Regulation

During his campaign stops in Pennsylvania, President-elect Donald Trump touted his intention to bring manufacturing jobs back to the state. That’s a worthy goal, but the truth is the Keystone State doesn’t need to wait for a president of either party to start revitalizing its manufacturing sector.

In 2013, I opened my first business. I’d overcome many challenges and assumed some gut-wrenching risks to get there, but I did it—and I was proud. But less than three years later, my business—my dream—is on the brink of shutting down because state government is taxing it to death.

Lower costs? Improved access? Promises made—and broken—in the six years since Obamacare became law on March 23, 2010. If we want quality, affordable health care, patients and consumers—not bureaucrats—need more control.

Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Law was enacted in 1961, mandating that state and local governments pay construction contractors wages that “prevail” in each region on projects costing $25,000 or more. This anachronistic mandate limits the number of construction jobs in the state and unnecessarily increases costs for state government, local governments, and school districts.

John Oelbracht has managed the Westwood Generation power plant in Schuylkill County for 10 years. It’s more than a job to him—it’s an undertaking to clean up the environment while producing power for Pennsylvania homes. “We’re on something of a mission here,” Oelbracht says. But if the EPA has its way, he could soon be out of a job.

Pennsylvania businesses must navigate a complex web of regulations from more than 340 independent state agencies, offices, state departments, boards, commissions, and committees stemming from the executive branch. Several other boards, committees, and commissions in state government primarily provide an advisory or public relations role, often with little to show for their work.

Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition. To provide a roadmap for success in this critical endeavor, the Commonwealth Foundation has compiled a list of 80 policy recommendations for Gov. Corbett and state legislators to help lead a Pennsylvania comeback. Each of these recommendations links to Commonwealth Foundation research with more information on each issue.

Pennsylvania has long been one of the most economically stagnant states in the nation. For the period 1991-2008, the Commonwealth ranked 45th in job growth, 46th in personal income growth, and 47th in population growth. Pennsylvania has also faired poorly in independent evaluations of states' business climates, in large part because of having the 11th highest state and local tax burden. Not surprisingly, the state also ranks low in interstate migration, having lost 56,000 net residents to other

Between 2000 and 2008, Pennsylvania suffered the depletion of one of its most valuable resources - people. During this period, the state lost 56,000 net residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, ranking 11th in migration loss among all states. In the decade prior, Pennsylvania lost over 250,000 net residents to interstate migration - ranking 5th worst.