Media

Education

School Choice Benefits Ohio Public Schools

• Nathan Benefield
• August 24, 2008

A new study from the Friedman Foundation finds that Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program – offering scholarships to students in failing schools – resulted in academic improvements in voucher-eligible public…

Media

Government Accountability

A Pennsylvania Movie Script: U.S.A. v. FUMO Trial Memorandum

• August 23, 2008

The U.S. Attorney General’s Trial Memorandum for the upcoming federal trial, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. VINCENT J. FUMO & RUTH ARNAO, reads like a movie script. Unfortunately,…

Media

Government Accountability

Turnpike chairman Rubin under fire as “ghost employee” of federal defendant Fumo

• August 23, 2008

TOLLROADSnews, the toll road industry’s news website, highlights the connections between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and Sen. Vince Fumo’s upcoming federal trial. We’re still scratching our heads as to…

Media

Education

Protect Our Kids from Preschool

• Nathan Benefield
• August 23, 2008

Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell have a an editorial in the Wall Street Journal about the merits of universal preschool: In the last half-century, U.S. preschool attendance…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Toll on integrity: The turnpike chairman owes the public an answer

• August 22, 2008

Finally! We were beginning to wonder if anybody is paying attention to the role of the Turnpike Commission’s Chairman in Sen. Fumo’s 139-count federal indictment. Although the Turnpike Commission claims…

Media

Regulation

Rendell: “Pennsylvania’s economy is awesome, thanks to me”

• Nathan Benefield
• August 22, 2008

Hat Tip to Tony Phryillas for this story I almost missed – Governor Rendell attacked the Allegheny Institute for pointing out that Pennsylvania’s exorbitant economic development spending…

Media

Regulation

Ski for Free!

• August 22, 2008

Well, we doubt you’ll get to ski for free, but you should. Seven Springs Mountain Resort–which lost $220,000 after it took over operations of the Laurael Mountain Ski Area–is poised…

Media

Education

A Real Pennsylvania School “Report Card”

• August 21, 2008

New report offers more accurate measure of education achievement HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released A Pennsylvania School Report Card: How the Commonwealth’s Public Schools Stack Up to…

Press Release

Taxes & Economy

In praise of compromise

• Nathan Benefield
• August 21, 2008

The May edition of The Freeman has a creat commentary on  Compromise, Principles, and Politics. Essentially the piece makes the point that “compromise” (or “bipartisanship”) in politics is akin to…

Media

Government Accountability

California Lawmaker Kicked Out of Capitol

• Nathan Benefield
• August 21, 2008

From The Club For Growth blog: Democratic leaders in the California legislature kicked Assemblywoman Nicole Parra out of the Capitol building because she didn’t…

Media

Education

Money, Money, Money

• Elizabeth Stelle
• August 21, 2008

Teachers in Scranton are striking for more money Mid Valley school district officials are being criticized for spending too much money PHEAA is under scrutiny for recklessly…

Media

Government Accountability

Missouri study of merit selection of judges

• Nathan Benefield
• August 21, 2008

One topic that came up in our luncheon on a state Constitutional Convention was merit selection of judges (we also held a luncheon on that topic earlier this…

Media

Government Accountability

Is Pennsylvania Ready for a Constitutional Convention?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 20, 2008

Video from yesterday’s luncheon on Reviving Reform: Is it Time for a Constitutional Convention? featuring Sen. Jeff Piccola and Rep. Rosemarie Swanger is now available on our YouTube…

Media

Education

Phix PHEAA

• Nathan Benefield
• August 20, 2008

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner has released his audit of PHEAA, recommending among other things that PHEAA’s board not be dominated by legislators (news release here).  Wagner does…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Tax Foundation’s CompeteUSA has great info on business taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• August 19, 2008

The Tax Foundation launched a new website, CompeteUSA, that has a lot of fact about corporate taxes in the US (including that PA has the 2nd highest combined…

Media

Government Accountability

Reducing the Size of the General Assembly

• Matthew Brouillette
• August 19, 2008

Testimony before the House State Government Committee, August 19, 2008 Thank you, Chairwoman Josephs, and members of the House State Government Committee for the opportunity to testify today on the…

Testimony

Government Accountability

Reform doesn’t mean suing to get candidates off the ballot

• Nathan Benefield
• August 19, 2008

Last month, as part of the bonusgate indictments, PA House Democratic representatives and staffers were accused of illegally using taxpayer money to challenge petitions and effectively get Ralph Nader off…

Media

Government Accountability

Pennsylvania not only state looking at Constitutional Convention

• Nathan Benefield
• August 19, 2008

Today’s Policies and Principles Luncheon will focus discuss whether Pennsylvania needs to hold a Constitutional Convention (see also Sen. Piccola’s commentary on the need for a Convention on…

Media

Turnpike Commission looking for private firms to finish projects

• Nathan Benefield
• August 18, 2008

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission – which has fought hard against allowing an “evil, for profit company” lease the Turnpike – is looking concessionaires to finish the Mon Fayette/Southern Beltway…

Media

Education

“Free” School Trip

• August 18, 2008

The Times-Tribune ran a story on yet another instance of school officials using tax dollars for everything but educating students. The Mid Valley School District sent some of its…

Media

Health Care

How free is PA’s health care market?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 18, 2008

The Pacific Research Institute released their U.S. Index of Health Ownership, 2008 last week (full report in PDF).  The report ranks states’ health care markets and regulations based…

Media