Media

Education

Teacher Merit Pay May Come to Pittsburgh

• Elizabeth Stelle
• November 23, 2009

Pittsburgh City Schools may soon finalize their second huge grant. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is granting the system $40 million over 6 and half years to improve…

Media

Health Care

US Senate’s Turkey of a Health Care Bill

• Nathan Benefield
• November 23, 2009

The Association of Physician and Surgeons has a one-page handout on some number and facts about the latest Senate health care bill.

Media

The Legislature’s partisan budgeting – slush funds, in effect – prolongs the state’s mess

• November 23, 2009

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

Jobs “Created or Saved” is Obama’s “Mission Accomplished”

• Nathan Benefield
• November 23, 2009

Much mockery has been made of the reported “jobs created or saved” by the stimulus package – from jobs created in Congressional districts that don’t exist to the…

Media

Call for reform renewed

• November 22, 2009

Media Hit

Gauging impact of stimulus cash on local economy depends on who you ask

• November 22, 2009

Media Hit

It’s broke, so fix it: Legislators should embrace these ideas

• November 22, 2009

Media Hit

Waiting for higher ed funding

• November 22, 2009

Media Hit

Help clean up Harrisburg

• November 22, 2009

Media Hit

Health Care

Health Care Reform: The Constitution, the Bible, and Economics

• Nathan Benefield
• November 21, 2009

My prepared remarks to the “Million Med March” in Harrisburg Thank you. Good afternoon. Thanks for everyone here for coming out – I know none of us really want to…

Media

Education

Taxing Students For Past Mistakes

• November 21, 2009

Pittsburgh’s financial problems are such that it gave rise to the Intergovermental Cooperation Authority(ICA) – formed by none other than, perennially in-deficit Governor, Ed Rendell. The ICA was put…

Media

Pennsylvania lobbying law a bit clumsy

• November 20, 2009

Media Hit

Public Union Democracy

State Tax Trends

• Nathan Benefield
• November 20, 2009

ATR has a new report on state tax trends. In addition to a roundup of state tax changes, the new report highlights trends with policy implications. While we pointed…

Media

Government Accountability

What Next for “Tea Party” Activists?

• Nathan Benefield
• November 20, 2009

Following the recent “Taxpayers March on Harrisburg,” as well as recent health care protests in Washington DC and elsewhere, a grassroots organizer posed the question, “what should we do now?”…

Media

Capital Domes Head to Head: A look at how electricity deregulation will affect Pennsylvania’s power prices

• November 20, 2009

Media Hit

Public Union Democracy

Pittsburgh not Prevailing

• November 20, 2009

Pittsburgh City Council President Doug Shields is lobbying support for a prevailing wage law in the municipality.  His bill would set prevailing wage rates for most employees working…

Media

Millions In Stimulus Funds Reported Sent To Imaginary Districts

• November 19, 2009

Media Hit

Taxes & Economy

New I-80 Tolling Study Lacks Credibility

• November 19, 2009

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s ill-advised attempts to toll I-80 continues; yesterday, Brian Chase, an independent consultant, spoke to the House Republican Policy Committee (PLS Subscription) about the validity…

Media

Electoral reform wanted, necessary

• November 19, 2009

Media Hit

Government Accountability

The Useless Resolutions of a Full-Time Legislature

• November 19, 2009

One of the most common critiques of full-time state legislatures is the sheer amount of seemingly useless resolutions – to pander to certain groups of voters – that take up…

Media

Health Care

Guide to Harry Reid’s Health Care Bill

• Nathan Benefield
• November 19, 2009

Yesterday, US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid put forth a new, 2,074 page health care reform bill. The Senate is expected to vote on it in the next few days.

Media