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Blog Archive
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Letter to the Editor: “Government Initiates Force”
Whether or not the famous aphorism “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence – it is force” has been correctly attributed to George Washington, it may be a good thing to keep in mind, in the aftermath of the charges and countercharges about incivility in political discourse. Virtually everything the government does requires the [...] -
Mayor Seeks to Reach Young People Through Defunct Commission
Last semester, I took in a Student Government Board meeting at the University of Pittsburgh to see what all the outgoing members were doing. Not covered in The Pitt News, former SGB President Charlie Shull touched on his goings-on with the Pittsburgh Student Government Council, the year-old confederation of area college student governments that meet to [...] -
New Pension Plan An Affront to City Residents
In December, the Publius Foundation released a briefing outlining our position on the City of Pittsburgh pension fund issue. At the time, our position focused on the proposal to use a long term lease of city-controlled parking assets to secure the required funds to avoid a state takeover of the pension fund. The Publius Foundation [...] -
Thirty New Titles Added to Lending Library
The Publius Foundation is pleased to announce that we’ve added 30 titles to our lending library. Ranging from foundational texts such as Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” to modern biographies such as Alan Ebenstein’s “Friedrich Hayek: A Biography,” these titles expand the scope of our lending library available to all interested individuals. As we wrote [...] -
Requiring Referendum on Property Tax Increases a Good Idea
Pittsburgh City Councilman Ricky Burgess introduced a bill yesterday requiring that city voters approve future property tax increases, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. With city property taxes in 2010 estimated at $127,118,000 or 28 percent of Pittsburgh’s 2010 operating budget, Burgess’s proposal targets the City’s main method of raising revenue and would, if enacted, give city [...] -
True Privatization of Parking Assets Could Benefit City and Residents
As the City of Pittsburgh has discussed a solution to its underfunded pension fund, both Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and City Council continue to cite the plan to lease city controlled parking assets. Despite offering different methods, the end result is often the plan being relayed to the public as a “privatization” of those parking assets. [...] -
It’s Time to Privatize the Sale of Wine, Liquor and Beer in PA
Where and when alcohol can be purchased in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the subject of constant legal battles, generally between existing monopolies, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and enterprising businesses trying to work around the state monopoly in order to sell beer to their patrons in grocery and convenience stores. The current system dates back [...] -
Expansion of Castle Doctrine Necessary to Protect Liberty in PA
As free citizens, our greatest personal property is our own lives and, therefore, our most important liberty as free citizens is the liberty to protect our lives both in our own homes and in the public sphere. This right is enshrined in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which, when listing “inherent and indefeasible [...] -
Pittsburgh Considering Bailout of Luxury Retailer
In order to keep retailer Saks Fifth Avenue Downtown, Pittsburgh is preparing to offer the store low-interest loans and free “façade funding,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Calling Saks Fifth Avenue “an important business for our Downtown,” the Urban Redevelopment Authority is in negotiations to offer Saks Fifth Avenue what amounts to free money. Indeed, the façade [...] -
Marcellus Shale 101
Marcellus Shale is a prominent issue in Pennsylvania. Known as the “Marcellus Shale play,” this natural resource, like any other energy source, spurs concern and debate in the arenas of economics, environmentalism, and politics. Before these issues are addressed, we must first look at the basics of the situation. Marcellus Shale formations lay five to nine [...]