Media

Education

What the Public Thinks of Public Schools

• Nathan Benefield
• September 9, 2009

Paul Peterson has a good column in today’s Wall Street Journal about the public’s perception of public schools — they are (correctly in Peterson’s judgment) unerwhelmed by school’s performance,…

Media

Let’s Just Buy Everyone Flying Cars

• Nathan Benefield
• September 9, 2009

The Patriot News reports on an insanely bad idea – taxpayer funded buses, then trains, from Lebanon to Hershey to Harrisburg. First the study, funded by the transportation industry…

Media

Government Accountability

Pennsylvania Has Most Legislative Staff

• Nathan Benefield
• September 8, 2009

Brad Bumsted had an article over the weekend on Pennsylvania’s largest in the nation legislative staff and, of course, the high cost of keeping that staff.  The number of…

Media

Regulation

Making a Bad Bill Worse

• Nathan Benefield
• September 8, 2009

Following protests by policy and firefighter unions, the Pennsylvania House will delay a vote on HB 1828, the so-called municipal pension reform bill, likely until Thursday. House…

Media

State Budget

Governors in Glass Mansions …

• September 8, 2009

When prompted on why Pennsylvania is now the only state in the nation without a budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, Governor Rendell was quick to pass the blame…

Media

Tea Party Express Coming to Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• September 8, 2009

The Tea Party Express will be hitting several cities in Pennsylvania this week, before heading to DC on September 12. The bus tour will be holding events in the…

Media

Regulation

CF Analysis of Municipal Pension Bill

• September 8, 2009

Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Richard C. Dreyfuss – an actuary and former HR executive for Hershey Foods who is one of PA’s leading experts on state and municipal pensions presented…

Press Release

Public Union Democracy

Happy Labor (Union Free) Day

• Matthew Brouillette
• September 7, 2009

Samuel Gompers, the father of the modern American labor union movement, once said, I want to urge devotion to the fundamental of human liberty-to the principles of voluntarism. No…

Media

Pension Expert: Changes ‘Generational Theft’

• September 6, 2009

Media Hit

Self-preservation blocks Pennsylvania’s convention for change

• September 6, 2009

Media Hit

Rendell’s Mixed Energy Agenda

• September 6, 2009

Media Hit

House to delay vote on state pension takeover

• September 5, 2009

Media Hit

Cinema and the city: Movies are hot in Pittsburgh

• September 4, 2009

Media Hit

Regulation

Electric Choice Working in Texas and Michigan

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 4, 2009

Natural gas is at a 7 year low and consumers who have electric choice are cashing in. In Texas, consumers can shop for rates 25-40% lower than what they…

Media

Regulation

Economic Development Subsidies Fail

• Nathan Benefield
• September 4, 2009

Today’s Wall Street Journal writes on the failure of taxpayer-funded “economic development” grants – i.e. corporate welfare – in the state of Michigan. The article relies heavily on…

Media

Ravenstahl pleads to delay state takeover of Pittsburgh’s pensions

• September 4, 2009

Media Hit

Education

No Correlation Between PA School District Spending and Performance

• Nathan Benefield
• September 3, 2009

Tracie Mauriello of the Post-Gazette raises a source of dispute, via Twitter, on education spending vs. performance: pgPoliTweets: Rendell: Ed achievement is correlated to ed spending.

Media

Education

What Does This Blog Post Inspire You to Do?

• Nathan Benefield
• September 3, 2009

When I first heard of President Obama’s planned speech to all students, I didn’t think much of it. I imagined he’d say things like “Don’t do drugs! Stay in school!”…

Media

Education

PHEAA Wrongfully Collected $92 Million From Taxpayers

• Elizabeth Stelle
• September 3, 2009

PHEAA is being sued, along with other student loan agencies, for taking advantage of a federal government loophole allowing them to wrongfully collect $92 million. In the 1980’s, the…

Media

Regulation

A Missed Opportunity for Pension Reform – Continuing Generational Theft

• Richard Dreyfuss
• September 3, 2009

Analysis of HB 1828 – the so-called Pennsylvania municipal pension reform bill (which includes a Philadelphia sales tax increase) facing the PA General Assembly – by Commonwealth Foundation senior…

Media

Regulation

Counting All Pennsylvania State Employees

• Nathan Benefield
• September 2, 2009

A state lawmaker sent along a Patriot New article, in which Gov. Rendell cites the relatively low number of Pennsylvania state employees compared to other states, to find out…

Media