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

Education

For Latinos, Education is Key to Success

• Brittney Parker
• November 5, 2015

For the Hispanic community, education is the key to making the American Dream a reality. Yet far too many Latinos remain victims of their ZIP code and socio-economic status when it…

Commentary

Criminal Justice Reform

Protect Property Owners from Unreasonable Forfeiture

• Matthew Brouillette
• November 4, 2015

Our justice system is supposed to presume innocence until guilt is proven, but every year, Pennsylvanians are stripped of about $14 million on allegations that their property was involved in…

Commentary

Education

For Latinos, Education is Key to the American Dream

• Brittney Parker
• October 27, 2015

For many Latino-Americans, the phrase “the American Dream” conjures images of apple pie and béisbol, of education, prosperity, and familia. Education is power and the key to making the American…

Commentary

Tom Smith: A Patriot and Friend

• Charles Mitchell
• October 17, 2015

Tom Smith’s tenacity, courage, and leadership have encouraged our entire team to keep at it on the days when we are tempted to give up. Tom put countless miles on his cowboy…

Commentary

State Budget

Three Strikes and You’re Out, Governor Wolf

• Matthew Brouillette
• October 9, 2015

Nearly 100 days since the budget deadline, Governor Wolf had proposed three separate tax increase plans—each the largest tax hike in the nation. But when Wolf stepped up to the…

Commentary

State Budget

Tax Hikes: Wolf’s White Whale

• James Paul
• October 8, 2015

Wednesday’s vote on Gov. Wolf’s tax scheme was latest in a long line of political gimmicks aimed at reeling-in Wolf’s white whale: paradigm-shifting tax increases on Pennsylvania families and small…

Commentary

Regulation

Government that Works?

• Nathan Benefield
• September 29, 2015

Last week, Governor Wolf revved up his Jeep and resumed his “Government that Works” tour in Lancaster. In an ironic twist, Wolf also promised to veto a temporary funding bill…

Commentary

Public Union Democracy

Unions Must Answer for Pension Hypocrisy

• Matthew Brouillette
• September 8, 2015

Would you believe the most vocal opponents to public pension reform—Pennsylvania’s largest government unions—have actually implemented the very kind of reform they are fighting against?…

Commentary