Latest Content

Fairness
New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Government unions spent more than $33 million on political causes and only 5.2 percent of PAC contributions went to non-Democratic candidates. Harrisburg, Pa., April 16, 2025 — Government unions…
Read More: New Analysis Reveals Striking Partisanship of Government Union Spending
Prosperity
Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Read More: Independent Fiscal Office Exposes Shapiro’s Overinflated Revenue Projections
Education
Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Read More: Senate Republicans School Shapiro Administration, Stand up for Students and Taxpayers
Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of Policy
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Announces Promotion of Elizabeth Stelle to Vice President of Policy
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
$7.5M bonus bonanza at PHEAA
Brett Lieberman on the latest embarrasing revelation of PHEAA’s extravagances, from the state audit of the agency. Here is the Auditor General’s news release on the interim audit…
Media
Read More: $7.5M bonus bonanza at PHEAA
I-80 tolls for Transit?
Philadelphia Inquirer article repeat a claim from PA Turnpike head Joe Brimmeier that none of the tolls from I-80 would be used to fund mass transit. Of course this…
Media
Read More: I-80 tolls for Transit?
Jesus: Roman Empire Should Provide Universal Health Care
Remember the passage in the Bible where Jesus called upon the Roman Empire to provide universal, government-run health insurance? Well, Governor Rendell says it is there: Rendell…
Media
Read More: Jesus: Roman Empire Should Provide Universal Health Care
SCHIP Articles
MSNBC.com article on how richer states are pushing for the SCHIP Expansion. Also Greg Mankiw posts a explanation of Bush’s position on SCHIP – a good overview, but…
Media
Read More: SCHIP Articles
Is Ethanol the ‘Energy Security’ Solution?
Washington Post “Think Tank Town” column on the use of ethanol to make us “energy indpendent”.
Media
Read More: Is Ethanol the ‘Energy Security’ Solution?
Preschool for All!
National Review article (from Free Library) on the push for government-run “universal preschool”: The irony is that early education is already an American strength. The National Center for…
Media
Read More: Preschool for All!