Education
Lowering the Cost of Living Key To Winning Keystone State
Originally published at Newsweek What will it take for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris to win Pennsylvania—arguably the most important state in the 2024 election? The answer is simple. They must…
Read More: Lowering the Cost of Living Key To Winning Keystone StateMany Pennsylvanians face chronic unemployment, welfare dependency, and the cycle of poverty. This happens because labor incentives have been overridden by bad policies that keep millions out of the workforce and enact excessive red tape. We can reverse this trend by ending the practice of waiving work requirements on able-bodied Pennsylvanians with no dependents, removing barriers to employment for those seeking a fresh start, and creating a healthcare system without burdensome regulations.
Related Issues
Criminal Justice Reform
Sec. John Wetzel Talks Corrections Reforms on The BOX
In latest podcast from The BOX, Corrections Secretary John Wetzel chats with Matt Brouillette about reducing the cost of corrections – a major expenditure in the Pennsylvania state budget…
Media
Read More: Sec. John Wetzel Talks Corrections Reforms on The BOXState Budget
Pennsylvania Welfare Spending
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Welfare SpendingTaxes & Economy
Report Finds Pennsylvania Welfare System Unsustainable, Hurting Poor
The Commonwealth Foundation released today an alarming new report on Pennsylvania public welfare that finds widespread abuse of tax dollars, with spending growing faster than the economy and exceeding education…
Press Release
Read More: Report Finds Pennsylvania Welfare System Unsustainable, Hurting PoorHealth Care
Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in Pennsylvania
Government welfare, with its goal to provide a helping hand to those in need, has instead become a vast series of programs that fall far short of the good intentions…
Report
Read More: Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in PennsylvaniaHealth Care
CF Joins More than 400 State Lawmakers in Brief on Health Care Law
The Commonwealth Foundation joined 17 other organizations and 333 state legislators from across the country in an amicus curiae brief challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act passed…
Media
Read More: CF Joins More than 400 State Lawmakers in Brief on Health Care LawCriminal Justice Reform
Pennsylvania Corrections Spending
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania Corrections SpendingCriminal Justice Reform
Government Union Jeopardizes Criminal Justice Reform
As Pennsylvania takes a hard look at reforming its criminal justice system, prepare for the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association’s fear-mongering campaign against reducing prison populations. The officers’ union opposition…
Media
Read More: Government Union Jeopardizes Criminal Justice ReformRegulation
Pennsylvania State Budget Background & 2012 Preview
The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years.
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania State Budget Background & 2012 PreviewWelfare
Even Big Government Advocates Understand the Welfare Trap
Big government lobbyists and CF don’t agree on much with welfare, but funnily enough, even they acknowledge that Pennsylvania’s welfare system keeps people in poverty. It [a food…
Media
Read More: Even Big Government Advocates Understand the Welfare TrapCriminal Justice Reform
Is State Corrections Spending Sustainable?
The chart below shows the unsustainable growth in Pennsylvania state corrections spending and inmate population. The criminal justice system’s goal shouldn’t be to simply lock up as many people…
Media
Read More: Is State Corrections Spending Sustainable?Welfare
Yes, Welfare is for Poor People
The Department of Public Welfare announced its plan to impose an asset test for food stamp recipients. The proposal would limit food stamps to most households with under $5,500…
Media
Read More: Yes, Welfare is for Poor PeopleCriminal Justice Reform
Criminal Justice Reforms to Reduce Spending & Crime
Change is on the horizon for Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections – now the third-largest state agency in the General Fund budget – which along with state debt, pensions…
Media
Read More: Criminal Justice Reforms to Reduce Spending & CrimeTaxes & Economy
The “Facts” on Food Stamps
City Paper contributor Daniel Denvir tries to diminish the impact of our Philadelphia Inquirer column on food stamps by offering “facts” in rebuttal. Unfortunately, most of these “facts”…
Media
Read More: The “Facts” on Food StampsTaxes & Economy
SNAP Back to Reality, Senators
Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate Democrats’ Twitter, @PaSenateDems, comes some high-stakes rhetoric during a Capitol press conference today. In reaction to the Pa. Department of Public Welfare’s decision to reapply…
Media
Read More: SNAP Back to Reality, SenatorsTaxes & Economy
Welfare Reforms Protect Poor, Taxpayers
Regardless of where you stand on taxpayer-funded entitlements, few Americans argue against the maintenance of temporary safety nets or modifications aimed at ending welfare fraud, waste and abuse.
Commentary
Read More: Welfare Reforms Protect Poor, TaxpayersCriminal Justice Reform
Fiscal Outlook for Pennsylvania: Not Too Rosy
This week the new Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office held its first annual seminar on the state economy and revenue. After a series of presentations on the state of the…
Media
Read More: Fiscal Outlook for Pennsylvania: Not Too RosyCriminal Justice Reform
Corrections Reform: Another Sacred Cow?
Our friends at Reason.org have called out Pennsylvania lawmakers’ opposition to prison healthcare reform, calling it yet another public sector union sacred cow. At issue is House…
Media
Read More: Corrections Reform: Another Sacred Cow?Criminal Justice Reform
Time for Pennsylvania to Get Right on Crime
Last week on NPR, former U.S. Attorney General and Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh joined Adam Gelb, director for Pew’s Public Safety Performance Project, to discuss criminal justice…
Media
Read More: Time for Pennsylvania to Get Right on CrimeTaxes & Economy
Do Millionaires Need Food Stamps?
For the past few years, politicians in Harrisburg and Washington have considered it a “success” to put more families on welfare. The result is an abundance of loopholes that allow…
Media
Read More: Do Millionaires Need Food Stamps?Health Care
No Rush on Health Insurance Exchanges
In late November the Department of Insurance announced that Pennsylvania would begin implementing a state health insurance exchange as laid out in PPACA (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care…
Media
Read More: No Rush on Health Insurance ExchangesWelfare
Protecting Medicaid for the Poor
The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare has trimmed Pennsylvania’s Medicaid rolls by 150,000 people since August. Welfare spending advocates and organizations receiving welfare dollars…
Media
Read More: Protecting Medicaid for the Poor