Health Care
Medicaid Expansion is Risky Business
Both Republicans and Democrats have recently engaged in some risky business by pushing for the Medicaid expansion. They’ve been quick to assure state taxpayers they won’t be left with an enormous…
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School Districts’ Fund Balances Grow Despite Budget Squeeze
Despite claims of severe budget cuts, school districts’ fund balances—their rainy day funds—grew last year. School districts increased their fund balances in 2011-12 by more than $200 million. As of…
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New Senate Liquor Proposal Still Falls Short, Part Deux
The Senate’s latest liquor proposal is out, but from the consumer perspective, leaves much to be desired. The plan does not get government out of the booze business. Although…
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The Truth on Cyber School Performance
Here is a letter to the editor I submitted to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Pennsylvania cyber school performance: Mary Niederberger reports on a new, largely positive charter school study…
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Podcast: Where Does Pension Reform Stand?
On this BOX Program podcast, Representative Fred Keller (R) 85th District, joins Nathan Benefield to break down what’s been happening in the legislature on pension reform. Both the House and…
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Read More: Podcast: Where Does Pension Reform Stand?Education
Burger Flipper or National Merit Scholar?
Mechanicsburg student Colin Knott is a National Merit Scholar—putting him in the top one percent of students nationwide—and already has 25 college credits under his belt prior to his first…
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Read More: Burger Flipper or National Merit Scholar?Government Accountability
What Can You Do?
The next hours and days could dramatically shape Pennsylvania’s future, but will it be for the better? As time winds down before the final budget passes, several critical issues hang…
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Public School Staffing Up, Enrollment Down
In the last two years, schools have reduced their total staffing. Yet despite this short-term decline, public school staff has increased by more than 17,000 since 2000. Over the…
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Pension Reform Benefits Workers and Taxpayers
Pennsylvania’s two main government worker pension systems, the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS) and the State Employee Retirement System (SERS), together have more tha than $47 billion in unfunded…
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