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Education
Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Harrisburg, Pa., May 15, 2025 — Pennsylvania school districts increased overall revenue collected in 2023–24 to $23,000 per student, while expanding general fund reserves to $7.4 billion, according to new…
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Energy
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Read More: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Read More: Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Read More: New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable BenefitsHealth Care
Still Learning “What’s in the Bill”
My brother sent me the following text message while at his local pharmacy: Just realized that OTC [over-the-counter] drugs are no longer covered by HSA thanks to Obama. I…
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Read More: Still Learning “What’s in the Bill”Public Union Democracy
Prevailing Wage in Pennsylvania
Thank you, Chairman Miller and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify. I’m Matt Brouillette, President and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives, a nonprofit…
Testimony
Read More: Prevailing Wage in PennsylvaniaEducation
Parents Mustn’t Fall for Penn State Claims
In an op-ed in Sunday’s Harrisburg Patriot-News, Penn State President Graham Spanier repeated his now-familiar claims that his institution must receive more from taxpayers than the $165 million…
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Read More: Parents Mustn’t Fall for Penn State ClaimsEducation
Enacting Effective Merit Pay
Merit pay for teachers, proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett in his budget address, would tie teacher salaries to student progress, instead of increasing salaries annually regardless of performance. Only…
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Debating pros and cons of teacher unions
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On Penn State and Lasagna
The news that Penn State’s trustees just froze new building projects brings lasagna to mind. The reason is that right after my wife and I returned from the hospital…
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Corbett slashes $1 billion in budget proposal, local and state leaders react
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Read More: Corbett slashes $1 billion in budget proposal, local and state leaders reactTaxes & Economy
Michael Mann at the Zoo
I’ve got a piece up today at American Spectator which reveals the latest two taxpayer-funded projects that Penn State Climategate scientist Michael Mann has added to his…
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Read More: Michael Mann at the ZooEducation
Hope for University Administrators, or Taxpayers?
Tracie Mauriello of the Post-Gazette has a story today with the headline “Legislators offer hope to university administrators.” There, she quotes several state senators who say they hope to…
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Senate panel to review boards’ relevance
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Read More: Senate panel to review boards’ relevanceEducation
Another Way to Handle Budget Problems
Following up on Charles’s post last week about Penn State’s “political stunt” over Gov. Corbett’s planned cuts to the university, it might help PSU president Graham Spanier to look…
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Read More: Another Way to Handle Budget ProblemsEducation
Top Ten Reasons Pennsylvanians Deserve More from Their Universities
Yesterday in Harrisburg, the talk was all about Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposal to cut the generous subsidies Pennsylvania taxpayers provide to our universities. Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said…
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Corbett, unions say they’re willing to compromise
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Gov. Corbett’s choice for new Turnpike head questioned
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Read More: Gov. Corbett’s choice for new Turnpike head questionedTaxes & Economy
About a Streamlining Commission
Yesterday, CF released its new publication, Streamlining State Government, bringing attention to the more than 340 state regulatory and advisory agencies, demonstrating the need to trim the size…
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Read More: About a Streamlining Commission
Tea party at odds on school choice legislation
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School vouchers the topic of Lehigh Valley Tea Party town hall meeting
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