Accomplishments

Action Steps
Work Effort and Results:

We continue to offer our policy prescriptions for fixing what ails the county. We released briefs regarding lowering government costs, fixing Pittsburgh Regional Transit and fixing inaccurate property assessments. In addition, we benchmarked Allegheny County’s performance on issues such as spending, revenues and staffing with four similar counties across the country. Most recently, in Policy Brief Volume 24, Number 1, the following ideas are shared, “What the city should not do is collect additional revenue in order to increase spending.  Spending per-resident has consistently been above other comparable cities; Pittsburgh must reverse that trend. Becoming more business-friendly, without incentives, can grow the property tax base as well.”

Some other Briefs highlighting our action steps are as follows: Volume 23, Numbers 9; 20 and 29, Volume 22, Number 26 and Volume 21, Number 44.

Right To Work
Work Effort and Results:

The differences in employment gains across states are stunningly enormous. This analysis looks closely at five states that have fared less well than the nation and five that performed better.
The group that has lagged the national rate of improvement includes Pennsylvania; New York; California; Massachusetts and Illinois. The better-than-national group includes Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Note that the first set of states are non-Right-to-Work states (NRTW) and have been for many decades. The second set are Right-to-Work states (RTW) and have been for decades. RTW affirms the right of workers to not be forced to join a union as a condition of employment or to pay union dues. (Policy Brief Volume 22, Number 5)

Further Briefs covering RTW are Policy Briefs: Volume 23, Number 31-1; Volume 22, Number 24-3; Volume 21, Numbers 8, 21, 30 and 45-1; and Volume 20, Number 37.

Gaming Industry
Work Effort and Results:

Gaming should not be relied upon to solve any budget problems. The commonwealth’s leaders still need to keep expenditures in check and create a more business-friendly
environment, which will lead to a more prosperous economy for everyone. Stimulus money from COVID has, or is about to, run its course. Relying on it was a mistake. That practice just boosted spending above levels that can be sustained—absent faster economic growth or higher tax rates. (Policy Brief: Volume 23, Number 16)

More of our briefs look into the gaming industry such as in Policy Briefs: Volume 23, Number 16; Volume 22, Number 25; Volume 21, Numbers 22 and 43; and Volume 20, Numbers 40 and 27,

 

 

 

COVID Lockdown/Aftermath
Work Effort and Results:

Our analyses of the Turnpike Commission, the Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh International Airport and the Regional Asset District showed how the lockdown affected each entity’s operations and the challenges they face going forward.  As the pandemic ended, we maintained our vigilance in keeping governments, and their agencies, accountable to the taxpayer.  Our analysis of the area’s economy and employment picture notes the difficulties that lie ahead. We will continue to offer solutions based on sound free-market economic principles.

In our February 10, 2021, Policy Brief: Volume 21, Number 6 we researched employment, for example. The coronavirus pandemic hammered Pennsylvania’s economy in 2020. With recently released state employer payroll data for December, the extent of the damage can clearly be seen. Thousands of Pennsylvanians lost jobs in nearly every sector, pushing employment to decade-ago levels.

Read more on the affects in Pennsylvania in Policy Briefs: Volume 21, Numbers 16-2, 21, 26, 30, and 45-1.

Most recently, read how Pittsburgh-area jobs struggle to return to pre-pandemic levels in Policy Brief, Volume 23, Number 40

 

Pittsburgh International Airport
Work Effort and Results:

Our analyses of the Pittsburgh International Airport shows how the lockdown affected the entity’s operations and the challenges it faces going forward.

PIT has experienced a very weak 23 years since the turn of the century and the loss of its major hub carrier in the early 2000s. Even after the hub loss impact, enplanements at PIT continued to slide through 2010, remained below 4 million a year until a recovery, albeit modest, boosted passenger enplanements to 4.72 million in 2019, the highest count since 2007. And, of course, the pandemic wiped out those meager gains and passengers remain below the 2019 reading. (Policy Brief, Volume 23, Number 28)

We maintain our vigilance in keeping governments, and their agencies, accountable to the taxpayer. Read more about the Pittsburgh International Airport in Briefs: Volume 23, Numbers 5, 15, 28 and 38; Volume 22, Numbers 2, 1120, 29, 36, 40 and 43;  Volume 21, Numbers 5, 18 and 35 and Volume 20, Number 36.

 

Vacancy Rates
Work Effort and Results:

We continue to document the struggles with downtown Pittsburgh’s vacancy rate as workers are slow to return to the office.  The sluggish economy, Pittsburgh’s poor business climate, and crime will continue to weigh on the office market vacancy rate.  This will become a more pressing issue as building owners begin to appeal their property assessments and school, city and county property tax revenues begin to fall.  Follow the situation in our Policy Briefs: Volume 23, Numbers: 10, 19, and 27; Volume 22, Numbers 6 and 30; and Volume 21, Numbers 19, 20, and 32.

