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The Penn Policy Pulse — October 2024

By Blog Post, Newsletter

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Pennsylvania Policy Center’s POLICY PULSE newsletter—we’re glad you’re here! As if this year isn’t busy enough with the approaching election, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes helping to move forward progressive policies that work for all Pennsylvanians. Check out our work below, and stay tuned for the November edition, where we’ll do an election recap!

PPC had some big wins this year… Thanks in part to your support, we have blossomed into a team of eight people who punch far above our weight in Pennsylvania and national progressive politics. We are unique in that we combine sophisticated policy analysis, leading edge communications—and together with our partners in the Pennsylvanians Together (PAT) and PA Schools Work (PASW) campaigns, which we help lead—effective advocacy and organizing.

Together with our partners, we have had a dramatic impact on politics and policy in our state. Most importantly, we played a leading role in building support among political leaders and the public for taking a huge step forward in meeting our constitutional and moral requirement to fully and fairly fund our K–12 schools. For the first time ever, a majority of new K–12 funding went to historically underfunded schools.

Our priority for this year is ensuring that everyone is paying their fair share… PPC is taking the lead with our new federal–state Tax Justice campaign! Asking highly profitable corporations and billionaires to pay their fair share of taxes is critical to creating opportunity for all by raising the revenue necessary to support more funding for education at all levels, as well as affordable child care, health care, and housing. This campaign is taking off nationwide and if you have not yet seen our 12-foot, inflatable mascot Mr. Riggs, you will likely see him soon at an event near you. Sign our petition for tax justice!

Get to know the Pennsylvanians Together campaign! We saw the first fruits of our long years of policy and advocacy work and training of both legislators and advocates (through our Budget 101 events) to change the political narrative in Pennsylvania in support of economic justice. The Democrat-controlled House passed policy proposals we helped design, and our advocacy campaign, Pennsylvanians Together, long supported, including

  • an expansion of the property tax and rent rebate program for seniors.
  • a state child and dependent care tax credit.
  • new funding for county election boards.
  • an increase in the minimum wage.
  • a state earned income tax credit for working families.
  • an increase in the Whole-Home Repairs program.
  • safety protections for public sector workers.
  • an abortion shield law to protect women coming to Pennsylvania for reproductive health care.

We hope you’ll consider supporting this critical work by making a contribution today.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE.

PPC in the News!

Opinion: What would a second Trump term mean for our taxes? by Marc Stier, PPC Executive Director

Be sure to read our newest blog posts!

Infographic of the Month — Presidential Candidate Tax Plans!

 

Notable/Quotable

“If eliminating taxes for billionaires and powerful corporations benefited ALL of us, Pennsylvanians would be reaping the record-breaking productivity and unprecedented profits from five decades of “trickle-down”/supply-side economics. But a half century of rewarding greed and exploiting working people has demonstrated that the policy only makes the super-rich wealthier and keeps workers poor and desperate. We don’t have to accept this as “the way it is.” Virtually every other nation has figured out a way to make the super-rich pay the same tax rate as working families. It’s not that hard. There are less than two dozen billionaires in Pennsylvania. We know who they are. We know where they keep their money.” – Jeff Garis, Outreach and Partnerships Director, PPC

We’d be grateful if you would join us in our work by supporting the policy analysis, advocacy, and organizing work that can make a difference for generations to come.

Would you commit to a monthly contribution to sustain our work?

TO CONTRIBUTE, CLICK HERE.

The entire team at the Pennsylvania Policy Center sincerely appreciates your support. And thank you so much for your time. Now, GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!

–Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Policy Center; and the entire PPC team: Adrienne, Castin, Dwayne, Erica, Jeff, Kirstin, and Levana.

 

 

October 25, 2024

RELEASE: Candidates in Northeastern PA Share Campaign Agenda Before Election

By Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 10, 2024

Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, snow@pennpolicy.org

RELEASE: Candidates in NEPA Share Campaign Agenda Before Election — Local Elections Have Big Impact on Day-to-Day Lives of Residents of NEPA

NEPA, PA—Pennsylvanians Together in Action held its first press conference in communities across the commonwealth to build support for the policy agenda that we want to see in 2025: one that builds a state that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. The first event was Thursday, October 10, at NOON.

