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Taxes & Economy

For Our Safety: Repeal Act 44

• August 6, 2007

Commonwealth Foundation urges Governor and General Assembly to fully fund PA’s transportation infrastructure, protect commuters and taxpayers HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation…

Press Release

Stop allowing ex-lawmakers on state payroll

• August 6, 2007

Editorial in Towanda’s Daily and Sunday Review on the revolving door from the legislature back into government — either directly or as lobbyists. What’s lost in this discussion is…

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Renewed push on health care planned

• Nathan Benefield
• August 6, 2007

The Patriot News reports that Governor Rendell will continue to push his health care tax. Meanwhile, other state legislatures are taking up free-market health care reform (often to fight…

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Enough money for roads and bridges?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 6, 2007

Brett Lieberman in the Patriot News examines PA’s infrastructure needs. But unlike most coverage, Lieberman deserves credit for looking at how money is being spent, before conceding we need…

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The New Privatization

• Nathan Benefield
• August 6, 2007

Steven Malanga in the summer City Journal offers a look the rising trend in privatization of toll roads – both existing and new construction – airports, and other infrastructure.

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Government Accountability

Pat Toomey Joins Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Foundation

• August 6, 2007

HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation—Pennsylvania’s free-market public policy think tank—announced the election of former Pennsylvania Congressman Pat Toomey to its Board of Directors. “We are honored to add…

Press Release

Bogus reform prevails

• August 5, 2007

Brad Bumsted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes about “the much-bullayhooed effort in the General Assembly to strengthen the state’s infamously weak Right to Know Law.” Guess what? It’s gone…

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Turnpike agency takes us for a ride

• August 5, 2007

Matt Brouillette’s commentary in today’s Patriot-News. In light of the recent tragedy in Minneapolis, the back-room deal of, by, and for the Turnpike with the help of Gov. Rendell…

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How to Keep Our Bridges Safe

• Nathan Benefield
• August 4, 2007

Stephen Malanga in todays’s Wall Street Journal on how to address the need for new transportation infrastructure: It’s unlikely that public funds alone will supply what’s needed.

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Taxpayer control in name only

• August 4, 2007

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on the bill of goods sold to taxpayers with Act 1 of 2006. Supposedly, the General Assembly plans to tackle the issue of property taxes again…

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Warren Buffett to ride for free on PAT

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2007

This News Release from Rep. Matt Smith to reminds everyone that now senior citizens can ride for free at any time of day. This subsidy isn’t limited to low-income…

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The Politics of Disaster

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2007

Geoff Segal on the Reason Blog on the Minnesota bridge collapse and fixing transportation infrastructure. Here is what he had to say about our own Governor: Even Pennsylvania…

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Scarnati “Sets Record Straight”?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 3, 2007

Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati defends tolling I-80, claiming he is “setting the record straight”. He leads off saying, “One issue that is not debatable in Pennsylvania is…

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Why do lawmakers fear competitive bidding?

• Nathan Benefield
• August 2, 2007

Chambersburg Public Opinion on the attitudes of some lawmakers towards a Turnpike lease, now that the idea may be revisited. It seems that many lawmakers need to visit…

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Education

Public Cyber Schools Save Taxpayers Money: Rendell/Zahorchak proposal would increase taxes, reduce public school choice

• August 2, 2007

HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation issued a response to Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak’s proposal to reduce funding to the Commonwealth’s public cyber charter schools.

Press Release

Why Expanding SCHIP is a bad idea

• Nathan Benefield
• August 2, 2007

Resources on the proposed SCHIP expansion (which would increase federal subsidies for health care for the non-poor) from: Heritage FoundationTax FoundationWashington Policy CenterNational…

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Fly by night transportation plan

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2007

Remember about a month ago, when Rep. Geist received a letter from the US Department of Transporation stating that I-80 could not be tolled under the Interstate Reconstruction Program…

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School Choice Roundtable Video

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2007

Video from yesterday’s rountable discussion on school choice. Get all Commonwealth Foundation videos here…

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PDE supports limiting school spending

• Nathan Benefield
• August 1, 2007

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak proposes limiting school spending, reported in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Of course he only wants to limit in for cyber schools – to $5800…

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CF on PCN

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2007

If you missed the roundtable discussion on school choice and press conference, co-hosted by the Commonwealth Foundation and REACH, in which we released our latest policy brief, there…

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Not the School Districts’ money

• Nathan Benefield
• July 31, 2007

Lowman Henry on the attacks on cyber schools, responding to the same Patriot News article that we did yesterday. Educrats refer to funding for cyber charter schools…

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