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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
Physics Supports Fracking Safety
When the head of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Oil and Gas Management says, There has never been any evidence of fracking ever causing direct contamination…
Media
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CF Blog Roundup
Check out CF’s recent mentions in the blogosphere: Keystone Conservative highlighted a CF post on the harm ObamaCare could bring about in Pennsylvania. Capitol Ideas and…
Media
Read More: CF Blog RoundupTaxes & Economy
Tough Questions for Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The PA Turnpike Commission (PTC) testified before the Senate Transportation Committee during this summer’s special session on transportation funding. Most senators on the committee expressed concern on several aspects regarding…
Media
Read More: Tough Questions for Pennsylvania Turnpike CommissionTaxes & Economy
Lancaster Co. Human Relations Commission
Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this issue. My name is Nate Benefield, I am Director of Policy Research with the Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg. We are a…
Testimony
Read More: Lancaster Co. Human Relations CommissionEducation
More on Government Jobs in Recession
The Rockefeller Institute of Government recently analyzed a Bureau of Labor Statistics report on jobs at this point in the recession. The report finds that with 9.2% unemployment,…
Media
Read More: More on Government Jobs in RecessionState Budget
How to Reduce Welfare Fraud
Following Matt Brouillette’s commentary on whether Tom Corbett (should he win) can balance the budget and keep his ‘no tax’ pledge,…
Media
Read More: How to Reduce Welfare FraudTaxes & Economy
Corbett on Death Tax and Farmers
Governor hopeful, Tom Corbett, has voiced support for phasing out the state’s death tax. At a meeting organized by Farm Families for Tom Corbett and Pennsylvania Agricultural Republicans, Corbett cited…
Media
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Can Pennsylvania Grow Money from Trees?
Harrisburg, PA – The Commonwealth Foundation (CF) today released Growing Money on Trees: An Analysis of PA’s Climate Change Action Plan, offering a cost-benefit analysis…
Press Release
Read More: Can Pennsylvania Grow Money from Trees?State Budget
What if State Government Hired a Psychic?
The Tribune Review adds on to the continuing Orie sisters saga, that not only did they seek the advice of a clairvoyant, but that clairvoyant asked for a…
Media
Read More: What if State Government Hired a Psychic?Regulation
Tax For Soccer
It’s not soccer players or fans that will be taxed to pay for the Major League Soccer stadium in Chester, but the visitors who patronize bed and breakfasts or hotels…
Media
Read More: Tax For SoccerGovernment Accountability
Lawmakers Call for Public Integrity Commission
In the wake of convictions, indictments, and investigations of Pennsylvania lawmakers and staff, several legislators have called for a new Public Integrity Commission. The Commission would replace the current…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers Call for Public Integrity CommissionRegulation
Free Parking? Only in “Monopoly”
Privatization Watch, which warns against privatizing government services, alerts locals that if Pittsburgh parking garages are leased to a private company the per day parking cost would increase by…
Media
Read More: Free Parking? Only in “Monopoly”
Elk County community says Rendell delivered on state aid promise
Media Hit
Read More: Elk County community says Rendell delivered on state aid promiseEducation
Do Conservatives Support National Education Standards?
The Fordham Institute, long advocates of national education standards, are celebrating the adoption of the Common Core Curriculum, calling it “national standards conservatives can love”. The basis for this…
Media
Read More: Do Conservatives Support National Education Standards?Regulation
Fact Check: Pennsylvania’s Liquor Store Revenue
Many myths continue about the privatization of Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor stores. One is that the state government would lose annual revenue from liquor sales. See Wendell Young, speaking on behalf…
Media
Read More: Fact Check: Pennsylvania’s Liquor Store RevenueRegulation
Reviewing the Financial Crisis
Nicole Gelinas has a great piece surveying a number of books on the financial crisis. Contrary to conventional wisdom, many in the finance world foresaw the collapse, some big…
Media
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Pa. Liquor Board Touts Consumer-Friendly Efforts
Media Hit
Read More: Pa. Liquor Board Touts Consumer-Friendly EffortsRegulation
State Pension System Going Deeper into the Red
Eleanor Chute of the Post-Gazette notes the approval of the pension contribution rates for Pennsylvania school employees (split between school districts and the state). She also notes that the…
Media
Read More: State Pension System Going Deeper into the Red