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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
CF Responds to PennFuture Demands
A July 14, 2010 letter from PennFuture’s attorney claimed the Commonwealth Foundation’s Policy Brief, “PennFuture’s Lobbying: Hypocritical, unethical, and possibly illegal,” contained three inaccuracies and demanded…
Press Release
Read More: CF Responds to PennFuture DemandsTaxes & Economy
New Drilling Study Highlights Regulation Reform
Recently, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council released a study on Marcellus Shale drilling focusing on what Pennsylvania needs to do to ensure responsible development of this newly tapped resources. As…
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Read More: New Drilling Study Highlights Regulation ReformTaxes & Economy
Anti-Drilling Groups Pressure Penn State
Opponents of natural gas drilling are attacking the integrity of a Penn State study on the economic effects the Marcellus Shale development, which was funded by the industry. Complaints center…
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State policies on pension plans ‘generational theft,’ expert tells economic group
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Read More: State policies on pension plans ‘generational theft,’ expert tells economic groupState Budget
Are There WAMs in the PA Budget?
A reader called our office today, following a conversation with his local lawmakers, who denied there were any WAMs in the budget, and claimed there had not been in many…
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Read More: Are There WAMs in the PA Budget?Taxes & Economy
EOG Resources Mans Up After Drilling Accident
On Tuesday, DEP released the results of an investigation into the June 3 Clearfield County gas well incident. The well, as you might recall, shot gas and flow-back water…
Media
Read More: EOG Resources Mans Up After Drilling Accident
Corbett, Onorato Both Wishy-Washy on UC
Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate, continues to take flak for comments he made regarding the unemployed and Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. After Corbett made comments that…
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Read More: Corbett, Onorato Both Wishy-Washy on UC
PA Turnpike to Hike Tolls on Cash Payers by 10%
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) announced yesterday that it would be increasing tolls by 10% on cash payers and by 3% on E-Z Pass holders, beginning in January. This…
Media
Read More: PA Turnpike to Hike Tolls on Cash Payers by 10%Taxes & Economy
Penn State and PennFuture: Two Peas in a Pod
While PennFuture’s Jan Jarrett whines about alleged Commonwealth Foundation smears of themselves and of Climategate scientist Michael Mann, The Atlantic‘s Clive Crook — a…
Media
Read More: Penn State and PennFuture: Two Peas in a PodTaxes & Economy
Combined Reporting Has Consequences
Lancaster Online recently produced a number of articles concerning Mandatory Unitary Combined Reporting, one of many tax revenue increases offered by Governor Rendell. Combined Reporting did not make it…
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Read More: Combined Reporting Has ConsequencesState Budget
Voters Blame Politicians’ Overspending for Budget Woes
Reason highlights a new Rasmussen Poll on state budget crises. A whopping 75% of voters blame current budget crises on politicians’ unwillingness to cut spending. Only 13% think…
Media
Read More: Voters Blame Politicians’ Overspending for Budget WoesRegulation
Pension Reform Is Good for Teachers
Recently, the New York Daily News published an article by public school teacher Emmanuel George. He has taught in both traditional public schools and in a charter school.
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Read More: Pension Reform Is Good for TeachersGovernment Accountability
BP-Funded PennFuture Attacks the Messenger
PennFuture’s Jan Jarrett launches a tirade against the Commonwealth Foundation’s exposé of PennFuture’s lobbying. For starters, she repeatedly labels it a “smear campaign” (and even includes…
Media
Read More: BP-Funded PennFuture Attacks the MessengerGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania’s Million Dollar Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Failure
From 1998-2002, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania spent no money on lobbying the federal government (although independent agencies – the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Higher Education Assistance Agency –…
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Read More: Pennsylvania’s Million Dollar Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying FailureRegulation
Pet Projects Lap Up Funds
State Legislators awarding funds to pet projects flies in the faces of Pennsylvanians who want their state to eliminate a deficit before tapping revenue for pet projects. Capitolwire (subscription)…
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State Feeds Addiction by Creating A New Bureaucracy
Pennsylvania will soon be introduced to a new state bureaucracy. As lawmakers were finishing up the state budget, legislation was overwhelmingly approved and later signed by the Governor, to…
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Read More: State Feeds Addiction by Creating A New Bureaucracy
Government Fraud Continues in LIHEAP
Pennsylvania is rather familiar with welfare fraud, and apparently, we haven’t learned our lesson yet. The latest example of welfare fraud stems from the Low Income Home Energy…
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Read More: Government Fraud Continues in LIHEAP