The event featured the following speakers:

  • Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, HD 121
  • Megan Kocher, Candidate HD 119
  • Tara Probst, Candidate HD 189
  • Fern Leard, Candidate HD 120
  • Kristin Volchansky, Advocacy Director, Action Together NEPA
  • Marc Stier, Executive Director, Pennsylvanians Together in Action
  • Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvanians Together in Action

Why: Together, Pennsylvanians can create a vibrant economy and ensure that everyone in the state is not just surviving, but thriving.

Local candidates running for state House and Senate in northeastern PA discussed policies that keep Pennsylvania families safe and healthy, including fair wages and good jobs, fully funded education, affordable healthcare and housing, a thriving democracy, a clean environment, and of course — #TaxJustice!

Event Quotes:

Dwayne Heisler: “We are at a crossroads. The candidates who have endorsed the Pennsylvanians Together agenda are making it clear: they are choosing to fight for fair wages, good jobs, affordable healthcare, and a clean environment—the very issues that define what it means to stand with working families across the Commonwealth. Together, we can make sure that this state works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”

Marc Stier: “Pennsylvanians Together is a non-partisan campaign that aims to break down the barriers of class, race, and gender that make it impossible for everyone to thrive not just survive. But being non-partisan doesn’t prevent us from recognizing that our agenda moves forward in Pennsylvania when Democrats control a legislative body and stalls when Republicans do. Thus, we want voters to recognize that Democratic Party control of the PA House and Senate is crucial to creating a government that works for all of us.”

Megan Kocher: “I proudly endorse the Pennsylvanians Together Agenda because it seeks to address the root causes of so many issues that hold working families, like my own, back. For example, it prioritizes equitable funding for our public schools, ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code, has access to a quality education!”

Fern Leard: “Everybody deserves a family sustaining wage and Pennsylvanians Together Agenda includes fighting for a fair return on our work that will allow us to better provide for and spend more quality time with our families. That’s why I’m proud to stand with them.”

Kristin Volchansky: “Action Together NEPA is proud to be a part of the Pennsylvanians Together Coalition, fighting for livable wages, a strong public education system, and tax justice for all Pennsylvanians. But building that brighter future means we need leaders in Harrisburg who share and stand up for those values.

Tarah Probst: “Advancing the Pennsylvanians Together agenda means protecting reproductive rights while ensuring that our schools are fully funded. Every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and the opportunity to receive a quality education, no matter where they live.”

Eddie Day Pashinski: “Supporting the Pennsylvanians Together agenda is essential to ensuring equitable education for all students in Pennsylvania. By prioritizing funding fairness and investing in our schools, we can give every child the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their zip code.”

Madeline Vazquez: “Supporting the Pennsylvanians Together agenda strengthens workers’ rights by empowering unions to advocate for fair wages, safe workplaces, and job security. When we stand with unions, we build a stronger, more equitable economy for everyone.”

Pennsylvanians Together in Action is a 501c4 nonpartisan campaign that engages in electoral work to enact the policy agenda of Pennsylvanians Together.

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October 9, 2024

As Fair Share America Launches, New Poll Shows Pennsylvanians Support Higher Taxes on the Ultra-Rich and Big Corporations

By Blog Post, Press Release

As Fair Share America Launches, New Poll Shows Pennsylvanians Support Higher Taxes on the Ultra-Rich and Big Corporations

As Pennsylvanians Together brought a group of 25 Pennsylvanians to Washington, D.C., this week to take part in the September 18th launch of “Fair Share America,” a new, national campaign for tax justice, the organization released the toplines of a new national / state poll carried out by Data for Progress.

Results for each of Pennsylvania’s congressional districts, state House districts, and state Senate districts will be released soon.

The campaign will work both nationally and within individual states to ensure that wealthy individuals and profitable, multinational corporations pay their fair share of taxes. If they do so, federal and state governments will have the revenue they need to take bold steps toward fully and fairly funding education, reducing the cost of health care and housing, and helping families that are struggling to take care of children.

