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Education
President and CEO Charles Mitchell on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall
Read More: President and CEO Charles Mitchell on Philadelphia’s Morning Answer with Chris Stigall![shapiro record](https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-17-at-2.38.29 PM-900x900.png)
Education
VP Josh Shapiro? Ad Spotlights Governor’s Failed Leadership
Read More: VP Josh Shapiro? Ad Spotlights Governor’s Failed Leadership![shapiro vice president](https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-1244670782-900x683.jpg)
Education
Governor Shapiro’s Do-Nothing Record Makes Him a Perfect Fit for Vice President
Read More: Governor Shapiro’s Do-Nothing Record Makes Him a Perfect Fit for Vice President![shapiro record](https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-17-at-2.38.29 PM-900x900.png)
Education
New Ad Highlights Shapiro’s Historic Ineffectiveness
Read More: New Ad Highlights Shapiro’s Historic Ineffectiveness
Phyrillas on property tax hikes
Over 100 school districts have applied for exemptions to increase property taxes above the Act 1 index, notes Tony Phyrillas. He points out that this is fewer than last…
Media
Read More: Phyrillas on property tax hikesHealth Care
A Short Course in Brain Surgery
Video from FreeMarketCure on how government run health care, like that in Canada, is hazardous to your health.
Media
Read More: A Short Course in Brain SurgeryEducation
Teachers Unions Exposed
TeachersUnionExposed.com is a new website (from the Center for Union Facts) focusing on teachers’s unions role in blocking education reform, bargaining away quality, and protecting bad teachers. They…
Media
Read More: Teachers Unions ExposedState Budget
Earmark abusers jump on earmark reform wagon
The Club for Growth notes that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have signed on to DeMint-McCain earmark moratorium. While this will likely force passage of the bill,…
Media
Read More: Earmark abusers jump on earmark reform wagonHealth Care
Pennsylvania proposes to cheat Medicaid
Michael Cannon writes that the Rendell administration’s plan to tax Philly and Pittsburgh hospitals, but give them higher reimbursements from Medicaid is a great plan … for Pennsylvania.
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania proposes to cheat MedicaidTaxes & Economy
A Philly Tax Cutter?
City Journal sounding on what Mayor Nutter needs to do to turn the Philadelphia economy around. The results of the city’s hostility toward business are evident. While the…
Media
Read More: A Philly Tax Cutter?State Budget
Central PA Congressman and businesses giving up earmarks
Central Penn Business Journal on the Congressman Pitts and Platts joining those taking a moratorium on earmarks and the response of most business leaders – except the beneficiaries of…
Media
Read More: Central PA Congressman and businesses giving up earmarksRegulation
How government makes things worse
Boston Globe piece by Jeff Jacoby covers the “Law of Unintended Consequences” of government intervention. Jacoby takes on government mandates and subsidies for ethanol: But now comes word…
Media
Read More: How government makes things worseTaxes & Economy
Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?
BusinessWeek article on whether the media’s obsession with bad economic news may be driving low consumer confidence and turning a “slowdown” into a recession. Case in point: I recently…
Media
Read More: Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?Education
Home-Schooling Under Attack
Here is some commentary on the recent California court ruling that would require parents homeschooling their children to have full teaching credentials/certification. Acton Institute PowerBlog Cato-At-Liberty…
Media
Read More: Home-Schooling Under AttackState Budget
Earmark Nation
Wall Street Journal on the political value of taking a hard line opposing earmarks, compared with the value of pork projects. Unorthodox as he’s been on some conservative…
Media
Read More: Earmark NationTaxes & Economy
Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthless
Towanda Daily Review editorial on the “study” commissioned by House Democrats on a Turnpike lease. One addition to my previous notes on the “study”: To show…
Media
Read More: Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthlessTaxes & Economy
Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500
TaxProf Blog has the latest US Median Income, along with a couple of nifty charts on median income growth (in both nominal and real terms) and the average income…
Media
Read More: Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500Government Accountability
PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apes
In addition to commenting on policy issues, I also like to comment on some of very weird, esoteric studies conducted by academic researchers. The most recent is this study…
Media
Read More: PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apesState Budget
Campbell on Earmark Moratorium
Video of John Campbell on earmarks. I especially like him bringing up the “monuments to me” – i.e. earmarks by legislators for projects named after themselves – noting “I hope…
Media
Read More: Campbell on Earmark MoratoriumGovernment Accountability
Campaign-Finance Breakdown
John Lott and Bradley Smith in the Wall Street Journal on taxpayer-financing of presidential elections: Since 1976, taxpayers have shelled out about $3 billion in current dollars to…
Media
Read More: Campaign-Finance BreakdownGovernment Accountability
Influence-Peddling
John Stossel on Townhall.com on the rhetoric against “special interests” and “corporate lobbyists” in Washington (also applicable to Harrisburg): None of the reforms gets near root of the…
Media
Read More: Influence-PeddlingTaxes & Economy
Turnpike Comission seeks private bidders to finish roads
With no sense of irony, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is adverstising for for “expressions of interest” from private firms interested in finishing and managining the Mon-Fayette Expressway and Findlay…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Comission seeks private bidders to finish roads
Study: Speculation and Predetermined Conclusions
House Democrats waste taxpayer money on useless report HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation responded to a study released today by the House Democrats on the potential lease…
Press Release
Read More: Study: Speculation and Predetermined ConclusionsTaxes & Economy
Free analysis of costly Turnpike study
Toll Roads News offers some comments on the $75,000 taxpayer-funded “study” on a Turnpike lease. The Caucus report is in its nature hypothetical. It is based on…
Media
Read More: Free analysis of costly Turnpike studyTaxes & Economy
Did the PA min. wage increase cost jobs?
The PA Department of Labor and Industry released their report on the state minimum wage increase. As this Post-Gazette story indicated, the report doesn’t attempt to address what…
Media
Read More: Did the PA min. wage increase cost jobs?