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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 BenefitsPublic Union Democracy
Just Say No to Card Checks
Check out this Wall Street Journal article by former Senator George McGovern on the dangers of the Employee Free Choice Act. The Act would impose a card check system…
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Read More: Just Say No to Card ChecksTaxes & Economy
Rising electricity rates and the PUC
The Public Utility Commission published a number of press releases yesterday addressing the expected rise in electricity rates. – The Public Utility Commission finally gave PPL the go ahead…
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Read More: Rising electricity rates and the PUCTaxes & Economy
Who’s your cable guy?
For the first time in 30 years Pittsburgh residents will be able to choose who provides their cable. The Post-Gazette reports the city is negotiating a contract that would…
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Read More: Who’s your cable guy?Regulation
Bridge To Troubled Waters
Gov. Rendell is still touring the state dolling out taxpayers’ money for various projects across the state totaling $642 million. Much of the funding will assist infrastructure improvements for…
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Read More: Bridge To Troubled WatersEducation
“The end of civilization as we know it!”
Enjoy this bit of British humor from an old British TV series that illustrates some of the absurdity behind the anti-school choice movement. “Oh, very droll Prime Minister…” Youtube…
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Read More: “The end of civilization as we know it!”Taxes & Economy
How to Lose Billions of Dollars
Turnpike Commission plan will cost taxpayers $37.4 billion HARRISBURG, PA — Today, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission unveiled its plans for new tolling plazas along I-80, the Commonwealth Foundation reiterated…
Press Release
Read More: How to Lose Billions of DollarsGovernment Accountability
Reform Update
PACleanSweep has recently updated its Hall of Shame to highlight the senators and representatives who have not signed the petition calling for a special session of the General Assembly…
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Read More: Reform UpdateGovernment Accountability
Legal reform aids Ohio’s economy
Pennsylvania and Ohio share more than a border. Both states spend a ton of money on “economic development” while consistently failing to attract new jobs. No wonder elected…
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Read More: Legal reform aids Ohio’s economyTaxes & Economy
Turnpike Commission will cost Taxpayers $37 Billion
Critics of a Turnpike lease—including Rep. Joe Markosek—have offered the claim that Act 44, even without tolling of I-80, represents more revenue to taxpayers of the state than a…
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Read More: Turnpike Commission will cost Taxpayers $37 BillionGovernment Accountability
Bonusgate, corruption, and reform news
There are plenty of stories on corruption and reform in today’s papers: DeWeese under fire: State Rep. Josh Shapiro calls on House Majority Leader Bill Deweese to stop down…
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Read More: Bonusgate, corruption, and reform newsTaxes & Economy
Rate Caps: Extend or End?
At a recent meeting of the House Republican Policy Committee legislators heard testimony concerning the expiration of electric rate caps. The original Electric Generation Choice and Competition Act…
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Read More: Rate Caps: Extend or End?Regulation
Gov. Rendell to play rich uncle to Valley
Nice headline for the Morning Call story about Gov. Rendell’s “Card Board Check Tour”. Unfortunately for Pennsylvanians, though, the rich uncle Rendell is pretending to be isn’t reaching into…
Media
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“We really don’t have any reaction”
That was the response from the Turnpike Commission’s spokesman to our billboards directing drivers on the Turnpike and into downtown Harrisburg to learn about the “power, patronage and politics…
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Read More: “We really don’t have any reaction”Taxes & Economy
Ranking the Roads
Reason Foundation has released their annual ranking on the peformance of state highway systems. Pennsylvania ranks middle to low on most performance measures, but – this may suprise many who listen to Governor…
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Read More: Ranking the RoadsState Budget
Is the “far right” a losing proposition?
Michael Smerconish – who gets mis-identified as a conservative due to his shaved head and glasses – calls for the GOP to act more “moderate” in order to win…
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Read More: Is the “far right” a losing proposition?Education
Public Education vs. Public Schooling
Neal McCluskey on the difference between “public education” and monopoly of government-run schools: Fortunately, there is a term that does strongly imply a system in which government provides…
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Read More: Public Education vs. Public SchoolingRegulation
Why you can’t use cell phones on planes
Anyone who has flown before is quite familiar with the message from flight crews to turn off your cell phones. But did you ever wonder why that is required? Security…
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Read More: Why you can’t use cell phones on planesEducation
Should have studied Chemical Engineering at Dartmouth
WSJ.com has some interactive data on salaries of graduates by college, as well as by major. I was suprised that the median mid-career salary for my alma…
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Read More: Should have studied Chemical Engineering at Dartmouth
The “fairness” of tolling I-80
Here is my letter to the editor in the Intelligencer Journal Your July 28 editorial, “No free way,” implies that tolling I-80 is somehow more “fair” than a…
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Read More: The “fairness” of tolling I-80Taxes & Economy
Give Exxon a break
The Los Angeles Times editorializes about why Exxon is getting a bad rap for “record profits“. Although crude oil is selling for almost twice as much a…
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Read More: Give Exxon a breakGovernment Accountability
Absurd statement of the day
The attorney for Sean Ramaley – who was indicted in the bonusgate scandal (accused of taking a no-work job to campaign for the House, and dropped his bid for…
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