Public Union Democracy
Government Union Political Spending in the 2021–22 Election Cycle
Key Points Government unions are a top interest group in Pennsylvania, spending more than $190 million on politics since 2007. Government union political action committee (PAC) spending continues to increase,…
Read More: Government Union Political Spending in the 2021–22 Election CyclePennsylvania will only become a beacon for opportunity when its policies are in the hands of taxpayers and citizens, not special interests and bureaucrats. It’s vital that our government is accountable to the people—not organizations or institutions. Policies that advance transparency and restore workers’ rights are the keys to this happening.
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Public Union Democracy
Rent Seeking: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Musical
“Rent” isn’t just a depressing musical about New Yorkers facing AIDS. It’s also a term economists use to describe the benefits special interests win for themselves in the political…
Media
Read More: Rent Seeking: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage MusicalPublic Union Democracy
Will the Union Party Win Again?
On Tuesday, everyone in the Capitol anticipated a final vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on a bill to increase the “prevailing wage” threshold for public construction…
Media
Read More: Will the Union Party Win Again?Public Union Democracy
Who Would Oppose Reforming a Costly, Unnecessary Law?
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives may vote today on a bill to reform the 1961 prevailing wage mandate. The prevailing wage requires government to pay higher wages and benefits for…
Media
Read More: Who Would Oppose Reforming a Costly, Unnecessary Law?Public Union Democracy
Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Law
Pennsylvania's Prevailing Wage Law was enacted in 1961 to protect construction workers from out-of-state competition, mandating that contractors pay the wages that "prevail" in each region on all government construction…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage LawPublic Union Democracy
House Moves Unemployment Compensation Reform
More Unemployment Compensation reform is moving through the Pennsylvania House. Yesterday, HB 1754 sponsored by Rep. Ron Miller, and HB 1852 sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove, cleared the…
Media
Read More: House Moves Unemployment Compensation ReformPublic Union Democracy
Turn on the Fiscal Fire Hose
Since Gov. Corbett unveiled his 2012-13 budget Tuesday, we’ve noted how it reduces overall spending for only the second time in 40 years. We’ve also explained that despite…
Media
Read More: Turn on the Fiscal Fire HoseEducation
Not a Joke: Learn from Louisiana
Here in Pennsylvania, we like to think we’re better than states like Louisiana. Those folks used to have slaves, but our founder was a Quaker. They’re poor, but we’re rich. …
Media
Read More: Not a Joke: Learn from LouisianaGovernment Accountability
Does Pennsylvania Need Fewer Legislators?
A proposal to reduce the Pennsylvania State House from 203 representatives to 153 will be voted on in the coming weeks by the House. The proposal is certainly…
Media
Read More: Does Pennsylvania Need Fewer Legislators?Education
Crisis vs. Competition in Education
Here are two views on school choice, the idea that fostering a variety of schooling options for families—whether public, charter, cyber or private—is a good thing: School choice is a…
Media
Read More: Crisis vs. Competition in EducationGovernment Accountability
Teachers’ Union Dues at Leisure
A full-time teacher and member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association pays $654 a year in union dues to state, national and local affiliates of the union. While part-time teachers…
Media
Read More: Teachers’ Union Dues at LeisureGovernment Accountability
Top 10 Posts of 2011
For your “year in review” pleasure, here are the most popular CF articles and research papers of 2011, based on readership: Citizens Guide to Electric Choice and Competition…
Media
Read More: Top 10 Posts of 2011Education
PSEA Exposed: Vex, Lies and Audio Tape
Nestled in the $4.2 million the Pennsylvania State Education Asssociation spent in 2010-11 on political activities are some very telling expenditures on polling firms. For example, remember the much-touted…
Media
Read More: PSEA Exposed: Vex, Lies and Audio TapeGovernment Accountability
More on Hellholes, of the Judicial Sort
The yearly Judicial Hellhole report from the American Tort Reform Foundation ranks Philadelphia as the number one judicial hellhole for the second year in a row. Pennsylvania’s court…
Media
Read More: More on Hellholes, of the Judicial SortGovernment Accountability
Redistricting Reform Needed…Four Years Ago
The Pennsylvania House is expected this week to to pass the Congressional redistricting bill. House Democrats, in the minority, are complaining about the gerrymandering of the new map.
Media
Read More: Redistricting Reform Needed…Four Years AgoEducation
The Growing Lobbying Might of the PSEA
The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state’s largest government union with 192,000 members, spent an astonishing $2.6 million in 2009-10 on “political activities and lobbying.” If that seems like a…
Media
Read More: The Growing Lobbying Might of the PSEAPublic Union Democracy
County Data Shows Prevailing Wage Hikes Costs
We have documented the racist origins of Pennsylvania’s prevailing wage law, how it artificially raises the costs of taxpayer-funded construction projects by 20 percent (or approximately $1 billion…
Media
Read More: County Data Shows Prevailing Wage Hikes CostsEducation
Educrats Fight for System Not Kids, Taxpayers
The Sharon Herald posted an article Sunday about anti-voucher signs popping up around the Sharon, Sharpsville and Greenville areas in Mercer County. I’ve seen these signs in Western Pa.
Media
Read More: Educrats Fight for System Not Kids, TaxpayersGovernment Accountability
Thank You, Friends of Freedom
Less than two weeks ago, CF announced to our supporters a goal of raising $225,000 by year’s end. They have already supplied $54,487.76. Talk about Thanksgiving…I’m thankful! And if you would…
Media
Read More: Thank You, Friends of FreedomPublic Union Democracy
Right to Work Helps Oklahoma Economy
A new analysis from the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs shows that since the Sooner State passed a right to work law in 2001—allowing all workers to choose whether…
Media
Read More: Right to Work Helps Oklahoma EconomyEducation
The Lesson of Ohio Might Not Be What You Think
The Wall Street Journal recently featured a very short, very striking piece on the defeat of much-needed limits on the power of government unions in Ohio. The conventional wisdom on…
Media
Read More: The Lesson of Ohio Might Not Be What You ThinkEducation
End Transparency Exemption for Penn State
Penn State officials will soon be under a different kind of investigation—an investigation by taxpayers. In the aftermath of the child sexual abuse scandal, Rep. Eugene DePasquale is…
Media
Read More: End Transparency Exemption for Penn State