Media

Forces build against leasing turnpike

• Nathan Benefield
• May 15, 2007

Tom Barnes in the Post-Gazette on the line-up of opposition to a proposed Turnpike Lease – though all the opposition he names are lobbyists hired by the Turnpike Commission…

Media

SCHIP Crowds out Private Insurance

• Nathan Benefield
• May 14, 2007

A new CBO report on SCHIP (government-run health insurance for kids, recently expanded in PA under Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Kids”) remarks that government health insurance creates dramatic “crowd…

Media

Attacking Cyber Schools

• Nathan Benefield
• May 14, 2007

AP story in PhillyBurbs.com on the attacks on Cyber School funding. There are several highly misleading statements. The article asserts that the school boards association and the teachers’ union…

Media

School Tax Referendums

• Nathan Benefield
• May 14, 2007

The Philadelphia Inquirer is the first PA newspaper that I have seen to endorse a “Yes” vote on the Act 1 tax shift (I have seen several endorsing a…

Media

More Turnpike Lease Distortions

• Nathan Benefield
• May 11, 2007

The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) issued a news release claiming that voters overwhelming disapprove a Turnpike lease and citing exorbitant toll increases in Indiana. While elected officials should…

Media

GrowPA: Agitate for Change

• Nathan Benefield
• May 11, 2007

GrowPA.com, an interactive website promoting pro-growth policies, limited government, and government reform (chaired by fromer Lt. Governor and Commonwealth Foundation Board Member Bill Scranton) has launched today – featuring…

Media

State Money Spent To Lobby State Officials

• Nathan Benefield
• May 11, 2007

Ben Simmoneau for WGAL on the use of state money to lobby for more state money – specifically highlighting PHEAA and the Turnpike Commission, but taxpayer-funded lobbying included state…

Media

P3s could build Mon-Fayette Expressway

• Nathan Benefield
• May 11, 2007

Private firms are being asked to enter bids to develop and run the Mon-Fayette Expressway: see Tribune-Review and Post-Gazette coverage. Using Public-Private Partnerships for new construction is one…

Media

Who are the judges?

• Nathan Benefield
• May 10, 2007

For those of you who are neither lawyers or criminals and are looking for more info about the judicial candidates before next Tuesday’s primary, here are various surveys/voter guides.

Media

Cost and Size of General Assembly debated

• Nathan Benefield
• May 10, 2007

Brad Bumsted on the Speaker’s Reform Commission hearing on reducing the size of the legislature. While an NCSL analyst testified to the fact that Pennsylvania has the 2nd…

Media

Ethanol Gold Rush Carries Costs

• Nathan Benefield
• May 10, 2007

The rush to mandate and subsidize ethanol may turn out to be fools gold, from NCPA: Last year, about 4.9 billion gallons of ethanol were produced. Within…

Media

Education vouchers: Free to choose, and learn

• Nathan Benefield
• May 10, 2007

Economist.com article on the benefits of school choice, both for students receiving vouchers and for those remaining in public schools. This augments the Friedman Foundation report showing…

Media

Expanding School Choice in PA

• Nathan Benefield
• May 10, 2007

Rep. Civera proposes increasing the cap on Educational Improvement Tax Credits to $109 million. This announcment nearly coincides with a report finding that the EITC saved taxpayers nearly…

Media

Budget Bill Introduced

• Nathan Benefield
• May 9, 2007

The bill for the General Fund budget, House Bill 1286, was introduced without fanfare yesterday. There is no spreadsheet summary yet, but I was told it is not different…

Media

Strike possible as talks break off

• Nathan Benefield
• May 9, 2007

Patriot-News on a looming teacher strike in the Annville-Cleona district. Visit Stop Teachers Strikes, Inc for salary info on Annville-Cleono salary, and how we can end teacher strikes…

Media

Will tax-relief promise ring hollow again?- PennLive.com

• Nathan Benefield
• May 9, 2007

Brett Lieberman in the Patriot News on the Act 1 Tax Shift: “Until you address the spending side, you will never address real relief,” said Matthew J. Brouillette,…

Media

State Budget

We Need a People’s Budget

• May 9, 2007

Good morning. Let me begin by thanking Chairman Turzai and the members of this committee for the invitation to be with you this morning. We are here today because Governor…

Testimony

Education

School Choice Saves Money

• May 9, 2007

New report identifies $144 M in savings from Educational Improvement Tax Credit HARRISBURG, PA — Giving parents and children school choices saves taxpayers’ money. This is the finding of a…

Press Release

Everything you need to know about Act 1

• Nathan Benefield
• May 8, 2007

Tony Phyrillas says: “If you don’t spend much time at the Commonwealth Foundation’s Web site, shame on you”. This in reference to our Policy Point on Act 1.

Media

Legislative sponges soak up tax dollars

• Nathan Benefield
• May 8, 2007

Tony Phyrillas on the top uses of “Public Services Announcements” – i.e. taxpayer-funded advertising – in the Pennsylvania House.

Media

Scranton’s attack signals budget battle

• Nathan Benefield
• May 8, 2007

Post-Gazette piece on Former Lt. Governor (and Commonwealth Foundation board member) Bill Scranton’s testimony on the budget. Look for the full testimony on our website tomorrow.

Media