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.”
Public Union Democracy
Dear Kids
On October 21, more than 100 days after his veto touched off Pennsylvania’s ongoing state budget impasse, Gov. Tom Wolf sent a letter to the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers…
Media
Read More: Dear KidsGovernment Accountability
Union Dues fund SuperPAC Attack Ads
Pennsylvanians for Judicial Reform—a new “SuperPAC” (technically an “Independent Expenditure Committee”) registered in August—has spent about $2.5 million on attack ads in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court race. Who…
Media
Read More: Union Dues fund SuperPAC Attack Ads
Five Ways Gov. Wolf is Sustaining the Status Quo
During his budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf said “It's not good enough to just say no and continue with the same old same old.” More recently, taking to social media,…
Media
Read More: Five Ways Gov. Wolf is Sustaining the Status QuoEducation
Time to Send “Ghost Teachers” Back to the Future
As 1980s movie buffs know, today—Oct 21, 2015—is the day Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled forward in time in the Back to the Future films. Back to the Future predicted…
Media
Read More: Time to Send “Ghost Teachers” Back to the FutureEducation
Wolf Claims More Student Hostages
Earlier this week, The Neighborhood Academy, a private school in Pittsburgh, held a rally in the state Capitol to highlight Gov. Wolf’s withholding tax credits for student scholarships. Pennsylvania’s Educational…
Media
Read More: Wolf Claims More Student HostagesPublic Union Democracy
Paycheck Protection Passes Senate
Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed paycheck protection (SB 501) by a 26-23 vote. The bill will now move to the House. You can view the roll call vote…
Media
Read More: Paycheck Protection Passes SenateState Budget
Wolf’s Tax Hikes: Version 3.0
Today, Gov. Wolf unveiled a 3rd proposal for a tax increase. This represents both good news and bad news for taxpayers. The good news is that Wolf now concedes that…
Media
Read More: Wolf’s Tax Hikes: Version 3.0State Budget
Can You Afford $1,000 More?
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a major tax increase. This vote will be, in all likelihood, on a proposal Gov. Tom…
Media
Read More: Can You Afford $1,000 More?State Budget
Wolf Truth Squad: Tax Hikes on Working Families
UPDATE: Gov. Wolf offered a new tax proposal on October 6, 2015. Here is a summary of that plan As noted yesterday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives…
Media
Read More: Wolf Truth Squad: Tax Hikes on Working Families
Tax Hike Vote: Four Things to Know
UPDATE: Gov. Wolf offered a new tax proposal on October 6, 2015. Here is a summary of that plan Legislative leaders have promised that on Wednesday October 7,…
Media
Read More: Tax Hike Vote: Four Things to KnowState Budget
Four Things to Know about Wolf’s September Tax Increase Proposal
On September 11, 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf presented legislative leaders with a second tax increase proposal—totaling$1.8 billion for the 2015-16 budget year, and a $3.2 billion net increase in 2016-17,…
Memo
Read More: Four Things to Know about Wolf’s September Tax Increase ProposalEducation
Wolf Veto = $11 Million Bill for Taxpayers
School districts have borrowed $346 million—and taxpayers will pay to pay up to $11 million in interest payments—as a result of Gov. Wolf’s budget vetoes, according to a report…
Media
Read More: Wolf Veto = $11 Million Bill for TaxpayersState Budget
Fresh Start, or Stale Policies of Decades Past?
At the beginning of 2015, we heard a lot about a “fresh start” for Pennsylvania. But nine months later, it's difficult to identify anything fresh about Gov. Wolf's tax, borrow…
Media
Read More: Fresh Start, or Stale Policies of Decades Past?State Budget
Who Will Vote to Raise Your Taxes?
Republican leadership in the General Assembly has announced they will allow a floor vote on a budget proposal that has the massive tax increases Gov. Wolf and government union leaders desire—if Democrats…
Media
Read More: Who Will Vote to Raise Your Taxes?Regulation
Government that Works?
Last week, Governor Wolf revved up his Jeep and resumed his “Government that Works” tour in Lancaster. In an ironic twist, Wolf also promised to veto a temporary funding bill…
Commentary
Read More: Government that Works?Regulation
Losers and Phony-Baloneys
Last week, Gov. Wolf unveiled new, bad policy ideas—to slightly adjust a misguided pension proposal, and to propose a private manager to a government run liquor monopoly. But just as…
Media
Read More: Losers and Phony-BaloneysRegulation
New Wolf Offer, Same Bad Policy
Yesterday, 28 days after receiving a budget compromise proposal from legislative Republicans, Gov. Wolf rejected that offer and issued his own plan—hiring a private contractor to manage the government liquor…
Media
Read More: New Wolf Offer, Same Bad PolicyState Budget
Free the Budget Hostages
This week, lawmakers are expected to vote for a “stop-gap budget”—funding state services and programs for a few months, while continuing to negotiate a budget compromise. Yet, some politicians oppose…
Media
Read More: Free the Budget HostagesPublic Union Democracy
Union Dues are Used for Politics (and Members Don’t Know It)
Yesterday's blog post and infographic noted how union dues from Pennsylvania teachers and state workers fund political ads from America Works USA. In response, on both Twitter…
Media
Read More: Union Dues are Used for Politics (and Members Don’t Know It)
How Public Employees are Forced to Fund Attack Ads
Pennsylvania school teachers and state workers are being forced to fund political attacks—with money collected at taxpayer expense through public payroll systems. Here’s how it works: Last year, 228,291 Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: How Public Employees are Forced to Fund Attack Ads
Vince Hughes: A Brave Man
In March, Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a massive tax increase of $12 billion over the next two years. Sen. Vince Hughes offered this tax plan—or 97 percent of it,…
Media
Read More: Vince Hughes: A Brave Man