Media

Regulation

States Face $558 Billion in Unfunded Retiree Health Care Liabilities

• Nathan Benefield
• July 29, 2009

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…

Media

State Budget

PA Senate Democrats Still Playing Games

• Nathan Benefield
• July 29, 2009

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. …

Media

State Budget

Post-Gazette’s Nonsense on Pennsylvania Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• July 28, 2009

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…

Media

CF Statement on “Stop-Gap” Budget

• July 28, 2009

“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

Education

The Undelivered Promises of Government Preschool

• Nathan Benefield
• July 28, 2009

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…

Media

Education

Is Our Kids Learning Better Now?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 27, 2009

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…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Do Voters Want Higher Taxes?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 27, 2009

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…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Gets Another Poor Grade for Business Climate

• Nathan Benefield
• July 27, 2009

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”,…

Media

Health Care

Obama Surtax Effects in Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• July 25, 2009

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…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget Proposals Compared

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2009

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…

Media

Health Care

Coalition of Groups Against Government-Run Health Care

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2009

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…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Employee Free Choice Act: Still Not Free, Still No Choice

• July 24, 2009

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,…

Media

Health Care

ObamaCare vs. Free Market Solutions

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2009

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…

Media

Government Accountability

Pennsylvania, A Sinner In The Tort Liability Index

• July 23, 2009

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…

Media

State Budget

Is Rendell Violating the Federal Minimum Wage Act?

• Matthew Brouillette
• July 23, 2009

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)…

Media

State Budget

How Much Did Pennsylvania Spend Last Year?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 23, 2009

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…

Media

State Budget

Good Pennsylvania State Budget Questions I Can’t Answer

• Nathan Benefield
• July 23, 2009

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…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Minimum wage up again

• July 22, 2009

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…

Media

CF in the Blogosphere

• Nathan Benefield
• July 22, 2009

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…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania Taxpayers Spend $1 Million to Entertain Lawmakers from Other States

• July 22, 2009

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…

Media

Government Accountability

Government Ethics: Alaska vs. Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• July 22, 2009

Amanda Carpenter writes about a report that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin may be cited (though no penalties would be attached) for ethics violations for … wait for it ……

Media