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Education
Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Harrisburg, Pa., May 15, 2025 — Pennsylvania school districts increased overall revenue collected in 2023–24 to $23,000 per student, while expanding general fund reserves to $7.4 billion, according to new…
Read More: Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Energy
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Read More: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on RGGI
Education
Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Read More: Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Prosperity
New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable Benefits
Read More: New Report: Gig-Workers Prefer Flexibility of Portable BenefitsGovernment Accountability
Prizes for bloggers, citizen activists, video producers, and more
Our friends at the Sam Adams Alliance have something called The Sammies awards (with cash prizes) to encourage bloggers and citizens to get involved in political action. Here…
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Read More: Prizes for bloggers, citizen activists, video producers, and moreEducation
Charter schools produce graduates, cost less
Jay P. Greene’s blog points to a couple of recent studies on charter schools. The first one (link to full study here) shows that charter schools in Florida…
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Turnpike Commission Cutting Work Force
Following traffic and revenue declines, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced it will be reducing its staff size starting with a “voluntary departure program”, with layoffs to be next. Curiously,…
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Read More: Turnpike Commission Cutting Work ForceGovernment Accountability
Free-market internship, jobs, and grant opportunities
Some good opportunities to earn money working for liberty for college students, recent graduates and young professionals, and young journalists to pass along:Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow…
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Read More: Free-market internship, jobs, and grant opportunitiesGovernment Accountability
Shed a little light on your government
ShowMeTheSpending.com, a project of the National Taxpayers Union (with a coalition of groups) has relaunched as a wiki (like Wikipedia) as part of the Sunshine Review…
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Read More: Shed a little light on your governmentGovernment Accountability
Corruption and Potential for Reform in State Contracts
Chris Freind has a five part series in The Bulletin on conflicts of interest, corruption, and the inability to get reforms passed in how state contracts are awarded. The…
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Read More: Corruption and Potential for Reform in State ContractsTaxes & Economy
RINO Season Is Now Open
Ted Nugent declares “RINOs” fair game in a poignant piece on Human Events There are really only four things I have a strong aversion to: unloaded guns,…
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Read More: RINO Season Is Now OpenGovernment Accountability
Speaker Franklin Award Dinner Video
Coverage of our Speaker Franklin Awards Dinner will air on PCN at 4:10 today. The video is also available on our YouTube Channel and below. Gov.
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Read More: Speaker Franklin Award Dinner VideoHealth Care
Where will Obama go on health care?
In our commentary today, Matt Brouillette and I argue that President Obama will pursue a somewhat tempered course – we will get the Obama of the general election campaign…
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Read More: Where will Obama go on health care?Taxes & Economy
Bailout execs get bonus billions
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a story on how executives of firms getting money from the financial bailout are also getting large bonuses (more at Beyond Bailouts). Personally, I…
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Read More: Bailout execs get bonus billionsGovernment Accountability
Statement on the Passing of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll
The Commonwealth Foundation is saddened by the loss of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll. We will fondly remember her unsurpassed dedication to her roles in public service, her compassion and…
Press Release
Read More: Statement on the Passing of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker KnollGovernment Accountability
RIP, Catherine Baker Knoll
As many readers are aware, Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll passed away last night. Here is the Patriot News Story. John Micek has posted reactions from…
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Read More: RIP, Catherine Baker KnollEducation
Harrisburg’s Most Powerful Special Interest
New policy brief addresses the impact of unions on public education HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today released Pennsylvania State Education Association: Compelling Teachers, Marginalizing Students, Lobbying Politicians &…
Press Release
Read More: Harrisburg’s Most Powerful Special InterestHealth Care
Medicaid reform: For the poor and the poor taxpayer
Cross-Posted at Capital Domes The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently looked at the looming budget shortfall and its potential impact on Medicaid spending. The legislature couldn’t simply…
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Read More: Medicaid reform: For the poor and the poor taxpayerTaxes & Economy
Free markets are under attack again
Matt Welch has an excellent article on Reason Magazine on the financial bailout and the debate over the role of government and the free market: President George…
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Read More: Free markets are under attack againHealth Care
Government Health Care Kills
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is calling on the Pennsylvania Senate leadership to break their pledge not to hold a lame duck session. Among Rendell’s rhetorical arguments is that “nearly…
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Ten Pennsylvanians Die Each Day from Government Health Insurance
Uninsured citizens fare better than government insured HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today illustrated the absurdity of Gov. Ed Rendell’s politically motivated claim that “two Pennsylvanians die each…
Press Release
Read More: Ten Pennsylvanians Die Each Day from Government Health InsuranceEducation
National Campaign for School Choice Launched
Our friends at the Alliance for School Choice have launched a new campaign – Let Parents Choose – aimed at recruiting 10,000 activists and supporters of school choice.
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Read More: National Campaign for School Choice LaunchedGovernment Accountability
Bailout Transparency Fading Fast
The Tribune-Review reports Bloomberg News has filed a FOIA and a federal lawsuit seeking to force the disclosure of recipients who received $2 trillion in emergency loans from…
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Read More: Bailout Transparency Fading FastGovernment Accountability
Book Review: The Best-Laid Plans
Fans of The Road to Serfdom will recognize the dangers of government planning. Unfortunately, government planning has become even more prevalent in the US since Hayek’s warning. Randal O’Toole’s book…
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Read More: Book Review: The Best-Laid PlansEducation
School Choice Improves Student Learning
While evidence on school choice programs in the US indicates both benefits for student recipients and competitive benefits for public schools (not to mention greater parental satisfaction…
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Read More: School Choice Improves Student Learning