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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
Non-Union Jobs
Steve Jobs takes on the teachers unions, from WSJ.com.
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The Philadelphia Story
Paul Peterson in today’s Wall Street Journal on the success of privately-managed public schools in Philadelphia.
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Bonuses bump pensions
Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times reporter Alison Hawkes reveals that the bonus to legislative staffers has an impact on pension payouts! As Tim Potts is quoted as saying…
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Size of staff salaries surprise, but disclosing them is the important thing
Morning Call editorial on the legislative staff salaries… The question isn’t so much whether these staffers earn their pay as itis who decides, and what the decisions…
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Liquor system ripe for privatizing
Patriot News Editorial calls for privatizing of state liquor stores: “In proposing the turnpike lease, the governor has called the 537-mile highway an invaluable asset whose full value…
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CEO Rankings of States
Chief Executive Magazine released its survey of CEOs, which ranks the 50 states (and DC) in terms of business friendliness. Pennsylvania ranks a dreary 37th (down ten spots from…
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Vince & Anchorwomen
Another reason to privatize the turnpike: to derail Vince Fumo’s efforts to use the Turnpike Commission to hook up with attractive Philadelphia news anchorwomen. From the Philadelphia Daily News:…
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Some staffers earning fatter salaries than lawmakers : The Morning Call Online
Morning Call article on the pay of PA House Staffers. Get the list of highest paid staffers from the Morning Call here.
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Read More: Some staffers earning fatter salaries than lawmakers : The Morning Call Online
$650/Month For Cars Goes To Part-Time Gaming Board Members
Ben Simmoneau of WGAL uncovers more of the luxuries of state government work, this time by the Gaming Control Board members. Doug Harbach tries to defend the perks saying,…
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Read More: $650/Month For Cars Goes To Part-Time Gaming Board Members
Britney Joins the Head Shavers Club
While the media is questioning what could motivate Britney Spears to shave her head, the answer is quite clear–she is gunning for a job with the Commonwealth Foundation.
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Does the U.S. Spend More?
A new report from McKinsey claims that the United States spends $477billion a year – $1,645 per person – more on health care than otherOECD countries do, after…
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Companies’ Fair Share: Zero Percent
Andrew Chamberlain editorial on why progressive corporate tax rates are “unfair”– taxes on corporations are just taxes on people.
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Priceless politics
Thomas Sowell wonders why local governments feel they need to own and operate golf courses under the mantra of “helping the poor”: “Are the taxpayers being asked to support…
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Hearing may be major step toward state constitutional convention
The push for a Constitutional Convention in PA may be heating up, the Post-Gazette reports.
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Spirits of privatization are likely to stay bottled up
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette considers the prospects of privatizing the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
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Read More: Spirits of privatization are likely to stay bottled up
Uninsured And Overinflated
Investor’s Business Daily editorial breaks down the “46 million” without health insurance: most are without insurance short-term, immigrants, eligible for current government programs, or young and choosing not to…
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Adding Up the Reasons For Expensive Health Care
Washington Post article details why healthcare is so expensive in the US. Doctor’s pay, unnecessary testing, and hospital amenities play a major role (and the third-party payer model falls…
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The Stubborn Welfare State
Robert Samuelson looks at where tax dollars really go. The charts tell it all.
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A Portrait of the Economy
Wall Street Journal editorial on why growth of Big Government always undermines economic growth.
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The Tax Foundation on Windfall Profits Tax
Tax Foundation Audio on Governor Rendell’s proposed oil profits tax (from KDKA, Pittsburgh).
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Should Uncle Sam Take Oil Company Profits?
US News and World Report answers: No: “Today’s earnings are tomorrow’s investments, both in exploiting hard-to-reach oil reserves and in alternative fuels.” Of course, Governor Rendell believes those investments…
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Read More: Should Uncle Sam Take Oil Company Profits?