Commentary

State Budget

Harrisburg Should Curb Waste, Not Fund It

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 21, 2016

What do waking up, driving to work, and stopping at Starbucks have in common? Each of these seemingly mundane activities is impacted by state taxes. It’s time to break this…

Commentary

Public Union Democracy

Our Collision Course with Pa.’s Pension Iceberg

• Richard Dreyfuss
• June 17, 2016

As Pennsylvania continues approaching the public pension iceberg at full speed, how can we avoid a collision? Simply put, through reforms that mirror steps taken by the private sector years…

Commentary

Government Accountability

A Superhero President? Dream On

• Nathan Benefield
• June 13, 2016

Note: This commentary appeared in the Lancaster LNP, among other news outlets. If the thought of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the Oval Office frightens you, you’re not…

Commentary

Note from the Team June-July

• June 12, 2016

A lot of changes are coming to the Commonwealth Foundation—and our newly expanded Commonwealth Sense is one of them! In this issue we’ll share more about the upcoming transitions in…

Commentary

Note from the Team June-July

• June 12, 2016

A lot of changes are coming to the Commonwealth Foundation—and our newly expanded Commonwealth Sense is one of them! In this issue we’ll share more about the upcoming transitions in…

Commentary

Ghost Teachers

• May 31, 2016

Union work on school time—it's a provision called "release time" in most school district contracts with the teachers union. Teachers are allowed to leave the classroom to do work for a…

Commentary

Energy

Philly Should Reject Mayor’s Tax-a-Cola Plan

• Matthew Brouillette
• May 10, 2016

Mayor Kenney’s soda tax would nearly double the average cost of a 12-pack of soda – hitting hardest those who least can afford it, not to mention small retailers, bottlers,…

Commentary

Regulation

Time to End Corporate Welfare Handouts

• Nathan Benefield
• April 27, 2016

Conservatives loathe government handouts. Liberals denounce special favors to corporations. One thing can unify these two sides: ending Pennsylvania’s budget-busting corporate welfare handouts.

Commentary

Meet Charles Mitchell

• April 26, 2016

Commentary

State Budget

The Lone-Wolf Doctrine

• Matthew Brouillette
• April 13, 2016

The good news at the end of longest state budget impasse in 60 years is Pennsylvanians’ wallets were spared. The bad news? The governor developed and implemented a Lone-Wolf Doctrine…

Commentary

Matt Brouillette’s Career at Commonwealth Foundation

• April 5, 2016

Matt Brouillette announced his resignation from the Commonwealth Foundation effective June 30, 2016. The CF team wishes him all the best in his new endeavor as we look back…

Commentary

Education

School Funding Myths Debunked

• James Paul
• February 29, 2016

Can Pennsylvania do better when it comes to educating our children? Absolutely. But playing “myths for money” will never lead to real solutions for families and students.

Commentary

State Budget

Wolf’s Policies Send Pennsylvanians Packing

• Nathan Benefield
• February 19, 2016

Last year, we lost one person to another state every 12.5 minutes—a net migration of 41,600 residents, gone. That’s nearly the entire population of York, Gov. Wolf’s hometown. Ironically, Wolf…

Commentary

Wolf Doubles Down: Highest Spending Increase in 25 Years

• February 9, 2016

Today, Gov. Tom Wolf doubled down on his tax-and-spend agenda, proposing a $3 billion spending increase—a 10 percent bump, the largest in 25 years—requiring broad-based tax increases of $850 per…

Commentary

State Budget

Is Pa. Budget Groundhog Day Ahead?

• Matthew Brouillette
• February 2, 2016

Instead of changing course entering the new budget season, Wolf appears poised to continue governing by attack ad. No wonder the latest polling shows Wolf’s approval is lower now than…

Commentary

Education

Open Floodgates of School Choice in Philadelphia

• James Paul
• January 29, 2016

How can we expect any single school - public, private, or home school—to adequately serve the unique needs of every student who passes through its doors? We can't—and we don't have…

Commentary

Education

Freedom on the Horizon for Pa. Teachers?

• January 12, 2016

How much money will you have to pay a private political organization just to keep your job this year? If this question sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is—unless you…

Commentary

State Budget

Budget Hostages Finally Freed?

• Nathan Benefield
• January 11, 2016

While Wolf released the hostages of the past six months, he made sure he could keep using children as “pressure points” by using his line-item veto to cut $3.1 billion…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Self-Worth, not Stuff, Should be Welfare’s Goal

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 24, 2015

In the movies, values like hope, joy, and peace ultimately triumph over materialism. Unfortunately, government has yet to grasp that stuff alone doesn’t bring lasting happiness…

Commentary

State Budget

Santa Claus Budgeting

• Nathan Benefield
• December 21, 2015

With Christmas fast approaching, children are busy creating wish lists for Santa Claus. While most kids eventually outgrow a belief in Santa — and realize it’s their family buying their…

Commentary

State Budget

Budget Hope on the Horizon?

• Nathan Benefield
• November 13, 2015

After nearly five months of gridlock, a new state budget framework was announced this week. At this point, it’s tempting to call any progress on budget agreement a victory, but…

Commentary