Education
Here’s some friendly advice to the new Pennsylvania general assembly
Originally published at The Patriot-News Pennsylvania lawmakers swore their oath of office in Harrisburg, and a new legislative session is upon us. As two former…
Read More: Here’s some friendly advice to the new Pennsylvania general assemblyThe state government is ultimately held accountable to the people through the electoral process—but that should not be the only line of defense against government overreach or waste. Taxpayers deserve a transparent government that works for them. Reforms are needed to reduce corruption and limit the scope of government to its constitutional authority. Additionally, reforms that ensure a transparent budgeting process, a fair electoral process, and a streamlined regulatory process should be pursued to increase the government’s integrity.
Education
More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying from School Districts
Public schools complain of underfunding, yet they are spending your tax dollars to lobby for more funding and against school choice, as property taxes skyrocket. The latest salvo comes from…
Media
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Pennsylvania State Government Union Contracts
On June 30, 15 of the state's 19 government union contracts expire, with two more expiring in August. These 19 public sector unions represent 62,271 state employees, whose compensation from…
Fact Sheet
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How Taxpayers are Funding Big Labor’s Education Failures
More than $92 million in taxpayer dollars for public education is being funneled through school districts back to these special interest groups, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and…
Commentary
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Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying at Pitt
A reader shared the letter below from the University of Pittsburgh. It urges all parents and students to contact their state legislators and protest higher education cuts in the proposed…
Media
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Exclusive Interview with Gov. Corbett, and Tonight on Stossel
Right now, I’m writing you from a train leaving New York City, because last night I interviewed with “The Stache,” John Stossel, about the natural gas boom in…
Media
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The Governor is Right and the Union Bosses are Wrong
I’m in Pittsburgh today, but I can hear the shouting in Harrisburg from here: Union bosses are hopping mad at Gov. Tom Corbett for calling them out in his…
Media
Read More: The Governor is Right and the Union Bosses are WrongGovernment Accountability
Reining in Spending with Performance-Based Budgeting
The House State Government Committee held a hearing today on reforming the budgeting process. HB 726, sponsored by Rep. Stan Saylor, would institute performance based-budgeting. Today, most of the…
Media
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Atlas Shrugged: Part I Movie Reviews
Friday night, three CF staffers braved sold-out theaters to watch the much anticipated Atlas Shrugged movie, a film that was big on buzz and short on funds. The movie, like the…
Media
Read More: Atlas Shrugged: Part I Movie ReviewsGovernment Accountability
PA House Passes Four Reform Bills this Week
The Pennsylvania State House has been especially productive this week, passing four pieces of key legislation that CF blogged on last week.
Media
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Bring PA Toward the Mainstream in Limiting Lawsuit Abuse
Having defeated a slew of trial-lawyer amendments, Pennsylvania's House of Representatives approved the Fair Share Act for the third time on Monday. The legislation, which has passed both chambers of the…
Commentary
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School Choice and Polling
Yesterday, a slew of acronym organizations who want more taxpayer funding for public schools released yet another survey they commissioned trying to undermine school choice. (This survey contradicts previous polls…
Media
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Millions Funneled to Lobbyists by Public Schools
Harrisburg, PA – The Commonwealth Foundation announced today preliminary results from extensive Open Records Requests that found more than $59 million dollars of taxpayer money is being funneled through…
Press Release
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Is Lawsuit Abuse Reform Coming to PA?
Pennsylvania is on its way to joining the 41 states that have either repealed or updated their joint and several liability law. HB 1, known as the Fair…
Media
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Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania
Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania represents a partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and the department of economics at Duquesne University. Key findings in these five papers include Over…
Commentary
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PA School District Uses Tax Dollars to Fight School Choice
The West Shore School District—my district, as it happens—has issued a “newsletter” with the clear, but unstated, goal of opposing Senate Bill…
Media
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Podcast: Talking Transparency
In the latest The BOX podcast, Senior Fellow Jeff Coleman sits down with Representative Jim Christiana after the unanimous passage of his transparency legislation in the State House.
Media
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Union Dues for More Lobbyists
Last month, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) announced it was raising mandatory dues on teachers and school employees by 11%. Where is that money going? You’d better believe…
Media
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Spending Transparency on the Fast Track in PA
Yesterday, Rep. Christiana’s PennWATCH proposal passed the House State Government Committee along with a number of reform measures designed to bring more transparency to state spending. The legislation (HB 15) is scheduled…
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2011 Policy Summit Live Video
Watch the Commonwealth Foundation’s 2011 Policy Summit live, beginning at 1 p.m.
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80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition. To provide a roadmap for…
Report
Read More: 80 Ideas for a Prosperous PennsylvaniaGovernment Accountability
Good Government Reforms Stall
In November, many legislative candidates campaigned on cutting costs in the legislature through specific, commonsense reforms. Ending the frequent abuse of per diems and requiring receipts for expenses topped the list,…
Media
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