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.”
Many reasons to oppose the collecting of tolls on Interstate 80
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff on the need to repeal Act 44.
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Defend America, Buy More Iranian Oil
This Reason Foundation Commentary explains why “Energy independence isn’t a good national security strategy,” in spite of Governor Rendell’s use of the “189 Pennsylvanians killed in Iraq and…
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Steyn: Nurse Hillary knows best
Mark Steyn on HillaryCare (and other proposed health insurance mandates)and freedom. From now on, everyone in America will have to have health insurance. Hooray! And,…
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Read More: Steyn: Nurse Hillary knows best
Blowing both ways
David Hurst in the Altoona Mirror on Big Wind and Big Government. It looks like the wind energy companies have hired “Mr. Bring-home-the-bacon” Bob Jubelirer to bring home the…
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Read More: Blowing both ways
Is PA Government the Worst?
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story on a Tim Potts presentation on taking Pennsylvania from “worst in the nation” to “best in the nation” in terms of good government. Unfortunately, spokesmen…
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Pat Toomey on “Transportation” Earmarks
Club for Growth President (and Commonwealth Foundation board member) Pat Toomey in National Review Online on the number of pork projects in the federal transportation funding bill…
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OECD report on Biofuels
The recent OECD report on biofuels is a must read for lawmakers consider Governor’s plan to mandate ethanol use and to subsidize ethanol production in PA: The…
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Read More: OECD report on Biofuels
Interstate 80 toll foes drive on capital
Patriot News on the growing push to repeal Act 44. More from the Commonwealth Foundation on repealing Act 44 here and here.
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House Democrats fight probe of bonus payments
Patriot News on House Democrats’ taxpayer-funded lawsuit to limit the taxpayer-funded investigation into whether taxpayer-funded bonuses were handed out illegally.
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The Politics of Ethanol
NY Times article on The High Costs of Ethanol. If the typically liberal NY Times opposes the political games of ethanol, why does Governor Rendell continue to push…
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Cyber School Students Deserve Adequate Funding
Thank you, Chairman Roebuck and members of this committee for inviting us to speak today. My name is Nathan Benefield, I am the Director of Policy Research with the…
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Read More: Cyber School Students Deserve Adequate Funding
Republicans Can Win on Health Care
Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal on some free market health care reforms. While Rove’s prescription contains much of the same reforms we suggested here and…
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Legislation on building wind farms encouraged
Patriot News Article on the debate over wind as a viable energy alternative. The headline is somewhat misleading, as the primary focus is on groups “encouraging” legislation that would…
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Read More: Legislation on building wind farms encouraged
More Resources on Energy
Here are a couple of resources on energy policy I forgot to include in my previous post: Energy, Environment and Economics: A Guide for State Legislators – ALEC…
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Read More: More Resources on Energy
Free Markets vs. Socialized Medicine
John Goodman on Hillary Clinton’s new health care propsal, along with comments on John Stossel’s latest special on health care, which aired on Friday. Also check out…
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Readings on Energy
As the General Assembly begins a special session on energy (and it looks like the debate is only on how much to borrow and spend on corporate welfare grants),…
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Merit pay for teachers begins to earn high grades
USA Today commentary on the success of teacher merit pay in Denver and elsewhere.
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Legislators back away from I-80 toll plan
Morning Call coverage of state lawmakers unhappy with Act 44 (Tolling I-80) and calling for going back to the drawing board. I respect this admission from the Rendell…
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PA Health Survey Results
The PA Department of Health released results on a survey of health (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). What does this tell us? Their main finding was:…
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Sick Sob Stories
John Stossel in today’s Wall Street Journal on American health care and Michael Moore’s Sicko. When government is in charge of health care, the result…
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Read More: Sick Sob Stories