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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
Changing the rules
We’ve been called out on GrassrootsPA for “trying to re-write the rules at the end of the process. But I thinkeveryone can see the shell game…
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Eichelberger Speaks Out on Budget
Senator Eichelberger’s floor statement on why he could not support the budget. (Eichelberger was one of only two “no” votes in the Senate, joining Senator Folmer).
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The Public School Edifice Complex: New report assesses spending on buildings vs. instruction
HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released a policy report, Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone?, which examines the spending in public education in Pennsylvania and the…
Press Release
Read More: The Public School Edifice Complex: New report assesses spending on buildings vs. instructionState Budget
CF Assesses Final Budget: Spending is up, WAMs are in, and the Spin begins
HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation provided its perspective on the FY 2007-08 General Fund budget making its way to the governor’s desk. “During Governor Rendell’s first four years…
Press Release
Read More: CF Assesses Final Budget: Spending is up, WAMs are in, and the Spin begins
Budget Line Items Revealed
The budget deal was reported from conference committee tonight (the deal had already been worked out behind the scenes, the conference committee just reported what was handed to them).
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Closed doors & capitulation
Brad Bumsted on why conservatives and reformers are upset about the budget deal: The deal occured behind closed doors. All the rank and file members were excluded, and what…
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Min. Wage, Jobs, and Unemployment
In his Weekly Newsletter, Gov. Rendell takes credit for “improving the lives” of workers who received a minimum wage increase. In it the Governor note: “Pennsylvania’s…
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Tolling I-80
Here is the link to the letter from US DOT to Sen. Madigan we refenced in our letter to the Governor and lamwakers on the legality and merits…
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Read More: Tolling I-80Taxes & Economy
Transportation Letter to Gov. Rendell and the General Assembly
CF expresses concerns over transportation bill July 14, 2007 The Honorable Edward G. RendellOffice of the GovernorCommonwealth of PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, PA 17120 Members of the General AssemblyCommonwealth…
Press Release
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Idiot Vs. Crazy
Pennsyltucky Politics asks, “Is it worse to be called an idiot (Matt Brouillette) or crazy (Eric Epstein)?” Current poll results indicate a tight race.
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Morning Call on Energy Plan
Christina Gostomski from the Morning Call on how Gov. Rendell’s energy plan could end up being financed by higher gross receipts taxes, once electricity rates go up.
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Celebrate the Good Half
Lowman Henry’s Commentary gets me thinking how much we really need to enact a Taxpayer Protection Act. As much as we have criticized the budget deal, it…
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Read More: Celebrate the Good Half
Legislator Voting with Leader Record
Democracy Rising PA has put together spreadsheets looking at the percentage that both freshmen and veteran state legislators voted with their party leader on non-unanimous votes. It…
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On Second Thought
Tony Phyrillas has reconsidered his earlier overly-rosy reading of the budget deal. He used our Good, Bad, and Ugly budget autopsy to back up his coversion, though…
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The TRUTH About Spending Increase
Before he called us imbeciles, Governor Rendell sent us (along with the PA Club for Growth) a letter calling for us to stop making statements about the…
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At Least We’re Not Cannibals
After we accurately pegged the tentative budget deal to a 5.3% increase, Gov. Rendell decides to call us imbeciles. As hurt as I was, I think we come…
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How the Pa. budget deal was sealed
Inquirer Story on how the budget deal was made. If you have a weak stomach, read how sausage is made, that won’t be as sickening as this. “You folded…
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Watchdog’s remark sends Rendell on a tear
Governor Rendell talking about Rock the Capital’s Eric Epstein to the Philadelphia Inquirer “Eric Epstein,” boiled Rendell, “is about as mentally stable as that guy who ate all…
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Why the Teachers’ Unions are backing Univeral Preschool
Seeking to Expand Ranks and Increase Salaries, Not Improve Education – from Human Events online…
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5.3% Increase, with No Tricks
Pete DeCoursey of Capitolwire.com tries to explain all the tricks that are being used to disguise the real agreed-to budget increase of 5.3%: Less than 16…
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Read More: 5.3% Increase, with No Tricks