not create health insurance exchanges as required by ObamaCare. This means states may now decide whether or not they want to participate in this federal scheme without losing money that helped pay the medical bills for the most vulnerable. Another major issue our state must confront is the decision of whether or not to implement the law’s massive expansion of Medicaid.  We believe Pennsylvania should stand with our job creators, patients and taxpayers, and reject both.

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Lawmakers Increase Debt for Politicized Grants

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While it is often difficult to pass legislation prior to an election, legislators agreed to pass a bill that increased state debt by more than $1.6 billion. The House recently approved this piece of legislation which was passed by the Senate in June. The Governor is expected to authorize the additional borrowing in the coming weeks.

The majority of funds are earmarked for public infrastructure projects. However, a significant amount of these newly borrowed funds will be applied to the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Projects program (RACP). The capital projects fund funnels government grants to private development projects. This new legislation will cost taxpayers $2.3 billion over 20 years or an additional $115 million in annual debt servicing.

When it comes to allocating funds, the RACP has a longstanding history of being a “political process, first and foremost.” Continue reading →

Finance Committee Advances Hiring Incentive

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After a two month recess, the General Assembly reconvened for the fall legislative session. For the first time since the end of the Great Recession, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has steadily risen to meet the national average. With only one month remaining before adjourning until next year, the House Finance Committee swiftly approved legislation by Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (Centre) aimed to bolster job creation.
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