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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
Too little… too late
Lowman Henry weighs in on the House State Government Committee’s upcoming hearing on reducing the size of the legislature. He doesn’t say much on the merits of the proposal…
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Read More: Too little… too lateTaxes & Economy
Comments on the Milton Friedman Institute Protest letter
A U of Chicago faculty member responds to the absurd protest objecting to a Milton Friedman Institute, pointing out not only the blatant hypocrisy and misguided economic assumptions,…
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Read More: Comments on the Milton Friedman Institute Protest letterEducation
Less than 60% of black males graduate in PA
The Schott Foundation has a new report out on black male graduation rates – in public schools – and the gap between black and white performance. In PA,…
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Read More: Less than 60% of black males graduate in PAGovernment Accountability
How Many Wives Is Too Many?
John Stossel has a Townhall Commentary, likely to be controversial among the Townhall readers, about polygamy. He quotes one polygamist activist (not sure if there is more than one):…
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Read More: How Many Wives Is Too Many?Government Accountability
Legal fees double taxpayers’ cost in bonus scandal
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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Read More: Legal fees double taxpayers’ cost in bonus scandalEducation
Georgia Charter School Success
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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Read More: Georgia Charter School SuccessTaxes & Economy
Even heroes can misspend other people’s money
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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Read More: Even heroes can misspend other people’s moneyTaxes & Economy
Get the Feds out of Transportation Funding
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…
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Read More: Get the Feds out of Transportation FundingHealth Care
The Price of RomneyCare
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…
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Read More: The Price of RomneyCareGovernment Accountability
Spammed by your Government
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…
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Read More: Spammed by your GovernmentRegulation
Notes on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Bailout
The Beacon (blog of the Independent Institute) has a post by Robert Higgs summing up the horrendous bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
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Read More: Notes on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac BailoutTaxes & Economy
Drilling Now Will Impact Oil Prices Today
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…
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Read More: Drilling Now Will Impact Oil Prices TodayGovernment Accountability
PA Housing Markets
Trulia.com has a tool to map housing prices, national, state, or locally. Here is the Pennsylvania map. (HT Carpe Diem)…
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Read More: PA Housing MarketsEducation
Change He Can’t Believe In
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…
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Read More: Change He Can’t Believe InState Budget
Spend Less on Pork, Voters Say
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…
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Read More: Spend Less on Pork, Voters SayHealth Care
State Budget Crises?
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…
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Read More: State Budget Crises?Taxes & Economy
Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be Rejected
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…
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Read More: Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be Rejected
Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be Rejected
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
Read More: Plan to Toll I-80 Should Be RejectedState Budget
What Congress is up to
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…
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Read More: What Congress is up toGovernment Accountability
More news on Government Reform
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…
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Read More: More news on Government ReformGovernment Accountability
Best Wishes to Bob Durgin
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…
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Read More: Best Wishes to Bob Durgin