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.”
The Myth of Pre-K
Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute tackles the mythical benefits of universal pre-K: In truth, pre-K costs billions of dollars but returns little benefit. Supporters…
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The Global Warming Test
What do you know about Global Warming? Take the Global Warming Test from the Heartland Institute.
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Watch Benefield on Cyber School Funding
I will be on Pennsylvania Newsmakers dicussing cyber school funding. Click here for TV listings this weekend and next week.
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Rendell, Orie: Privatize PHEAA
Post Gazette – PHEAA bonuses enrage Rendell: “I haven’t seen a mind-set change to ‘We’re a public agency and we’re going to act like a public…
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Taxpayers poised to pay $2 billion for pensions
Morning Call story on the looming crisis in state and school employees’ pensions.
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More on PHEAA from the Guv
Governor calls PHEAA bonuses “outrageous” – Breaking News with The Patriot-News Sens. Jane Orie, R-Allegheny, and John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, reacted to the bonuses by saying they plan to…
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Feds receive request to toll I-80
Toll Roads News on the Application of the PA Turnpike Commission for tolling I-80 – featuring a copy of the actual application and some commentary including: The application…
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Bonus Time At PHEAA
Jan Murphy at the Patriot News on PHEAA’s latest round of bonuses, noting that PHEAA CEO Dick Willey’s bonus is higher than Governor Rendell’s salary.The headline “PHEAA’s…
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Tobacco companies must pay Pa. growers
Story from the AP and Intelligencer Journal on a court ruling that tobacco companies must pay tobacco farmers for lost revenue (HT to Grassroots PA). The PA Attorney…
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Kids First?
David Freddoso on SCHIP on National Review Online takes on two key parts of the SCHIP debate. First is the Bush administration’s new rules that states will have to…
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Liberal Views, Black Victims
Walter E. Williams on crime in Philadelphia, and what citizens (yes, citizens, not lawmakers) should do about it.
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Improving Pennsylvania’s Highways and Bridges Through Public-Private Partnerships
State Senator Jake Corman on the benefits of P3s in Transportation, and his plans to introduce authorizing legislation in the fall.
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Minimum Wage COLAs: Overstated Benefits & Hidden Costs
Support for minimum wage increases is based on the idea that a higher minimum wage will “help the poor” by increasing their pay and lifting them out of poverty.
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How to reduce the cost of insurance by 50%
Wall Street Journal article on new, low-cost individual health insurance offerings. (HT to SPN Blog) This sounded good especially, “Humana Inc. packages start at $26 a month“. This…
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Drunk on ethanol
Los Angeles Times article on politicians love for ethanol – mandating its use and subsidizing its production, while keeping high tariffs on foreign ethanol. They also point out how…
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Do stop-light cameras kill?
I am on an email list giving about 85 or so reasons to oppose stop-light cameras. I think I’ve ignored about 52 of these emails so far, but I’ll pass…
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Like them or not, cyber schools prove accountable
Editorial by Dennis Tulli in the Lebanon Daily News on the accountability of cyber schools, along with their underfunding (and the frequent refusal of school districts to pay their…
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Real Consideration of Turnpike Lease?
Pete DeCoursey at Capitolwire is reporting that not only is Governor Rendell continuing to press for a Turnpike Lease, but that he has several supporters, including Sen. Jake…
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Toll of teacher strikes
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on the cost of teacher strikes in PA, citing this study by the Allegheny Institute. Also read Simon Campbell’s commentary on legislation to end teacher…
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Why Campaign Expenditures are Increasing: The Government is Getting Bigger
Research by John Lott reveals a somewhat obvious explanation to campaign contribution growth, touched on briefly in my testimony. Special interests spend millions to influence government because government…
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Rendell’s world: Spending and debt
Brad Bumsted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on spending and debt under Rendell – i.e. the “cardboard check syndrome”.
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