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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…
Read More: Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
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 BenefitsTaxes & Economy
But I Thought All the Tax Cuts were “For the Rich” …
The Club for Growth highlights a Washington Post article on the expiration of the “Bush tax cuts” in 2011 (or, depending on your word choice, the “currently-scheduled tax…
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Read More: But I Thought All the Tax Cuts were “For the Rich” …Education
Onorato Endorses School Choice Proposal
On Tuesday, we released a commentary noting that both candidates for governor in Pennsylvania – Tom Corbett (R) and Dan Onorato (D) – were advocates…
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Read More: Onorato Endorses School Choice ProposalState Budget
Rendell and the Missing $30 Million
Yesterday, Gov. Rendell told lawmakers that after Congress passed legislation to increase federal aid to states for Medicaid (FMAP) and to school districts – and also cut funding…
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State has solutions; Does it have the will?
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Read More: State has solutions; Does it have the will?Government Accountability
More Taxpayer Funded Propaganda
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has an email newsletter on Marcellus Shale (see PA Indy story). I, of course, signed up to see how my tax dollars were…
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Read More: More Taxpayer Funded PropagandaHealth Care
States Saying No to Individual Mandate
Merrill Matthews has a good article up on Forbes about what states are doing to fight the individual health insurance mandate in the new law. He touches both on…
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Blog Roundup
Here’s some recent link love for CF: PhillyNow criticizes Rendell’s “inability” to make budget cuts, while pointing to CF’s A Taxpayer’s Budget, which identifies $4 billion in possible…
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Economist Antony Davies debunks arguments against liquor sale privatization
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Read More: Economist Antony Davies debunks arguments against liquor sale privatizationTaxes & Economy
How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling?
Pop quiz: Drilling in Pennsylvania is as attractive as drilling in A) Arkansas B) Kansas or C) Cambodia? The correct answer is Cambodia. Currently, the Keystone State is one of…
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Read More: How Attractive is Pennsylvania Drilling?Regulation
Silliest Defense of Government Pension Plans Yet
A letter in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader attacks the Commonwealth Foundation for supporting moving state government and school districts employees to a defined-contribution retirement plan, like a 401(k). The…
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Read More: Silliest Defense of Government Pension Plans YetEducation
Are Taxpayers Subsidizing Learning or Partying?
The good news: Penn State is no longer the #1 party school in the US, according to the Princeton Review’s (user account) annual student-produced rankings. It has fallen…
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Pittsburgh basking in the latest filmmaking boom
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Read More: Pittsburgh basking in the latest filmmaking boomEducation
AP Distorts Pennsylvania Education Spending
In an article about potential cuts to state appropriations to school districts – which represent cuts to the approved budget, not to last year’s spending, and would be more…
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Read More: AP Distorts Pennsylvania Education SpendingState Budget
Which Taxpayer-Funded Video Studio Tells More Lies?
Yesterday, Bob Caton, spokesman for the Pennsylvania House Democrats, and Steve Miskin, spokesman for the House Republican, engaged in a Twitter argument over which caucus’ TV shows were more…
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Read More: Which Taxpayer-Funded Video Studio Tells More Lies?
Initiative and referendum needed for reform
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Read More: Initiative and referendum needed for reformTaxes & Economy
Quote for the Day on Stimulus Spending
Yesterday, I tweeted Dan Mitchell’s blog post, which in turn cited Richard Rahn’s article on the evidence of “stimulus spending” vs. limited government on growing the economy. Mitchell…
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Read More: Quote for the Day on Stimulus SpendingRegulation
SEPTA’s Extravagant Spending
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony from SEPTA officials defending their lavish spending habits during a state transportation funding crisis. Senator Rafferty expressed concern, saying:…
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Read More: SEPTA’s Extravagant SpendingTaxes & Economy
Onorato: Rendell’s Severance Tax is Too High
In a Capitolwire interview (subscription), gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato advocated a low natural gas severance tax rate with exemptions. Onorato highlighted three states as good examples of a…
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Read More: Onorato: Rendell’s Severance Tax is Too High
Reforming the Highway Trust Fund
As Gov. Rendell continues to tour Pennsylvania asking for more money for transportation, perhaps he should ask Congress to reform the federal Highway Trust Fund to ensure our gas tax…
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