Media

Education

Teachers Union vs. Taxpayers and Students (Draft)

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2009

The Blackhawk Education Association sparked ligation costing taxpayers in the Blackhawk School District over $160,000. The district was paying tutors the rate of substitute teachers, but the union had…

Media

Education

Philadelphia Limits Choices for School Children

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2009

Brad Vasoli has a troubling article in The Bulletin about how the Philadelphia School District is trying to limit the enrollment of charter schools in the district. District officials…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Will Government Motors be a Partisan Operation?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 28, 2009

With the federal government taking control over Chrysler and GM, ill-conceived ideas are sure to ensue.   The planned restructuring of GM (soon be renamed Government Motors?) is one…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to Reapply to Toll I-80

• Nathan Benefield
• May 27, 2009

Tom Barnes in the Post-Gazette has a story on how some Pennsylvania lawmakers, who hail from nowhere near the I-80 corridor, want the Turnpike Commission to reapply to toll…

Media

Health Care

Will Obama Embrace Real Health Care Reform?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 27, 2009

Congressional Republicans unveiled an alternative health care reform proposal last week.  Grace Marie Turner and Joseph Antos offer a glowing review of the plan. John Goodman offers a…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Lose-Lose on Biofuels?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 27, 2009

The American Magazine features an update on misguided ethanol and biofuel mandates, from a recent EPA report: While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis suggests that the switch…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Department of Defense Saves Money with Electricity Deregulation

• May 27, 2009

Last month, the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) signed a five-year deal with the Hess Corporation to supply electricity for its 21 agencies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Media

Taxes & Economy

“Taxing the Rich” Won’t Help Pennsylvania

• Nathan Benefield
• May 26, 2009

The Wall Street Journal has an article today on how Maryland’s higher taxes on “the rich” drove millionaires to move to other states.  Last week, the NY Post had…

Media

State Budget

Need to Review Speed Limits in PA?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 26, 2009

The Tribune Review has an article today noting that Pennsylvania is one of few states, and the only one of our neighbors, that doesn’t have a speed limit greater…

Media

Education

Private Funding for Public Schools

• May 26, 2009

Several Pennsylvania school districts, such as Upper Moreland, are considering proposals to sell advertising space on district school buses as a means to raise additional revenue. Rather than turning…

Media

Government Accountability

Texting While Driving: Everyone Does It, So Make it Illegal

• Nathan Benefield
• May 22, 2009

A new study finds that 25% of individuals admit they send text messages while driving.  Astonishingly, however, 83% want to make it illegal to do so. I am…

Media

Government Accountability

Conservative Intellectualism vs. Populism

• Nathan Benefield
• May 21, 2009

The discussion between Jerry Taylor, Dan Mitchell, and Brink Lindsey on the Cato Institute blog (and NRO’s Corner) on Rush Limbaugh, tea parties, and conservative thought have been…

Media

Commonwealth Foundation Testifies Before House Appropriations Committee on Senate Budget Plan

• May 21, 2009

HARRISBURG, PA — Commonwealth Foundation president and CEO Matthew J. Brouillette testified today before the House Appropriations Committee that the Senate’s budget plan (SB 850) is a step toward putting…

Press Release

Taxes & Economy

Louisiana Adds 33,000 Natural Gas Jobs

• May 21, 2009

Through increasingly stringent environmental regulations and the desire for a new severance tax, Governor Rendell has undermined Pennsylvania’s budding natural gas industry. Drilling companies are beginning to leave Pennsylvania due…

Media

Regulation

Now is the Time to Practice Fiscal Restraint

• Matthew Brouillette
• May 21, 2009

Testimony of Mathew J. Brouillette President & CEO, Commonwealth Foundation, to the PA House Appropriations Committee Thank you for the invitation to share the Commonwealth Foundation’s analysis and perspective on…

Testimony

State Budget

Budget Hearings a Taxpayer-Funded Sham?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 21, 2009

The Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee is holding hearings on the vesion of the state budget passed by the Senate (see here for more on that) today and tomorrow. Yet…

Media

State Budget

Pennsylvania Budget in Focus

• Nathan Benefield
• May 21, 2009

The Commonwealth Foundation will be testifying on the state budget today. Here are some quick facts on the budget: PA Senate Budget by the Numbers Pennsylvania Deficit…

Media

Government Accountability

Judicial Selection Revisited

• Nathan Benefield
• May 20, 2009

John Baer has an interesting column on judicial elections, noting that, when looking at a list of yesterday’s election winners, that “Nobody’s heard of these people” and cites a…

Media

Regulation

The Horrors of Private Sponsorship?

• May 20, 2009

NBC Philadelphia reported that due to proposed budget cuts, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission may be forced to turn to private sponsorship in order to maintain such historic…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Why Government Can’t Run a Business

• Nathan Benefield
• May 20, 2009

John Steele Gordon has a good op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on why government attempts to run a business always fall short – whether that be health care,…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Keep Harley in PA – Pass Right to Work

• May 20, 2009

Last week, Harley Davidson announced the possibility of relocating their York County manufacturing plant to a state with better long-term economic competitiveness. (Spokesman Bob Klein stated that all alternate…

Media