Media

Education tax credits a good idea, but at what cost?

• July 5, 2012

Media Hit

An antiquated trade barrier could hurt Pennsylvania manufacturers

• July 5, 2012

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

This Independence Day, You and I Have No Right

• Charles Mitchell
• July 4, 2012

This morning, spurred by a blog post by Bill Kristol, I’ve been reading an Independence Day oration given by the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass in 1852, during the run-up to…

Media

Health Care

State Officials Have the Power to Stop Federal Health Care

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 3, 2012

The Supreme Court health care ruling last week gave Pennsylvania two opportunities to undermine the Affordable Care Act. States can decline to set up a state exchange and choose not…

Media

Taxes & Economy

How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling in 2012?

• July 3, 2012

Back in 2010, Pennsylvania was as attractive to drill in as Cambodia. The state ranked 66th out of 133 jurisdictions worldwide, according to the Fraser Institute’s Global Petroleum…

Media

State Budget

What’s In It for You – Budget Review

• Elizabeth Stelle
• July 2, 2012

With only minutes to spare Saturday night, Gov. Corbett signed his second on-time budget without increasing taxes and limiting spending growth to less than inflation and population growth. Here’s what…

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State Budget

Of Milestones and Things Left Undone | WEEKLY UPDATE

• Matthew Brouillette
• July 2, 2012

Do you get CF’s WEEKLY UPDATE every Monday?  If not, here’s what you’re missing.  Sign up here so you don’t miss next week’s message!    …

Media

Tax-credit bill would expand school choice

• July 2, 2012

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Chart: A Decade of State Spending Growth

• June 29, 2012

State policymakers agreed on a budget deal that includes $27.7 billion in General Fund spending. This budget deal represents a $6.8 billion, or 36.1 percent, increase in General Fund spending…

Media

Education

Child Rescue Plan Underway, EITC is Lifeline

• Priya Brannick
• June 29, 2012

As we come down to the wire in the Pennsylvania legislature’s 2012 session, the Senate revealed the latest details (subscription required) of how an expanded opportunity scholarship program would…

Media

Education

Temple Tuition Tamp-Down Shows Wake-Up Calls Work

• Charles Mitchell
• June 29, 2012

During last year’s budget season, I was pretty critical of Temple University for raising tuition by ten percent while its administrators joined in the Chicken Little routine (“The sky…

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

Pennsylvania Passes Landmark Corrections Reform

• June 28, 2012

On Monday, Pennsylvania passed landmark legislation to replace decades of ineffective and expensive corrections policies with reforms that make our communities safer and save taxpayers money.   Commonwealth Foundation thanks…

Media

Health Care

Constitutional, but Still Unaffordable, Unsustainable and Nonsensical

• Matthew Brouillette
• June 28, 2012

My response to today’s Supreme Court of the United States ruling on President Obama’s healthcare reform law: Just because something is ruled Constitutional doesn’t make it affordable, sustainable or…

Media

Are public school rainy-day funds too big?

• June 28, 2012

Media Hit

Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances

• June 28, 2012

Media Hit

Education

Save Kids, Save Schools, Save Our Future

• June 27, 2012

Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program is already transforming lives and schools throughout our state.  In some of the worst neighborhoods and schools—the schools where kids are 5-times…

Media

Wilkinsburg is Pa.’s most violent school district

• June 27, 2012

Media Hit

Half of correction legislation ready for governor, other half in jeopardy

• June 27, 2012

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Welfare is Number One in New Budget

• Elizabeth Stelle
• June 27, 2012

Pennsylvania taxpayers will once again spend more on welfare than any other department in the General Fund, including education, according to newly released budget spreadsheets (based on the tentative…

Media

Education

Doubling of Education Spending a Myth?

• Nathan Benefield
• June 27, 2012

From 1996-97 to 2010-11, Pennsylvania public school spending increased 93.4 percent, according to state Department of Education data. Yet Rep. James Roebuck says this increase is a…

Media

Education

Would You Rather Kids Share Books, or Get Booked?

• Charles Mitchell
• June 26, 2012

I’m writing right now from the road, specifically from the poorest city in America:  Reading, Pennsylvania.  Reading is one of the cities mentioned in today’s CF news release pointing…

Media