Public Union Democracy
Unions should be about employees, not about politics
Originally published at The Hill “I’ll be honest with you,” said Teamsters President Sean O’Brien in a recent podcast interview. “I’m a Democrat, but they have f—ed…
Read More: Unions should be about employees, not about politicsPennsylvania 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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Government Accountability
What Voters Think of PA Judges and Courts
A recent statewide public opinion survey conducted by The Federalist Society – in advance of November’s judicial elections – showed Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support our system of judicial selection…
Media
Read More: What Voters Think of PA Judges and CourtsGovernment Accountability
Wither Spending Transparency in PA?
Over the past few years, and throughout the state budget debate, the Commonwealth Foundation and other state and national groups have called for state…
Media
Read More: Wither Spending Transparency in PA?Government Accountability
Pennsylvanians Divided by Soda
Pennsylvanians seem divided by geography on a key debate. No, not the state budget, or national health care (well, those too), but on whether it should be called ‘Soda’, or…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvanians Divided by SodaGovernment Accountability
Shrink or Grow the Size of Legislature
NCSL’s blog, The Thicket, has a post up about debating reducing or growing the size of the legislature. Pennsylvania serves on the shrinking size, as that is an oft-cited…
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Read More: Shrink or Grow the Size of LegislatureGovernment Accountability
The ACORN Hangs From Many Branches
The U.S. House Republican Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently released an in depth investigative report on the activities of the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, more…
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Read More: The ACORN Hangs From Many BranchesPublic Union Democracy
Union Organizers Drown Out Voice of Rep. Bear
Today the state capital was abuzz with clamorous shouting from protesting union members. What was all the hullabaloo about? Union members organized in opposition to a press conference about a…
Media
Read More: Union Organizers Drown Out Voice of Rep. BearPublic Union Democracy
Teachers Compelled To Fund ACORN
The group ACORN has been in the news more often than it probably prefers to be, especially of late. But such is its notoriety. ACORN is not…
Media
Read More: Teachers Compelled To Fund ACORNGovernment Accountability
Weekly Blog Roundup
Here are some of the latest bloggers citing Commonwealth Foundation work: PA Water Cooler highlights our look into how much state money ACORN is getting and on Matt Brouillette’s…
Media
Read More: Weekly Blog RoundupGovernment Accountability
The Continuing Saga of Corruption and Patronage in Pennsylvania
Another of former Senator Fumo’s aides was indicted yesterday, for taking contracts from the Pennsylvania Senate, but doing no work – except favors to Sen. Fumo. Of course, Palermo…
Media
Read More: The Continuing Saga of Corruption and Patronage in PennsylvaniaGovernment Accountability
How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?
Dale Davenport had an excellent editorial in the Patriot over the weekend, noting how annual budgeting and the move to a full-time, professional legislature altereed Pennsylvania’s state budget forever: …
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Read More: How did the PA Budget Process Get So Broken?Government Accountability
Reforming the Budget Process in Pennsylvania
In the political world, 2009 will be remembered as the year that Pennsylvania went longer than any other state without a budget. The Commonwealth went months past the June 30th…
Commentary
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Scare Tactics in the Budget
John Baer writes – albeit a bit late – on how politicians use scare tactics, i.e. the “Washington Monument Ploy” to…
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Read More: Scare Tactics in the BudgetGovernment Accountability
Blog Roundup
The Commonwealth Foundation has made it around the blogs this weekend; here are some recent citations: Tony Phyrillas, PA Water Cooler, and Pennsylvania Guardian give us some…
Media
Read More: Blog RoundupPublic Union Democracy
Is “Card Check” Racist?
A new study on the Employee Free Choice Act finds that the ill-named legislation would deliberately harm minorities (HT: The Union Label) This proposal would likely expand labor hierarchy, labor market…
Media
Read More: Is “Card Check” Racist?Government Accountability
Recaps of 9/12 March on DC
Here is some coverage of 9/12 protest in Washington DC from Pennsylvania (and some national) bloggers and attendeed: PA WaterCooler has a photo essay from John Lewandowski, who went…
Media
Read More: Recaps of 9/12 March on DCGovernment Accountability
CF Blog Roundup
Here are some of the most recent Commonwealth Foundation citations from Pennsylvania blogs: Capitol Ideas gives us some linkage on health care reform and on flying cars. GrassrootsPA…
Media
Read More: CF Blog RoundupGovernment Accountability
Follow PA Lawmakers and Politics on Twitter
I recenlty learned of a tool – not sure if it is new or not – to compile lists of Twitter users that anyone can follow with a single click. …
Media
Read More: Follow PA Lawmakers and Politics on TwitterGovernment Accountability
Legislative Staff and Term Limits
Following up on our blog post and Brad Bumsted’s article about Pennsylvania having the most legislative staff, I took another look at the…
Media
Read More: Legislative Staff and Term LimitsHealth Care
Whoops, We Were Wrong…
One of our goals at the Commonwealth Foundation is to predict the effect of proposed public policies. Most of the time, we are proven correct, and humbly announce, "We told…
Commentary
Read More: Whoops, We Were Wrong…Government Accountability
Pennsylvania Has Most Legislative Staff
Brad Bumsted had an article over the weekend on Pennsylvania’s largest in the nation legislative staff and, of course, the high cost of keeping that staff. The number of…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Has Most Legislative StaffPublic Union Democracy
Happy Labor (Union Free) Day
Samuel Gompers, the father of the modern American labor union movement, once said, I want to urge devotion to the fundamental of human liberty-to the principles of voluntarism. No…
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