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Education
New Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Bipartisanship in Pa. Budget Process
Harrisburg, Pa., July 2, 2024 — As Gov. Josh Shapiro failed to enact the 2024–25 Pennsylvania budget by the June 30th deadline, voters overwhelmingly support increased bipartisanship in the budget process,…
Read More: New Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Bipartisanship in Pa. Budget Process![teacher union influence](https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/iStock-2150482568-900x887.jpg)
Public Union Democracy
Teachers’ Unions Influence and the Politics of Education
Read More: Teachers’ Unions Influence and the Politics of Education![shapiro capable of leading](https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-1244606495-900x692.jpg)
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Education
Analysis: Pa. Gov. Shapiro Struggles to Govern, Resulting in Record Lack of Accomplishment
Read More: Analysis: Pa. Gov. Shapiro Struggles to Govern, Resulting in Record Lack of AccomplishmentPublic Union Democracy
The best of the best, of course
The Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Retirement System are the envy of the government worker world. They are the most generous systems in the entire country.
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Read More: The best of the best, of courseRegulation
Go to HBG to do good, but end up doing well, very well
The retirement of many long-time legislators is opening up the eyes of many to the very generous pensions. See The Citizens Voice story by Michael Race, Stepping out to…
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Read More: Go to HBG to do good, but end up doing well, very wellGovernment Accountability
Will 2006 be the year of reform?
Democratic Representative Greg Vitali hopes so. Read his commentary in today’s Philly Inquirer.
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Read More: Will 2006 be the year of reform?Government Accountability
Go to Harrisburg to do good, and end up doing well…very well
WNEP-TV’s Scott Schaffer’s Lawmaker Retirements Won’t Come Cheap.
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Read More: Go to Harrisburg to do good, and end up doing well…very wellEducation
Unions Win: Florida Supreme Court Rules Against School Choice
News release from the Institute for Justice…. Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down School Choice Washington, D.C.-In a major blow to education reform in Florida, the Florida Supreme Court today struck…
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Read More: Unions Win: Florida Supreme Court Rules Against School ChoiceEducation
Rocky Mountain High
Denver enacts the nation’s first merit pay system for teachers in a large district. See this National Center for Policy Analysis summary of Denver’s new system and other pay…
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Read More: Rocky Mountain HighGovernment Accountability
Churches funding Pittsburgh
Several charities, including churches and religious groups, voluntary donated $4.6 million to the city of Pittsburgh, according to the Tribune-Review. Apparently the “separation of church and state” applies only…
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Read More: Churches funding PittsburghTaxes & Economy
Minimum wage, maximum deception
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes why labor unions are the chief proponents of artificially raising labor costs. “Odd what liberal politicians and union-types see as ‘fairness,’ considering wage floors do…
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Read More: Minimum wage, maximum deceptionTaxes & Economy
Rendell’s minimum wage proposal too low?
With professional baseball’s minimum salary increasing by $9,000 to $327,000, aren’t Pennsylvania’s entry-level workers worth at least that much? Where’s your compassion Governor? Set your sites higher!…
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Read More: Rendell’s minimum wage proposal too low?Regulation
More Corporate Welfare
Here is a good piece by the Allegheny Institute on the $50 million dollars of corporate welfare granted by state and local government to PNC for construction of…
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Read More: More Corporate WelfareRegulation
The Looming Financial Crisis — Public Sector Pensions
Whether it is pensions for state workers, teachers or legislators, the financial promises made by politicians have put taxpayers on the hook. How much? Well, don’t ask the people who…
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Read More: The Looming Financial Crisis — Public Sector PensionsPublic Union Democracy
What’s “Education” got to do with it?
The Wall Street Journal highlights the political agenda (via its $65 MILLION in spending to support political causes) of the National Education Association. This would not be a problem…
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Read More: What’s “Education” got to do with it?Taxes & Economy
Defending the Indefensible
Gov. Rendell just doesn’t get it that if Pennsylvania is the next state to tax, borrow and spend itself to prosperity, it will also be the FIRST! In this…
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Read More: Defending the IndefensibleRegulation
Public Pensions: The Coming Financial Crisis in PA
While Pennsylvanians were up in arms over the pay raise, the ongoing public-sector pension scandal and coming financial crisis should make taxpayers even more irate. The promise of defined benefits…
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Read More: Public Pensions: The Coming Financial Crisis in PATaxes & Economy
“inebriation of your own buncombe”
Colin McNickle of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gets it right on the money … no, make that YOUR money. Read ‘Public-purpose’ mountebanks in today’s Trib.
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Read More: “inebriation of your own buncombe”Health Care
Free lifetime health care will be costly
The growing tab for taxpayer-funded benefits, in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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Read More: Free lifetime health care will be costly
Will the General Assembly override Gov. Rendell’s veto?
With strong bi-partisan support of a meager tax cut in both houses of the General Assembly, enough votes exist to override Gov. Rendell’s veto. Rep. Dave Reed is the first…
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Read More: Will the General Assembly override Gov. Rendell’s veto?
Power Motivates Unions
From the Heartland Institute’s School Reform News… Power Motivates Unions Some wonder why the teacher unions, long so fervently opposed to charter schools, are now aggressively trying to recruit…
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“It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.”
Walter Williams on why we should guard against any encroachment on liberty, in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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Read More: “It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.”
Pay-raise suit on to high court
…”the state Supreme Court has agreed to hear Stilp’s arguments that the bill was unconstitutional because it allowed lawmakers to skirt a state constitutional ban on mid-term raises by taking…
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