Nathan Benefield
Chief Policy Officer
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 Chief Policy Officer , 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.”
PHEAA CEO to get $360,000 annual pension
Jan Murphy on the pension retiring PHEAA CEO Dick Willey will receive. The pension is so elevated because his $180,000 bonus counts toward the pension calculation. Of course, he…
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Do we need Special Session on Baseball Bats?
Philadelphia Inquirer story on the controversy over a bill to ban metal bats in baseball and softball from Little League through High School. The claim is that balls come…
Media
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Wal-Mart Reduces Cost of Prescriptions; State Increases Costs
Wal-Mart press release indicates they saved Pennsylvania residents $18 last year on prescription drugs through their “$4 prescription drug” program. However, state law doesn’t let Wal-Mart sell their drugs…
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Do Green Mandates and Subsidies Create Jobs?
Testimony of Dick Armey on the economic impacts of energy mandates and subsidies. Needless to say, he doesn’t agree with Governor Rendell that taxpayer-funded handouts to politically selected companies…
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Rendell: Show me the money and I’ll pull plan for I-80 tolls
Morning Call Story on Governor Rendell’s announcement he would support a repeal of Act 44 if legislators found an alternative funding stream. A Turnpike lease remains at…
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SCHIP Information Center
New Website from the NCPA provides a collection of information on the SCHIP program, including recent research, commentary, and blogs.
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Push for “Distracted Drivers” legislation
Legislation to ban hand held cell phones and text messages – aimed at curbing “distratcted drivers” – is being pushed as a top priority by House Democrats. In the…
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PHEAA CEO to step down
PHEAA CEO Dick Willey announced he will resign at the end of the year. Possible reasons include a better paying job in the private sector, belief that Governor…
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Tax Poor to Fund Middle Class
NCPA Report on SCHIP Expansion finds that If SCHIP is expanded as Congress now proposes, says the paper, people making under 200 percent of the poverty line…
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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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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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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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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…
Commentary
Read More: Cyber School Students Deserve Adequate Funding