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New Swing State Poll: PA Voters Evenly Divided, Presidential Election a Toss Up
Harrisburg, Pa., July 26, 2024—Public support for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is evenly divided in Pennsylvania, according to a new statewide survey of Pennsylvania voters, with Harris leading Trump 47%…
Read More: New Swing State Poll: PA Voters Evenly Divided, Presidential Election a Toss UpEducation
TV Ad Exposes Shapiro as “All Talk, No Results”
Read More: TV Ad Exposes Shapiro as “All Talk, No Results”Education
Why is Gov. Shapiro Afraid of His Own Campaign Promises?
Read More: Why is Gov. Shapiro Afraid of His Own Campaign Promises?Education
President and CEO Charles Mitchell on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall
Read More: President and CEO Charles Mitchell on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris StigallGovernment Accountability
Victory for Transparency in State Government
HARRISBURG, PA — Commonwealth Foundation president and CEO Matt Brouillette issued the following statement today in response to the General Assembly’s decision to make Conference Committee meetings on the state…
Press Release
Read More: Victory for Transparency in State GovernmentRegulation
States Face $558 Billion in Unfunded Retiree Health Care Liabilities
Reason’s Out of Control blog notes a new report detailing that states cumulatively face $558 billion in unfunded retiree health care benefits. Pennsylvania doesn’t seem to be in…
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Read More: States Face $558 Billion in Unfunded Retiree Health Care LiabilitiesState Budget
PA Senate Democrats Still Playing Games
Yesterday, the Senate rejected a bill to fund the University of Pittsburgh by a 30-20 vote. (It was actually 30 ‘yes’ votes, but the bill needed 2/3 majority to pass. …
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Read More: PA Senate Democrats Still Playing GamesState Budget
Post-Gazette’s Nonsense on Pennsylvania Budget
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette editorial board cribs Gov. Rendell’s talking points on the state budget, and pastes it into an editorial. They state that lawmakers should not “balance…
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Read More: Post-Gazette’s Nonsense on Pennsylvania Budget
CF Statement on “Stop-Gap” Budget
“The Commonwealth Foundation supports the idea of a stop-gap budget to ensure that state workers get paid, electricity in state building remains on, and Medicaid bills get paid. Unfortunately, Gov.
Press Release
Read More: CF Statement on “Stop-Gap” BudgetEducation
The Undelivered Promises of Government Preschool
The Sunbury Daily Item features a recent guest editorial claiming that taxpayer funded preschool, such as Gov. Rendell’s PreK Counts, will have long-term savings by reducing crime and improving…
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Read More: The Undelivered Promises of Government PreschoolEducation
Is Our Kids Learning Better Now?
Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released the PSSA results (the state standardized tests), and celebrated the results. Of course, the Rendell administration wants to take credit for the…
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Read More: Is Our Kids Learning Better Now?Taxes & Economy
Do Voters Want Higher Taxes?
On his blog with the Times Herald, state Senator Daylin Leach makes a couple of absurd claims. First he suggests that residents are more concerned about potholes than high…
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Read More: Do Voters Want Higher Taxes?Taxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Gets Another Poor Grade for Business Climate
CNBC has compiled a ranking of “America’s Best States for Business.” Pennsylvania ranks 33rd overall on their index, and gets very poor marks on categories “Cost of Business”, “Workforce”,…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Gets Another Poor Grade for Business ClimateHealth Care
Obama Surtax Effects in Pennsylvania
The Heritage Foundation has the breakdown of how many Pennsylvania residents and small businesses would be effected by the “surtax” to pay for nationalize health care (HT to…
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Read More: Obama Surtax Effects in PennsylvaniaState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget Proposals Compared
Here are some resources for comparing the various Pennsylvania state budget proposals. Pennsylvania House Democrats Budget, By the Numbers PA House GOP Budget by the Numbers PA…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Proposals ComparedHealth Care
Coalition of Groups Against Government-Run Health Care
The Commonwealth Foundation has joined a coalition of national organizations in sendinga letter to members of Congress opposing government-run health insurance, individual or employer mandates, and government rationing of…
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Read More: Coalition of Groups Against Government-Run Health CarePublic Union Democracy
Employee Free Choice Act: Still Not Free, Still No Choice
Democrats recently announced they will drop card check from their ironically titled “Employee Free Choice Actâ€?. Even after this compromise, the EFCA is still bad news for workers everywhere. Unfortunately,…
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Read More: Employee Free Choice Act: Still Not Free, Still No ChoiceHealth Care
ObamaCare vs. Free Market Solutions
The Heritage Foundation has a new analysis of the US House Democrats’ health care bill, showing that over 80 million people would lose their private insurance, and costs for…
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Read More: ObamaCare vs. Free Market SolutionsGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania, A Sinner In The Tort Liability Index
The Pacific Research Institute’s study of Tort Reform among states examines 25 reforms adopted by states in an effort to control tort law suit losses and tort insurance programs. According…
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Read More: Pennsylvania, A Sinner In The Tort Liability IndexState Budget
Is Rendell Violating the Federal Minimum Wage Act?
Here’s a note from a state worker that asks us an interesting question: Is Rendell violating the federal Minimum Wage Act (which goes up again this week)…
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Read More: Is Rendell Violating the Federal Minimum Wage Act?State Budget
How Much Did Pennsylvania Spend Last Year?
Here is a simple question: Given we have closed the books on last year’s state budget for three weeks, how much did Pennsylvania spend last year? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t…
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Read More: How Much Did Pennsylvania Spend Last Year?State Budget
Good Pennsylvania State Budget Questions I Can’t Answer
A reader sent us this, which is an excellent question about how many state worker will really have to be laid off: I have heard a lot of…
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Read More: Good Pennsylvania State Budget Questions I Can’t AnswerTaxes & Economy
Minimum wage up again
On Friday, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage will increase ten cents, to $7.25 an hour. During already troubling economic times, the increase in minimum wage will hurt business, and will not…
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Read More: Minimum wage up again
CF in the Blogosphere
Here is a roundup of recent blogs linking to the Commonwealth Foundation in one way or another. Pro-Life PA links to us linking to a video demonstration of the…
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Read More: CF in the BlogosphereState Budget
Pennsylvania Taxpayers Spend $1 Million to Entertain Lawmakers from Other States
This week, Philadelphia plays host to the National Conference of State Legislatures conference. No Pennsylvania legislators have been able to attend the gathering because they’re needed in Harrisburg for…
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Read More: Pennsylvania Taxpayers Spend $1 Million to Entertain Lawmakers from Other States