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Education
Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis on 2026-27 Budget Deal
Harrisburg, Pa., July 13, 2026 — Pennsylvania’s 2026–27 state budget deal is an “improvement over Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reckless proposal, but it still spends too much and leaves taxpayers facing an even larger long-term…
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Education
Pa. Lawmakers Pass 2026-27 State Budget, Blocking Shapiro’s Tax Hikes and Preserving Emergency Savings
Read More: Pa. Lawmakers Pass 2026-27 State Budget, Blocking Shapiro’s Tax Hikes and Preserving Emergency Savings
Education
Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Republicans for Advancing Tax Relief and Expanding Educational Opportunity
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Applauds Senate Republicans for Advancing Tax Relief and Expanding Educational Opportunity
Education
NEW ANALYSIS: Public School Enrollment Declines as State Spending Climbs
Read More: NEW ANALYSIS: Public School Enrollment Declines as State Spending Climbs
Don’t talk about religion?
John Baer in the Daily News writes that the public should not care about a presidential candidate’s (Romney specifically) religion (Mormonism). But it writing this, Baer doesn’t argue that…
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The Schip Revelation
Wall Street Journal on the absurdity of the debate on SCHIP Expansion: Schip was supposed to help children from low-income families … Schip was created as a…
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Economics of Sports Stadiums
Brief assessment of the merits of taxpayer subsidies of stadiums, with some link,. from the The Tax Foundation Blog. In other words, the Pittsburgh Penguins arena deal won’t…
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Clamor for more taxes and spending
Reading Eagle editorial repreats many of the Wrong Lessons of the Minnesota bridge collapse – namely that the problem is a lack of funding and taxes for transportation.
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Another distortion of charter schools’ “Cost”
Jim McCaffrey’s article in the Evening Bulletin continues the assault that charter schools “cost too much”. Yet this is a distortion of the truth. School districts continue to complain…
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Minnesota Bridge Collapse Intensifies Criticism Of Act 44
The Evening Bulletin on the need to repeal Act 44 and start over on how PA funds and operates its transportation infrastructure. Also, Land Line Magazine — “the…
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Let Wisconsin Experiment with Socialized Medicine
John Stossel supports Wisconsin’s $15 billion socialized medicine plan. He thinks by screwing up health care badly enough – apparently we didn’t learn that lesson the Soviet Union, not…
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Has Wal-Mart buried ‘Mom & Pop’ stores?
Many political and court decisions have been made based on the argument that traditional small businesses must be saved from Wal-Mart’s ever-increasing presence around the country. This movement has successfully…
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Penn Pike rush hire of engineers to do toll conversion of I-80
Penn Pike rush hire of engineers to do toll conversion of I-80 – from Toll Roads News…
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Be careful what you put on your Facebook page
I have seen several media stories about Giuliani’s daughter’s Facebook page, in which she joined an “Obama for President Group,” but don’t know why. But I will use this…
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Cyber schools cut districts’ expenses
Letter from a cyber school CEO and former school district superintendent to the Patriot News on how cyber schools save taxpayers money. Read more about how cyber schools save…
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Read More: Cyber schools cut districts’ expenses
The Wrong Lessons of the Bridge Collapse
Brad Edmonds with the Daily Commentary of the Mises Institute writes that privatizing bridges and roads, not more government control, will prevent tragedies like the Minnesota bridge collapse:…
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Read More: The Wrong Lessons of the Bridge Collapse
The Act 1 Farce
More bad news on Act 1 – the so-called “back-end referendum” provisions not only allows school districts to increase taxes by 3.4 to 5.5% without voter referendum, and allows…
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Read More: The Act 1 FarceTaxes & Economy
For Our Safety: Repeal Act 44
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
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Stop allowing ex-lawmakers on state payroll
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
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?
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
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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Read More: The New PrivatizationGovernment Accountability
Pat Toomey Joins Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Foundation
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
Read More: Pat Toomey Joins Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Foundation
Bogus reform prevails
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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Read More: Bogus reform prevails
Turnpike agency takes us for a ride
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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Read More: Turnpike agency takes us for a ride