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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 Benefits
$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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Is Ethanol the ‘Energy Security’ Solution?
Washington Post “Think Tank Town” column on the use of ethanol to make us “energy indpendent”.
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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…
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Energy Snapshot Powerpoint
The PowerPoint summary of the various energy plans from today’s luncheon can be found here as a slideshow and here as a PDF file. If you missed the…
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Bonus Ban Measure Passes State Government Committee
John Eichelberger’s Bonus Ban Bill – banning all bonuses in state government, PHEAA, legislative staffers, executive branch, etc. – cleared its first hurdle today.
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Interest to lease turnpike is broad
Philadelphia Inquirer on the interest in leasing the Turnpike. List of companies completing RFQ is included (several companies entered joint proposals – thus there are 34 companies listed, but…
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Read More: Interest to lease turnpike is broad
Spain constructors eye 21.2 bln eur Pennsylvania highway privatisation
Thomson Financial on potential Spanish bidders on a Turnpike lease (RFQs were due today). Once you get past the British spelling (“privatisation”) , you need to covert Euros…
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No time for energy conservation when PR is at stake
Rendell’s energy plan calls for a whole host of subsidies and tax credits to end our “dependence on foreign oil”. Cutting taxpayer-funded bus tours to promote his energy plan…
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Read More: No time for energy conservation when PR is at stake
FHWA responds on I-80 tolls
Toll Roads News posts and analyzes a letter from the Federal Highway Administration to the Turnpike Commission on tolling I-80. The letter doesn’t say much other than the…
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Federal Energy Tax Policy
This research paper from 2006 offers a good summary of current federal tax policy – taxes and tax credits – toward energy. Things I learned reading it include:…
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Crisis of the Uninsured: 2007
NCPA Brief Analysis breaks down who is insured, who is uninsured, and why.
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Read More: Crisis of the Uninsured: 2007
RIP John Berthoud
John Berthoud, president of the National Taxpayers Union, died yesterday at 47. John was a long-time defender of taxpayers and a champion of liberty. NTU ask anyone wishing to pay…
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A Law Best Left Behind
Wall Street Journal looks at the No Child Left Behind Act – facing reauthorization – noting how the adminstration has not enforced or pushed the school choice provision. Under…
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PHEAA CEO to get $360,000 annual pension
Jan Murphy on the pension retiring PHEAA CEO Dick Willey will receive. The pension is so elevated because his $180,000 bonus counts toward the pension calculation. Of course, he…
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Do we need Special Session on Baseball Bats?
Philadelphia Inquirer story on the controversy over a bill to ban metal bats in baseball and softball from Little League through High School. The claim is that balls come…
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Wal-Mart Reduces Cost of Prescriptions; State Increases Costs
Wal-Mart press release indicates they saved Pennsylvania residents $18 last year on prescription drugs through their “$4 prescription drug” program. However, state law doesn’t let Wal-Mart sell their drugs…
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Read More: Wal-Mart Reduces Cost of Prescriptions; State Increases Costs
Do Green Mandates and Subsidies Create Jobs?
Testimony of Dick Armey on the economic impacts of energy mandates and subsidies. Needless to say, he doesn’t agree with Governor Rendell that taxpayer-funded handouts to politically selected companies…
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Read More: Do Green Mandates and Subsidies Create Jobs?
Rendell: Show me the money and I’ll pull plan for I-80 tolls
Morning Call Story on Governor Rendell’s announcement he would support a repeal of Act 44 if legislators found an alternative funding stream. A Turnpike lease remains at…
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Read More: Rendell: Show me the money and I’ll pull plan for I-80 tolls