Category: Politics

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Chris Rabb for State Representative

  By 2022

You can read my post on all the races and ballot questions at the May 17 Primary here. And don’t forget to vote for me and Diane Gottlieb for member of the Democratic Committee from our division. ….. I’m part of an organization that works closely with members of the PA General Assembly, I never endorse candidates in Democratic primaries. This year I have a responsibility to make an exception to that rule. The Democratic primary in the 200th House District, which includes division 24 of Ward 21 which I serve as the Democratic committeeman, is unfortunately a contest between good two incumbents, Chris Rabb and Izzy Fitzgerald, who the new legislative map put in the same district. So I’m torn between my responsibility to my organization and to the voters who have elected me to this party position four times. So just this time I’m going to violate my rules… Continue reading

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Philadelphia Needs to Create Jobs and Reduce Poverty: Tax Cuts Won’t Do It

  By Philadelphia, Philadelphia Taxes, Poverty, Wealth Tax

For the last twenty years, discussion about ways to improve the economy of Philadelphia and create jobs has far too often focused on both the wrong goal and the wrong means. The goal has not been to reduce poverty and income inequality and create economic opportunity for those with low incomes, especially Black and brown people. Instead, it has been to pursue economic growth and jobs without regard for the impact on poverty. The means have been cuts in business and wage taxes even though the evidence showing that this is an effective and efficient way of pursuing economic growth and creating more jobs has always been questionable. And there has been good reason to fear that tax cuts and the spending cuts or restraint they require would fail to reduce poverty and income inequality and possibly make them worse. Meanwhile, we have too often ignored alternatives to tax cuts… Continue reading

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Guest Commentary: Is This Really Taxadelphia?

  By PA Budget and Policy Center, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Taxes, Published op-eds, Taxation

The director of a state budget and policy organization has an answer that may surprise you BY MARC STIER Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen, April  21, 2022 “Philadelphia is one of the highest-taxed cities in the United States.” But you knew that, right? It’s common knowledge. Everyone knows it. Everyone also knows that Philadelphia has been growing slowly because of its high taxes.Beware of what “everyone knows.” Sometimes ideas get repeated so often, they become common knowledge that turns out to be wrong.The truth is that of the 30 largest cities in the United States, Philadelphia ranks 13th in tax revenue per person per year. The falsehood that Philadelphia has one of the highest tax rates in the country is not a neutral fact. It has political implications. It reinforces the narrative that blames Philadelphia’s high taxes for its anemic job growth. At $4,302, Philadelphia’s per person revenue is… Continue reading

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Pennsylvania’s Financial Outlook Just Got Better Again—It’s Time to Help Pennsylvania Families

  By Budget, PA Budget and Policy Center, PA Economy, PBPC Blog posts, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Budget

Pennsylvania’s financial outlook for 2022/23 just got better. In March 2022, state revenues came in higher than expected as they have in nearly every month this fiscal year. Several months ago, we calculated that the state would have an estimated surplus of $10.7 billion at the end of 2021/22. Our revised estimate, after the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s March report, is that Pennsylvania will have a surplus of between $11.2 billion and $12 billion by the end of June 2022. Fiscal year collections to date for 2021-22 total $2.7 billion, or 8.5% above estimates. If in the last quarter of this fiscal year, revenues come in according to the estimates of last June, the state budget surplus will be $2.7 billion greater than projected at the start of the fiscal year. If, however, revenues continue to come in at the rate of 8.5% above projections (and April is a big… Continue reading

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It’s Time to Reinstate the Philadelphia Wealth Tax

  By PA Budget and Policy Center, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Budget, Philadelphia Taxes, Policy reports, Wealth Tax

Wealth inequality in America, in Pennsylvania, and in our region has been growing strikingly since the late 1970s. And wealth inequality continues to increase during the pandemic. The dramatic rise in wealth inequality threatens economic growth, reduces the tax revenues needed to fund vital public institutions, and undermines our democracy. To counter wealth inequality and to raise the revenue needed to fund programs that support the well-being of working people in our city, we call for the reinstitution of a wealth tax of 4 mill or .4% of the value of intangible wealth in Philadelphia. We estimate that this tax would raise more than $200 million per year in revenues for the city, which would provide the funds necessary to create and / or expand programs that would enable us to break down the barriers of class, race, and gender that stand in the way of opportunity for so many… Continue reading

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The GOP showed us who they are with challenge to Pa. House map

