Nathan Benefield
Senior Vice President
An Ohio native, Nate holds an undergraduate degree in political science and economics and a master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University in Chicago. He also completed his doctoral studies (ABD) in political science at Loyola University, also in Chicago.
Nate joined the Commonwealth Foundation in 2005. Now as senior vice president, he provides strategic leadership as well as operational oversight spanning policy analysis, government relations, marketing, and communications.
Nate has researched and written extensively on public policy issues including the state budget, public sector labor reform, government spending and taxes, liquor privatization, education, and economic development. Under Nate’s policy leadership, the Commonwealth Foundation’s work on public sector pension law helped drive the bipartisan pension reform of 2017, heralded by the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post as an example for other states to follow.
Nate has testified numerous times before state legislative committees and is often called upon by legislators and members of the media to provide expertise. He is a frequent commentator on both television and radio, and his writings have appeared across the state and nationally in outlets including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Patriot-News, and Weekly Standard.
Nate’s favorite rock song and personal motto are both “Don’t Stop Believin.”
SmartTalk on PA Turnpike Lease
Here is the video of Matt Brouillette’s appearance on last week’s Smart Talk Program on WITF discussing a lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
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Watch Our Award Winning Video
The Commonwealth Foundation’s video Frontlines of Liberty won a 2008 Telly Award. GK Visual gets the credit for producing the video (along with all our videos) but…
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South Carolina vs. PA
The Club For Growth has been keeping track of news on potential VP candidates, and this post on SC Mark Sanford stood out. Again, not because John McCain won’t…
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The Price is Wrong
Education Next story shows how little the general public knows about school spending. For instance, survey respondents were asked to estimate how much their school district spends, per pupil.
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Big Farm whips Big Oil
Great editorial on how “Big Farm” companies dominate “Big Oil” as a special interest, having both “record profits” and government subsidies for ethanol in the wake of a global…
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Does Marriage Matter?
As the PA Senate is expected to vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment today, I’d thought I’d remind readers that we discussed this proposal with both supporters and opponents…
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Read More: Does Marriage Matter?Health Care
Savings from McCain’s Health Care Tax Credit
With the re-release of John McCain’s health care plan came a lot of criticism (along with praise) over who benefits from his tax credit. McCain would offer…
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Read More: Savings from McCain’s Health Care Tax CreditRegulation
Harrisburg mayor proposing outsourcing parking
Patriot News reports that Harrisburg mayor Stephen Reed proposing leasing operations of the city’s parking garages and meters to private operators. The deal would fetch $215 million for a…
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Happy Birthday EITC
Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit turns 7 this month; there is a birthday party at the Capitol beginning at noon today (I believe free cake is involved). For more…
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NTU calls for Spending Transparency in PA
The National Taxpayers Unions has sent a letter encouraging passage of a spending transparency website. The legislation, SB 1350, was introduced by Sen. Browne in April. For more…
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Is the US in a recession?
Tony Phyrillas writes that the U.S. is not in a recession. John Micek jokes about Phyrillas swallowing Bush’s rhetoric. Of course Tony has the evidence, whereas John is,…
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Endorsing Obama = End of Corruption
Wall Street Journal article on Barack Obama’s support for reducing oversight of the Teamsters. Says Obama, “organized crime influence in the union has drastically declined.” (HT Amanda Carpenter).
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Pension COLA has hefty price tag
Charles Thompson has a story in the Patriot News about the high cost to taxpayers of the propose pension COLA. The Tribune Review also had an article last…
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High Risk Pools
One of the key recommendations from Rick Dreyfuss’s health care testimony last week which received a number of questions was creating a state high risk pool. CAHI has…
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Judicial Merit Selection?
“Robin Hood” writes on the Keystone Politics Blog against the idea of judicial merit selection. In a pre-rebuttal, JudgesonMerit offers an analysis of what critics of merit selection…
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The Proposed Mortage Bailout
Here are a few resources on the proposed federal mortgage bailout. FreedomWorks has a new site on this issue called AngryRenter.com Heritage Foundation’s research on the “Mortgage…
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Read More: The Proposed Mortage BailoutState Budget
Did Pork cause bridge collapse?
Yahoo! News has a story about McCain “backing off” an earlier statement that pork barrel projects caused the Minnesota bridge collapse. However, while earmarks didn’t cause the bridge to…
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Read More: Did Pork cause bridge collapse?Public Union Democracy
Right-to-Work leads to Economic Growth
The Mackinac Center has a brief analysis the economic climate of Right to Work states and Forced Unionism states. Mark Perry sums it up nicely: What are…
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How much are you getting in Property Tax Relief?
PDE has released the amount each Pennsylvania homeowner and farmstead owner will get in property tax relief in 2008-09 from gambling revenue. (Note: if you own rental property, own…
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Read More: How much are you getting in Property Tax Relief?State Budget
Who Gets Farm Subsidies
Environmental Working Group has a comprehensive database of US farm subsidies. (HT Club for Growth). Here are Pennsylvania’s top recipients in 2007.
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Ethanol and Rendell
Many are calling for an end to ethanol mandates because of how they drive up food costs: Aid workers and others contend diverting more than a a quarter…
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