Elizabeth Stelle
Director of Policy Analysis
Elizabeth has researched and written on government reform, health care, welfare, energy, and government transparency. Her work has been featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Patriot-News, Philadelphia Inquirer, and a variety of radio and television programs throughout the commonwealth. Elizabeth is a graduate of Grove City College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history.
A native of Ohio, Elizabeth makes her home in the Pittsburgh area with her husband and four children. She enjoys swimming, traveling to historic landmarks and exploring the moral foundations of capitalism.
Education
Who are Teacher Unions Protecting?
The Patriot-News published my letter that questions whether teacher unions protect teachers. Union lobbying to create an unsustainable pension program is directly connected to the Central Dauphin School Board’s…
Media
Read More: Who are Teacher Unions Protecting?Health Care
Medicaid Flexibility: The Key to a Sustainable Safety Net
As we inch towards the state budget deadline, welfare spending reductions in Pennsylvania continue to be contentious. The reductions that are proposed concentrate on 20 percent of spending, since…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Flexibility: The Key to a Sustainable Safety NetHealth Care
Medicaid Waivers & the Looming Fiscal Crisis
In the waning days of 2008, the state of Rhode Island secured a global waiver for its Medicaid program. The waiver exempted the state from many federal rules and mandates in exchange for a…
Media
Read More: Medicaid Waivers & the Looming Fiscal CrisisState Budget
Welfare Sec. Alexander Discusses Mending the Safety Net on the BOX
On the latest edition of The BOX, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander takes time to discuss proposed welfare reforms. Despite accusations of wanting to “throw the…
Media
Read More: Welfare Sec. Alexander Discusses Mending the Safety Net on the BOXRegulation
Lottery Contract Could Make Everyone a Winner
The lottery is on the minds of those in Harrisburg this week, but it has nothing to do with the $656 Mega Millions jackpot won by three lucky ticket…
Media
Read More: Lottery Contract Could Make Everyone a WinnerEducation
Education Spending: The Rest of the Story
Since Gov. Corbett's budget proposal, those who profit from Pennsylvania's $26 billion a year public school system have been gnashing teeth over what they claim is an "underfunding" of the…
Commentary
Read More: Education Spending: The Rest of the StoryState Budget
Human Services Programs Must Deal with Wasteful Spending
Last week, you couldn’t swing a dead cat in the state capitol without hitting someone protesting Gov. Corbett’s welfare spending reductions. The governor proposed combining six human service line items, such…
Media
Read More: Human Services Programs Must Deal with Wasteful SpendingTaxes & Economy
Chart of the Day: Welfare Overlap
The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) encompasses much more than Food Stamps and Medicaid. There are numerous federally-funded and state-only aid programs. In fact, most of the 2.7 million…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Welfare OverlapHealth Care
PPACA Will Put a Quarter of Pennsylvanians on Medicaid
There is no shortage of media coverage marking PPACA’s two year anniversary, but one statistic from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare did grab my attention: Instead of…
Media
Read More: PPACA Will Put a Quarter of Pennsylvanians on MedicaidEducation
No School Tax Referendums in Pennsylvania this Year
Remember the gnashing of teeth over “cuts” in state education subsidies (driven by the end of federal stimulus money)? The education establishment and partisan critics of Gov. Corbett insisted this…
Media
Read More: No School Tax Referendums in Pennsylvania this YearRegulation
Is Corporate Welfare for Shell Cracker Good for PA?
Astute readers may remember that last month Pennsylvania earned the dubious distinction of the highest taxes for mature businesses and the second highest taxes for new businesses. So how…
Media
Read More: Is Corporate Welfare for Shell Cracker Good for PA?Regulation
House Passes Corporate Welfare Reform
This week the Pennsylvania House passed RACP (pronounced RCAP) reform by a wide margin of 184 to 9. RACP – the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program – is a political…
Media
Read More: House Passes Corporate Welfare ReformState Budget
Chart of the Day: Welfare Spending
Total welfare spending in Pennsylvania more than tripled from 1991 to 2012, rising 227 percent. During the same period (1991-2011) population rose by a paltry 6.7 percent. It goes without…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Welfare SpendingState Budget
5 Scary Facts about Pennsylvania’s Welfare Spending
Welfare spending in Pennsylvania is out of control. The Department of Public Welfare is now the largest department in the state. It will continue to crowd out education, environmental…
Media
Read More: 5 Scary Facts about Pennsylvania’s Welfare SpendingEducation
Exposing Two Class Size Myths
The Patriot-News reports that while schools in the mid-state have laid off some employees, most districts are still below the national average student-teacher ratio of 15.1. The student-teacher ratio…
Media
Read More: Exposing Two Class Size MythsRegulation
Goodbye Gus, Hello Private Partnerships
Say goodbye to the second-most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. Not having Gus in Pennsylvania lottery commercials will save $140,000. But changes in the state lottery may not end with dropping…
Media
Read More: Goodbye Gus, Hello Private PartnershipsEducation
Busting the Myth That State Subsidies Prevent College Tuition Rising
Universities consistently blame state budget cuts for rising tuition, but in reality, tuition has risen regardless of state subsidies. Here’s…
Media
Read More: Busting the Myth That State Subsidies Prevent College Tuition RisingHealth Care
Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in Pennsylvania
Government welfare, with its goal to provide a helping hand to those in need, has instead become a vast series of programs that fall far short of the good intentions…
Report
Read More: Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in PennsylvaniaPublic Union Democracy
House Moves Unemployment Compensation Reform
More Unemployment Compensation reform is moving through the Pennsylvania House. Yesterday, HB 1754 sponsored by Rep. Ron Miller, and HB 1852 sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove, cleared the…
Media
Read More: House Moves Unemployment Compensation ReformRegulation
Reforming State Borrowing for Corporate Welfare
Since 1986, state lawmakers have authorized more than $4 billion in borrowing for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (or RACP). This is effectively debt for corporate welfare and…
Media
Read More: Reforming State Borrowing for Corporate WelfareEducation
Budget Cuts Do Not Equal Tuition Hikes
Last year we highlighted waste in public higher education, such as Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s golf simulator with 52 different golf courses and Penn State’s decision to construct new…
Media
Read More: Budget Cuts Do Not Equal Tuition Hikes