Jacob Custer
Policy Data Analyst
Jacob Custer is the Policy Data Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Jacob graduated cum laude from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, with a bachelor’s degree in economics and public policy and a minor in American politics. Jacob received a master’s degree in economics from George Mason University in Virginia, where he also participated in the MA Fellowship at the Mercatus Center and worked as a graduate research assistant.
Jacob is passionate about advancing economic freedom. His work in economics explores public choice theory, the socialist calculation debate, and property rights. To connect ideas with practice, he gained experience through internships at the Leadership Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and Capitol Hill. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Jacob worked in Washington, D.C., for a U.S. senator.
Outside of work, Jacob plays pickleball, looks for new board games to play, or hits the road in search of the next adventure.
Government Accountability
‘Earthquake in Pennsylvania’
‘Earthquake in Pennsylvania’ – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Topics on this page PennsylvaniaPittsburgh Tribune-Review…
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‘Live Free or Move’
Jobs are flocking to low-tax states for a reason. Commentary in today’s Wall Street Journal says, “new data is out and it shows that the states that embraced supply-side…
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Tax no fix for rising gas prices
Read Matthew Brouillette’s commentary in Friday’s Pittsburgh Business Times. Topics on this page Pittsburgh Business Times…
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Read More: Tax no fix for rising gas pricesGovernment Accountability
Incumbents Under Fire
The Wall Street Journal’s John Fund sees PA’s primary tomorrow as a possible bellwether election for conservative anger at unprincipled leadership. Topics on this page John…
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Gov. Rendells Blah, Blah, Blah Campaign Strategy
Ever had a conversation with someone who starts to tell a story and then, midway through, says “Blah blah blah” (or words to that effect) and then skips ahead to…
Commentary
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For Now, Gasoline Is Our Only Cheap Fuel
Cato Commentary by Jerry Taylor: “Mandating a switch given current technology would increase, not decrease, pump prices.”…
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Democracy vs incumbency
John Baer on the power of incubmency in the Philadelphia Daily News (citing Commonwealth Foundation data). Topics on this page Philadelphia Daily News…
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Peggy Noonan on the problem in DC
Peggy Noonan in today’s Wall Street Journal: “Baseless Confidence“ “Power is distancing. “When you’ve been in Congress for a while, or the White House for a while,…
Media
Read More: Peggy Noonan on the problem in DCEducation
Property Tax Relief through School Choice
Pennsylvanians deserve property tax reform and relief—not a shift and a sham. But the only way to relieve all homeowners while not burdening other taxpayers is to reduce public school…
Commentary
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New York Times Editorial Uses Faulty Data To Slam Charter Schools
News release from the Center for Education Reform… New York Times Editorial Uses Faulty Data To Slam Charter Schools Washington, D.C., May 10, 2006 – The New York Times in…
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Gov. Rendell’s Plan to raise gas prices and subsidize Big Ethanol
Gas prices are high. As previously noted in this blog, part of the reason for high prices is the mandated use of ethanol fuels – forcing refineries to retool.
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Read More: Gov. Rendell’s Plan to raise gas prices and subsidize Big EthanolState Budget
Should American troops die for pork?
A look at the $17 billion in Pork Spending added to the President’s request for funding of troops and Hurricane Katrina Relief from the Heritage Foundation. Topics on…
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Substitute teaching goes private
In Michigan, the Grand Rapids Public Schools have figured out a way to save the taxpayers money–contract out for substitute teachers. It saves $$$ from having to be socked…
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State Quashes Economic Freedom
The Pennsylvania State Department’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs release their list of disciplinary actions yesterday. Among the egregious violations were: auctioning without an auctioneers license, cutting hair…
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A Revolution in 2006?
The 2006 primary election will serve as an important yardstick as to the lingering outrage in the electorate from the legislative pay raise on July 7, 2005 and failure to…
Commentary
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The Governments Gas Problem
Government’s energy policies and regulations have been leading us down the wrong road for years, yet the only solution Governor Ed Rendell and plenty of Republicans like Sen. Arlen Specter…
Commentary
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Lawmakers must cure loan agency’s identity crisis
My PHEAA commentary in the Harrisburg Patriot-News. Topics on this page Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance AgencyThe Patriot-News…
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The Gas-Tax Hustle
by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. I’ll have my own take on “The Government’s Gas Problem” on Monday. Check out the main article at www.CommonwealthFoundation.org then! Topics on…
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65% Solution? Reduce School District Size
Analysis of school district spending by size by in the EIA Communique. The finding is that larger districts spend a lower percentage on classroom instruction (and more in adminstrative…
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Philly Schools Need Improvement
Jay Greene in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer. Topics on this page Philadelphia Inquirer…
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How to Soak the Rich (the George Bush Way)
Good piece in the Wall Street Journal on the effects of tax cuts. Topics on this page The Wall Street Journal…
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