Pa. can build a clean electric vehicle future. Wolf, lawmakers must embrace it

Originally published by  the Pennsylvania Capital-Star on November 18, 2021 To protect our economy and lives from devastating climate change, the future of transportation on our roads must be based on electric power. Twenty-nine percent of greenhouse gases nationwide are generated by transportation—the largest percentage of any sector of the economy. The federal government is thus strengthening its commitment to electric vehicle adoption, and multiple vehicle manufacturers have committed to full electrification, with auto manufacturers such as Volvo, Ford and GM investing tens of billions to scale up domestic EV production over the coming decade. These companies are reimagining their vehicle portfolios, releasing new electric models, and investing in electric vehicle manufacturing and the required supply chains in the United States, including right here in Pennsylvania. This transformation has to happen not just with the cars we drive but with what is known as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHD), that is… Continue reading

Build Back Better Will Cut Taxes For All But the Top 1% of Pennsylvanians

Thanks to our friends at the Institute on Tax and Economic Policy, we have new data on the impact of the tax changes in the Build Back Better plan that is under consideration in the House of Representatives as I write. The first table looks at the average change in taxes for families in seven income groups that would occur as a result of all the provisions of the bill as well as due to different parts of the bill—the corporate tax changes, the income tax increase for some individuals, the state and local tax (SALT) cap adjustment, and the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. As you can see, those in the bottom 20% of families, with an income under $22,400 and an average income of $12,900 will save an average of $1,070 a year. Every group above them receives a smaller average tax cut except the… Continue reading