 

 

 

 

Public Sector Retirement Systems
Work Effort and Results:

Our analysis of Pennsylvania’s public sector pension plans, at both the state and local level, found that many plans are inadequately funded and require major remedial steps. We recommend switching from a defined benefit package to a defined contribution system. In addition we recommend the adoption of private sector accounting standards to shore up public pensions. We have commented favorably on some of the reforms proposed by the Governor in his latest budget address. This work culminated in Policy Briefs, Volume 12, Numbers 50 and 61 and Report 2013-02. Please see more in the Policy Briefs, Volume 22, Numbers 4 and 35 as well as in Volume 21 Number 7 .

 

 

Allegheny Institute Outreach
Work Effort and Results:

The Allegheny Institute’s staff members have been keynote speakers for community organizations. Our work is featured prominently in the media and reaches a wide national audience through our affiliation with the State Policy Network.

Economic Development
Work Effort and Results:

We continue to monitor area economic development projects that ask for taxpayer contributions. We are the leading experts in tax increment financing (TIF), having first weighed in on the topic more than a decade ago (Report 99-06). Most recently we weighed in on a proposal to use a TIF on a former mill site in Hazelwood (Policy Brief Volume 13, Number 4). After years of failed attempts, this latest TIF is innovative as it is backed by local foundations and deserves further examination. We are also monitoring a proposal by a community group using government funding and other subsidies to build a grocery store in a low-income neighborhood. With escalating costs and continually pushed-back deadline going on five years, we question the economic viability of the project (Policy Briefs, Volume 8, Number 62 and Volume 12 Number 52). Other briefs include: Volume 23, Numbers 7; 12; 23; 24; 30; 31-1; 34; 37, and Volume 22, Numbers 7; 12; 21; 31; 38; 42; and 44.

Pittsburgh Area Employment
Work Effort and Results:

We continue to be one of the area’s leading experts and commentators on the Pittsburgh area’s employment picture. Research has culminated in Policy Briefs (Volume 12, Numbers 18, 34, and 47, and Volume 13, Numbers 2 and 7) that among other things look at trends and sectors that have demonstrated strength while also making suggestions on how the situation can be improved. Other recent briefs on this topic include Policy Briefs Volume 23 Numbers: 3;5; 9; 10; 13; 24; 26; 28; 30 and 31-1; Policy Briefs Volume 22 Numbers 4;  8; 9; 17; 18; 20; 24-3; 26;  32; 41; 43 and 44.

Education
Work Effort and Results:

The most recent Pennsylvania assessment exams showed a drop in the percentage of students scoring at the proficient or higher level. Education system apologists predictably pointed to declines in funding as the culprit while state officials claimed heightened security amid cheating accusations involving several districts. Our analysis (Policy Brief, Volume 12, Number 46) of affected districts debunks the claims that spending cuts were responsible for lower scores.

We also researched the large number of tax hike exemptions allowed by the State Department of Education allowing school districts to raise property taxes by more than the allowed index thus avoiding the referendum process (Policy Brief, Volume 12, Number 19). We proposed having the Legislature fix the problem by eliminating all exemptions, tightening the index, and loosening the grip teacher unions have on local school boards by eliminating teacher strikes and removing union favoring statutes that negatively management’s ability to manage finances in an efficient manner. More recent briefs focusing on this topic in Policy Brief, Volume 23, Numbers: 2; 4; 11; 21-1; 32; 33-1, 36 and 42; Volume 22, Numbers 13-2; 15; 23; 28; 34-1 and 41.

 

Property Reassessments
Work Effort and Results:

Our research into Allegheny County property reassessments goes back many years and included a full-length report on assessment standards and practices in Pennsylvania and other states. Research efforts continued to analyze and report on the progress of the 2012 reassessment order. We debunked every argument put forth by the current and most recent Chief Executive as to why the reassessment should not be done. We have also weighed in on the court ordered reassessment in Washington County. Most recently the work culminated in Policy Briefs, Volume 12, Numbers 8; 9; 152022; 31 and 48, and Volume 13, 1, as well as Report Number 2012-02.; Other briefs on this topic may be found in Policy Briefs Volume 23, Numbers 14 and 35; Policy Briefs Volume 22, Numbers :8; 10; 16; 27 and 42, Policy Briefs Volume 21, Numbers 11 and 27, and Policy Brief Volume 20, Number 41.