Latest Content
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 BenefitsState Budget
The 400 Million Dollar Question
Originally posted at the Capitol Domes, a new blog from the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal. How will you vote on November 4? No, I’m…
Media
Read More: The 400 Million Dollar QuestionRegulation
Should PA taxpayers be subsidizing Hollywood?
Lowman Henry weighs in on the $5.7 million tax credit awarded by Pennsylvania taxpayers to the raunchy comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Henry thinks…
Media
Read More: Should PA taxpayers be subsidizing Hollywood?Taxes & Economy
The Age of Prosperity Is Over
Art Laffer in today’s Wall Street Journal on how the bailout mentality is bad news for our economy: Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always…
Media
Read More: The Age of Prosperity Is OverGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Is Driving Its Doctors Away
Frederic Jarrett – a Pittsburgh doctor – editorializes in the Wall Street Journal as to how Governor Rendell is pushing doctors out a Pennsylvania by holding MCare abatement (a…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Is Driving Its Doctors AwayTaxes & Economy
Greenspan’s “infinite monkey theorem”
Did the free market fail? Well, that seems to be what Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve System chairman, said yesterday to Congress. But before we follow the lead…
Media
Read More: Greenspan’s “infinite monkey theorem”Taxes & Economy
Rewarding Teachers
Former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, had a compelling article in the Washington Times yesterday on merit pay for teachers. He commented on the current system: Instead of rewarding…
Media
Read More: Rewarding TeachersTaxes & Economy
Where has all the money for bridges gone?
A Heritage Foundation analysis finds that the federal government has given more money to state for bridge repair than states are actually using, with a special mention of Pennsylvania:…
Media
Read More: Where has all the money for bridges gone?Education
Will Pa. graduation exams improve public education?
Cross-posted at Capitol Domes Gov. Rendell has been pushing the idea of a statewide graduation requirement that all students pass a test (his latest gives one of…
Media
Read More: Will Pa. graduation exams improve public education?Taxes & Economy
Beyond the Bailout
The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) have a new website: BeyondBailouts.org. The site is dedicated to exposing the government’s role in creating…
Media
Read More: Beyond the BailoutGovernment Accountability
One rotten Acorn?
GrassrootsPA has a roundup of stories on the Philadelphia man, working with ACORN, who was charged with 108 counts related to forgery and fraud in voter registration. In the…
Media
Read More: One rotten Acorn?Regulation
No Smoking Sign Mandate
Little noticed in the debate over Pennsylvania’s new smoking ban was that it also included a smoking sign mandate. The Commonwealth Foundation got our notice (along with a…
Media
Read More: No Smoking Sign MandateTaxes & Economy
Cutting corporate taxes
When critics of the US (and Pennsylvania’s) corporate tax structure – like the NCPA, Tax Foundation, and Commonwealth Foundation – point out that the US (and Pennsylvania)…
Media
Read More: Cutting corporate taxesEducation
Forced Unionism and Teacher Strikes
Video from the National Right to Work Foundation featuring Simon Campbell of Stop Teacher Strikes…
Media
Read More: Forced Unionism and Teacher StrikesTaxes & Economy
Is the Credit Crunch a Big Lie?
A short research paper from three economists from the Federal Reserve of Minneapolis find that the so-called credit crunch, which led to the bailout, was based on a number…
Media
Read More: Is the Credit Crunch a Big Lie?Government Accountability
Another claim that Pennsylvania is full of racists
First, Ed Rendell claimed that racist, conservative whites wouldn’t vote for Obama (just like they didn’t support Lynn Swann). Then Daily News columnist Fatimah Ali declared their would…
Media
Read More: Another claim that Pennsylvania is full of racistsGovernment Accountability
Campaign Finance Reform: Fool’s Gold
Imagine if George W. Bush would declare that, as part of the war on terrorism, he proposed the Patriot Act II, which would grant the federal government power to collect…
Media
Read More: Campaign Finance Reform: Fool’s GoldGovernment Accountability
Please Spare us from a “Professional” Legislature
John LaPlante editorializes that states (Minnesota) should avoid the “professional legislature” model (e.g. Pennsylvania): The personal dynamics in professional legislatures also favor increased spending. Professional legislatures offer…
Media
Read More: Please Spare us from a “Professional” LegislatureTaxes & Economy
Political Incorrect Guide to Politics
John Stossel’s latest special on those running for office who think government (or they) can save the world is a must watch. Stossel outlines the failure of government, and…
Media
Read More: Political Incorrect Guide to PoliticsEducation
Time for School Board Transparency
Commonwealth Foundation launches “sunshine” project on school district labor negotiations HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation announced the launch of a new project engaging in an effort to provide…
Press Release
Read More: Time for School Board TransparencyTaxes & Economy
Governor Rendell earns a D
The Cato Institute gives Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell a “D” on its Fiscal Report Card of the Governors. In 2004, Governor Rendell pushed through a $1.5…
Media
Read More: Governor Rendell earns a DHealth Care
Hawaii drops universal health care for kids, cites “crowd out”
Hawaii is dropping its “universal” health care program for children, in part because it is too costly (particularly given a budget crunch), but also because of the trend know…
Media
Read More: Hawaii drops universal health care for kids, cites “crowd out”