Likely Voters in Pennsylvania Toplines

Profitable corporations are not paying enough in state taxes ………………..………………………. 76%

The wealthiest households are not paying enough in taxes ………………………………………….  76%

Taxes should be increased for households earning more than $400,000 per year ………….….….  77%

Child tax credits should be increased ……………………………………………………………………. 72%

Methodology

From August 6 to August 13, 2024, Data for Progress conducted a U.S. national survey of 8,017 likely voters using web panel respondents to gauge voter support for state and federal action to fund public programs and hold profitable corporations and the wealthy accountable to pay their fair share of taxes. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education level, race, and geography. The survey was conducted in English.

By matching survey results to the list of registered voters in congressional districts, Data for Progress was able to create a model for every district in Pennsylvania using a statistical technique called MRP (multi-level regression with poststratification).

For a complete explanation of the methodology and more information about the data, please copy this link and paste into your browser’s search field: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://pennpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/dfp_sra_mrp_2024_release_tabs.pdf

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September 19, 2024
Picture of the PA State Capitol building

From Work to Wealth and Back Again

By Blog Post, Policy Briefs

From Work to Wealth and Back Again

Americans suffer because we reward wealth more than work.

 Here’s how we got here and how we can create an economy

that works for all of us.

Introduction

The pursuit of tax justice is now central to the work of both the Pennsylvania Policy Center and our advocacy arm Pennsylvanians Together. It is also the theme of our People’s Budget Summit this year.

In developing this campaign, we needed to pull together a lot of research about  the history and politics of economic and tax policy over the last forty years.  Our executive director has been working on a long paper that surveys this broad topic, which should be read for release by the end of the summer.

He was far enough along, however, to give a 15-minute talk previewing the main themes of the paper at our People’s Budget Summit in early June. This is a revised version of the talk. It’s a little dense, but in just seven pages it gives a overview of how and why the rewards for wealth have jumped in the U.S. and rewards for work have shrunk in our economy over the last 40 years, as well as what we can do to reverse direction.

This is, of course, a huge topic. The paper borrows ideas from others with a few twists of ours own, especially in the political analysis of why the shift from work to wealth took place and what we can do to reverse it.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this early version of our project.

Click here to read the report full screen, download or print.

 

June 25, 2024

Testimony to the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission

By Blog Post, Policy Statement

Our executive director, Marc Stier, presented this testimony at the first public hearing of the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission on June 17, 2021. Stier is also the senior advisor to the advisory committee to the Commission.

This testimony sets out a range of questions that we believe the Tax Reform Commission should answer in its work.

Click here to read full screen, print or download.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://pennpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tax-Commission-Testimony.pdf” title=”Tax Commission Testimony”]
June 21, 2024

Join Us for Our Online Tax Justice Conversation!

By Blog Post

Dear Friends –

At Pennsylvania Policy Center we are continuing our call to reverse our upside-down tax system, and demand corporations and the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share!

Please join the PA Megaphone team and our Pennsylvanians Together campaign for another conversation about tax justice leading up to Tax Day!

Pennsylvanians work hard, day in and day out, to take care of their families—but many of us are struggling to make ends meet while wealthy corporations and the 1% get richer and richer.

Join us at 12:30 PM on Friday, April 12 for a special Tax Day organizing event.

We’ll hear from some special guest speakers, including a Patriotic Millionaire and an SEIU home care worker to discuss why we must make our tax system more fair for working families. Then, PA Megaphone and Pennsylvanians United will share ways we can join together to advocate for tax justice online and offline.

This virtual event will take place as a Zoom webinar at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12.
More details to be announced shortly! RSVP now to stay in the loop.
 

What is tax justice?

Tax justice means that ultra-rich individuals and wealthy corporations pay what they owe.

It means that their share of taxes enables us to provide the common goods we all need to create a growing, high-wage economy and a strong future for all of us.

And it means rejecting even more tax cuts for large corporations and the wealthy—tax cuts that create few jobs but undermine public education, the building and improvement of roads and bridges, and other public goods that create jobs.

Learn more about Pennsylvanians Together’s Tax Justice campaign here.

  • Dwayne Heisler, Campaign Director, Pennsylvanians Together

The Pennsylvania Policy Center aims, through its research and policy development, to create the tools that political officials, opinion leaders, grassroots organizations, and the people of PA need to expand our vibrant democracy, secure our freedom, and seek economic justice in Pennsylvania.

April 10, 2024