Media

Education

The Truth on Cyber School Performance

• Priya Brannick
• June 28, 2013

Here is a letter to the editor I submitted to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Pennsylvania cyber school performance: Mary Niederberger reports on a new, largely positive charter school study…

Media

Regulation

Podcast: Where Does Pension Reform Stand?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 28, 2013

On this BOX Program podcast, Representative Fred Keller (R) 85th District, joins Nathan Benefield to break down what’s been happening in the legislature on pension reform. Both the House and…

Media

Education

Burger Flipper or National Merit Scholar?

• June 27, 2013

Mechanicsburg student Colin Knott is a National Merit Scholar—putting him in the top one percent of students nationwide—and already has 25 college credits under his belt prior to his first…

Media

Government Accountability

What Can You Do?

• Matthew Brouillette
• June 27, 2013

The next hours and days could dramatically shape Pennsylvania’s future, but will it be for the better? As time winds down before the final budget passes, several critical issues hang…

Media

Education

Public School Staffing Up, Enrollment Down

• Priya Brannick
• June 27, 2013

In the last two years, schools have reduced their total staffing.  Yet despite this short-term decline, public school staff has increased by more than 17,000 since 2000.  Over the…

Media

Two sides weigh in on pension reform

• June 27, 2013

Media Hit

Regulation

Pension Reform Benefits Workers and Taxpayers

• Nathan Benefield
• June 27, 2013

Pennsylvania’s two main government worker pension systems, the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS) and the State Employee Retirement System (SERS), together have more tha than $47 billion in unfunded…

Media

Letters to the Editor 6/27/2013

• June 27, 2013

Media Hit

Knowing rights empowers workers

• June 27, 2013

Media Hit

Government Accountability

Mailbag: That “Delaware Loophole” Thingamajig

• Nathan Benefield
• June 26, 2013

A few readers responded to my op-ed on corporate tax reform, asking “If you want fairness, why don’t you support ‘ending the Delaware Loophole’?” Unfortunately, many believe that the…

Media

Education

The Canard of Corbett’s Education Cuts

• Priya Brannick
• June 26, 2013

Despite the popular claim that Gov. Corbett “cut $1 billion” in education spending in the state budget, state funding for public schools is at an all-time high.  In 2011-12, federal…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Double Taxation = Double Trouble for PA Businesses

• June 25, 2013

It can’t be easy being a business owner in Pennsylvania. Combined with the federal tax rate, Pennsylvania businesses pay the second highest tax rate on their profits in the entire…

Media

Regulation

Putting Pension Projections in Perspective

• Nathan Benefield
• June 25, 2013

Critics of pension reform cite certain actuarial reports claiming that shifting new employees to a defined contribution plan (like a 401(k) in the private sector) will actually cost taxpayers more. …

Media

Regulation

Senate Liquor Proposal Passes Committee

• June 24, 2013

This afternoon, Sen. Charles McIlhinney’s liquor sales reform proposal passed out of committee by a vote of 6-5.  Changes are expected to be made to the bill – changes we…

Media

Education

SAT Scores by State 2012

• June 24, 2013

EDITORS NOTE: Click here for the 2014 SAT Scores by state How did states compare on the SAT in 2012? The College Board’s 2012 annual report on college and…

Media

Regulation

PLCB Ultimatum: Our Way or the Highway

• June 24, 2013

With the PLCB, control is the name of the game—in more ways than one. Not content with having both hands—retail and wholesale—in wine and liquor sales in the state, now,…

Media

Tom Corbett’s dilemma

• June 23, 2013

Media Hit

Health Care

Medicaid Expansion Fails Poor, Taxpayers

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 21, 2013

Medicaid is a failed program that shouldn’t be expanded without reform. That was the message of yesterday’s House Health Committee hearing on Medicaid expansion. In contrast to House Human Services…

Media

Deceptive campaign

• June 21, 2013

Media Hit

Health Care

Budget Could Transform Pa., For Good or Ill

• Nathan Benefield
• June 21, 2013

About one week remains for lawmakers to finalize a state budget. But along with a spending plan, a number of major policy reforms remain in the mix. The outcomes of…

Media

Plan to move to a defined contribution pension plan for public employees draws mixed reviews

• June 20, 2013

Media Hit