Media

Government Accountability

Legal fees double taxpayers’ cost in bonus scandal

• Nathan Benefield
• July 30, 2008

Tribune Review story highlights the millions of taxpayer dollars spent on legal fees – the bulk by House Democrats – in response to the bonusgate investigation. Taxpayers picked…

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Education

Georgia Charter School Success

• July 29, 2008

Our sister think tank, Georgia Public Policy Foundation, highlights the success that charter schools are enjoying in the state. 85% of the state’s 71 charter schools met Adequate…

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Taxes & Economy

Even heroes can misspend other people’s money

• Nathan Benefield
• July 29, 2008

Two separate letters to the editor in the Patriot News denounce the Commonwealth Foundation for commenting on Colonel Miller’s flights to other states. Here is Matt Brouillette’s quote in…

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Taxes & Economy

Get the Feds out of Transportation Funding

• Nathan Benefield
• July 29, 2008

While Governor Rendell is calling on more money from the federal government for bridge repair (while refusing to address over-spending, which his own Transportation Funding Commission said should…

Media

Health Care

The Price of RomneyCare

• Nathan Benefield
• July 29, 2008

Wall Street Journal on the escalating costs of the Massachusetts health care plan (RomneyCare): Thus the extra tab of $129 million, which may need to go higher…

Media

Government Accountability

Spammed by your Government

• Nathan Benefield
• July 28, 2008

Mario Cattabiani describes in the Philadelphia Inquirer how House Democrats spent $1.2 million to buy email address to send political messages to. And that’s not including several…

Media

Regulation

Notes on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Bailout

• Nathan Benefield
• July 28, 2008

The Beacon (blog of the Independent Institute) has a post by Robert Higgs summing up the horrendous bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Media

Taxes & Economy

Drilling Now Will Impact Oil Prices Today

• Nathan Benefield
• July 27, 2008

American Solutions Blog points to a new study that demonstrates that new drilling – even if it won’t bring oil to the market for several years – will have…

Media

Government Accountability

PA Housing Markets

• Nathan Benefield
• July 27, 2008

Trulia.com has a tool to map housing prices, national, state, or locally. Here is the Pennsylvania map. (HT Carpe Diem)…

Media

Education

Change He Can’t Believe In

• Nathan Benefield
• July 25, 2008

Steve Chapman writes how Barack Obama – the “candidate of change” – rejects school choice (as policy, though he doesn’t practice what he preaches), despite its success. Obama…

Media

State Budget

Spend Less on Pork, Voters Say

• July 25, 2008

Pat Toomey comments in the Wall Street Journal on public opinion of pork spending: The idea that bringing home federal dollars is integral to a politician’s job…

Media

Health Care

State Budget Crises?

• Nathan Benefield
• July 25, 2008

Cato’s Chris Edwards blasts the Wall Street Journal (and other media outlets) for their uncritical coverage of state budget “shortfalls.” The Times “treats any needed spending restraint as a…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be Rejected

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2008

The Commonwealth Foundation submitted a letter to the Federal Highway Administration in opposition to granting any authority to the Turnpike Commission to toll additional highways. Click here for our…

Media

Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be Rejected

• July 24, 2008

Turnpike Commission should be dismantled, not given additional authority  HARRISBURG, PA — Following the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s (PTC) revised application to toll Interstate 80, the Commonwealth Foundation…

Press Release

State Budget

What Congress is up to

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2008

While the Pennsylvania General Assembly is on vacation, Congress is not – and they are up to no good. 1) The House passed the housing bailout bill, which backs…

Media

Government Accountability

More news on Government Reform

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2008

Round-up of a number of stories today on the push for government reform and transparency: Steve Samuelson has worked out a compromise with Babette Josephs – who stymied…

Media

Government Accountability

Best Wishes to Bob Durgin

• Nathan Benefield
• July 24, 2008

WHP host and good friend of the Commonwealth Foundation Bob Durgin will undergo triple bypass surgery today. We wish Bob a speedy recovery. Details and address to send Bob…

Media

Not doing Pennsylvania public’s business

• Nathan Benefield
• July 23, 2008

The Patriot News had a story on Monday about state police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller’s travels at taxpayer expense, featuring a quote by Matt Brouillette stating that Miller was “not…

Media

Taxes & Economy

New analysis of where I-80 tolls will go

• Nathan Benefield
• July 23, 2008

While I have previously posted that I-80 tolls will mostly go to other projects, rather than stay on I-80, the Turnpike Commissions new application for tolling I-80 changes that…

Media

Self-Imposed Ethics Charges

• July 23, 2008

In an “unprecedented move”, Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY has filed Ethics Charges…against himself. This was brought about after The Washington Post ran a series of articles raising questions about Rangel’s…

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Education

Construction Woes

• July 23, 2008

A few schools in Pennsylvania are experiencing a money crunch–not because property taxes are too low, but because of school boards’ Edifice Complex. The Bethlehem School District and Danville…

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