Latest Content
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 Benefits
BonusGate investigation heats up
Philadelphia Inquirer on the expansion of the BonusGate investigation and subpoena of several more staffers. Also check out the Patriot News story. Brad Bumsted offers his…
Media
Read More: BonusGate investigation heats up
Bill aims to ban teacher strikes
Several state lawmakers will introduce a bill today to end teacher strikes in Pennsylvania. The legislation will be similar to a bill introduced by Todd Rock, but will…
Media
Read More: Bill aims to ban teacher strikes
Civic Literacy Report – Take the Quiz
The latest Intercollegiate Studies Institute report on civic literacy for colleges and universities is available online, along with quiz itself. (HT to Pete DeCoursey). I scored…
Media
Read More: Civic Literacy Report – Take the Quiz
Sweep The Judges?
The Bulletin offers an insightful discussion of the PA Clean Sweep’s push for rejecting all judges up for retention. While we don’t offer advice on how to vote,…
Media
Read More: Sweep The Judges?
Republicans oppose system benefits charge
Patriot News on PA Republican’s continued opposition to a new electricity tax, but their seeming acceptance of the notion we need to pick winners and subsidize cost-savings measure. The…
Media
Read More: Republicans oppose system benefits charge
I-80 toll conversion speeds on
The Turnpike Commission and the PennDOT are expected to sign an I-80 lease agreement today, the Post-Gazette reports. Nothing like signing a contract to toll the road before before…
Media
Read More: I-80 toll conversion speeds on
PA Ranks 27th in FY 2008 Business Climate Index
The Tax Foundation’s latest State Business Tax Climate Index is now available. (Click here for the summary and here for the full report.) Pennsylvania ranks 27th (i.e.
Media
Read More: PA Ranks 27th in FY 2008 Business Climate Index
Idea Factories
Christopher DeMuth , retiring as head of AEI, has a column in the Wall Street Journal on the role think tanks play in using reseach to advance ideas…
Media
Read More: Idea Factories
SCHIP: The Mad Hatter Matter
Ken Blackwell compares those pushing SCHIP expansion to the Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland. I, however, think their push to claim anyone who opposes higher taxes on the…
Media
Read More: SCHIP: The Mad Hatter Matter
Turnpike Chief says FHWA has approved I-80 tolling
Toll Roads News reports that PA Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier has been saying, while at a conference in Vienna, that the FHWA has approved I-80 tolling. We find that…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Chief says FHWA has approved I-80 tolling
Medical Competition Works for Patients
John Stossel’s latest commentary on health care reform. Stossel will be the keynote speaker at our Speaker Franklin Awards Dinner, honoring Richard Scaife, Nov. 14, in Pittsburgh. I…
Media
Read More: Medical Competition Works for Patients
$9.6 million of EITC tax credits still available
From the REACH Foundation: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 $9.6 MILLION WORTH OF OPPORTUNITIES STILL AVAILABLE!Not too late for PA Businesses to participate in Tax Credit Program…
Media
Read More: $9.6 million of EITC tax credits still available
Turnpike Commission’s “Fuzzy Math”
The latest talking points put out by the PA Turnpike Commission claim that the plan will generate $1.67 billion per year to PennDOT for transportation funding. This is substantially…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Commission’s “Fuzzy Math”
Lawmakers have made few real reforms
Chambersburg Public Opinion assesses the reforms (or lack thereof) enacted by lawmakers…
Media
Read More: Lawmakers have made few real reforms
A mad dash to influence Pa. energy plans
Philadelphia Inquirer reports that a number of special interests are busy lobbying regarding energy policy. If you are surprised that special interests want to get a piece of the…
Media
Read More: A mad dash to influence Pa. energy plans
Data on Jobs and Taxes
Here are a couple of interesting compilations of data: Tax Foundation analysis of IRS data – Income and Taxes by income percentileSkeptical Optimist on Job Data –…
Media
Read More: Data on Jobs and Taxes
DeWeese proposes “ethics training”
Philadelphia Inquirer on how Bill DeWeese plans to “clean up” Harrisburg in the wake of the Attorney General’s investigation of his office in the Bonus-Gate scandal (among other things):…
Media
Read More: DeWeese proposes “ethics training”
PHEAA chief asked to step down
Jan Murphy in the Patriot News on the more abrupt forced resignation of Dick Willey from PHEAA, follwing the Auditor General’s preliminary report. Apparently even board members like…
Media
Read More: PHEAA chief asked to step down
Audit Rips PHEAA For Hersheypark Day, Huge Bonuses
WTAE Pittsburgh’s Jim Parsons on PHEAA. Pennsylvania’s student loan agency, PHEAA, has paid hundreds of employees more than $7.5 million in bonuses over the last three years, according…
Media
Read More: Audit Rips PHEAA For Hersheypark Day, Huge Bonuses
When the Story’s Got Children, Who Needs Facts?
Amy Menefee of the Business & Media Institute on what the SCHIP expansion would really do, and the “but its for the kids” media onslaught. (Balanced coverage from…
Media
Read More: When the Story’s Got Children, Who Needs Facts?
Video from Energy Policy Luncheon
View all Commonwealth Foundation Video or subscribe on YouTube.
Media
Read More: Video from Energy Policy Luncheon