  By Elections and Voting, Legislative Districts, Published Op-Eds

Originally published by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star on February 24, 2022 Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, recently filed suit against the House district map produced by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC). Marc Stier (Twitter)  Most advocates of fair districting think the new district lines are an enormous improvement over those currently in place for two reasons: they reflect the changing demographics of our commonwealth and they unwind two decades of extreme partisan gerrymandering, which I documented in a recent paper.  Predictably, they have been harshly attacked by Republicans. The background for their criticism is fairly obvious—while the new districts are, by standard metrics, still somewhat tilted in favor of Republicans, they are far less gerrymandered in their favor than the districts Republicans drew for themselves in the last two decades. It is hard not to conclude that when it comes to legislative districts, like presidential races, Republicans are not willing to accept any rules that do not guarantee they win elections.  Benninghoff’s suit raises two substantive arguments that deserve attention—not least because they show us where the Republicans stand on critical… Continue reading

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STATEMENT: On PA Supreme Court’s Congressional Maps Decision

  By Congressional redistricting, Pennsylvania, Redistricting, Statements

For Immediate Release February 23, 2022 Contact: Kirstin Snow Statement of PA Budget and Policy Center on PA Supreme Court Decision on Congressional Maps by Marc Stier There are two critical requirements of a congressional redistricting plan: it does not favor one party or another, and it allows shifts in voters’ choices to be reflected in who is elected to Congress. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s choice of a congressional map meets both standards. In a state with a small Democratic edge in registration, seven of the 17 districts lean Democratic, while six lean Republican. And four districts—1, 7, 8, and 17—are competitive. If voters in the state tilt toward the Democrats, Democrats are likely to hold a majority of the Pennsylvania seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. If the voters tilt Republican, Republicans are likely to do so. In addition to allowing shifts in political opinion to change the… Continue reading

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The GOP Design

  By Congressional redistricting, Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties, Democracy, Elections, Fascism, Judicial Gerrymandering, Judicial Gerrymandering, Jurisprudence, Legislative Districts, PA Budget and Policy Center, PBPC Blog posts, Pennsylvania

“When people show you who they are, believe them.” It’s time to believe what Pennsylvania Republicans have shown us they are. Begin with what they have shown us they don’t care about: Public health: They have opposed efforts to encourage—not mandate–people to wear masks and be vaccinated. They have not funded programs to make COVID tests available to all of us. Relief from the burdens of the pandemic: Despite having huge sums of our tax money in the bank, they have provided insufficient housing assistance that was distributed unfairly. They have provided too little relief to small businesses and blocked a proposal to help the restaurant industry. Unlike other states, Pennsylvania has not used ARP money to provide paid family and medical leave or support for those with low incomes. Wages: Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 for 14 years, keeps falling farther and farther behind neighboring… Continue reading

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STATEMENT: On the PA Legislative Reapportionment Commission Maps

  By Legislative Districts, Statements

For Immediate Release February 4, 2022 Contact: Kirstin Snow, snow@pennbpc.org Statement of PA Budget and Policy Center on Legislative Reapportionment Commission Maps by Marc Stier Pennsylvanians will be more fairly represented because the Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC) took important steps to adopt maps that are fairer than any time in recent memory. These maps look very different from the current ones because they aim to adjust for dramatic population changes over the last ten years and to remedy two decades of extreme gerrymandering. Because they do so, both maps are fairer and more representative of the people of Pennsylvania than the old ones. The people should pick their representatives, not the other way around. As a result, we expect that we will get better policy and elected officials will be more responsive to their constituents than to special interests and extreme partisanship. We appreciate the many citizens who took part… Continue reading

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The Outrageous Decision on Vote by Mail

  By Elections, Elections and Voting, Voting

The party-line Commonwealth Court decision declaring mail-in ballots unconstitutional is immediately outrageous and portends a deepening crisis in our democracy. The PA Supreme Court must—and we believe will—move quickly to overturn it. The decision is outrageous for two reasons. As Judge Wojcik’s dissenting opinion clearly demonstrates, it is based on a one-sided analysis of the Pennsylvania Constitution and case law.  The majority opinion contains a close and highly textured reading of the Constitution and case law that leaves out of consideration a critical amendment to Article VII section 6 of the Constitution. Taking that amendment into account undermines the reasoning of the majority opinion. Second, the majority opinion outrageously disregards the non-severability clause in Act 77 that would require it to declare the entire Act unconstitutional if any part of it is so declared.  Act 77 was a compromise in which Republicans accepted vote by mail in return for Democrats… Continue reading