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.”
Two against 48
Dimitri Vassilaros column in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Senators Eichelberger and Folmer (the two in the 2 vs. 48) who voted against the budget. Vassilaros also discussesthe intricacies of state…
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Another Anti-Cyber Assault by School Boards
School boards continue to attack public cyber schools and call for limiting their spending (you never hear anyone calling for school districts to limit their spending) in the Pittsburgh…
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State flunks in financial disclosure
Brett Lieberman in the Patriot News on Pennsylvania’s failing grade for disclosure of public official’s financial interests The full report is here. The disclosure documents for the…
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Toll Roads News on the Transportation Deal
Penn Pike’s Joe Brimmeier trumps state Governor – comes out of fight with growing road portfolio, from Toll Roads News.
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The Best States For Business
This is about a week old, but Forbes’ lastest Best States For Business ranks PA near the bottom, coming in at 39 this year. I’m sure with the Film…
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Edifice Complex Charts and Resources
Below are charts, source data, and statistical results results (as promised) from our report Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone Charts used at News Conference (PDF)…
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Turnpike Wheeling and Dealing
Brad Bumsted’s assessment of the Turnpike Commission’s deal to expand their power and protect their fiefdom. The Turnpike Commission may have gotten enough House votes for their borrowing and…
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Milton Friedman Resolution Passes!
Without drawing much attention, given all the attention going to the state budget and the transportation funding plan, we scored a legislative victory of sorts. Late last night…
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Pittsburgh schools drop ‘public’ from name to boost image
Oddity on the education front – since “public” schools carry a negative connotation the Pittsburgh Public Schools will now be known simply as the Pittsburgh Schools. We think…
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Edifice Complex at Central Dauphin?
Yesterday we released a report titled The Edifice Complex, which looks at school district spending (as well as contrasting that with cyber schools), finding that school districts suffer from…
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Changing the rules
We’ve been called out on GrassrootsPA for “trying to re-write the rules at the end of the process. But I thinkeveryone can see the shell game…
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Eichelberger Speaks Out on Budget
Senator Eichelberger’s floor statement on why he could not support the budget. (Eichelberger was one of only two “no” votes in the Senate, joining Senator Folmer).
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Budget Line Items Revealed
The budget deal was reported from conference committee tonight (the deal had already been worked out behind the scenes, the conference committee just reported what was handed to them).
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Closed doors & capitulation
Brad Bumsted on why conservatives and reformers are upset about the budget deal: The deal occured behind closed doors. All the rank and file members were excluded, and what…
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Min. Wage, Jobs, and Unemployment
In his Weekly Newsletter, Gov. Rendell takes credit for “improving the lives” of workers who received a minimum wage increase. In it the Governor note: “Pennsylvania’s…
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Tolling I-80
Here is the link to the letter from US DOT to Sen. Madigan we refenced in our letter to the Governor and lamwakers on the legality and merits…
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Idiot Vs. Crazy
Pennsyltucky Politics asks, “Is it worse to be called an idiot (Matt Brouillette) or crazy (Eric Epstein)?” Current poll results indicate a tight race.
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Morning Call on Energy Plan
Christina Gostomski from the Morning Call on how Gov. Rendell’s energy plan could end up being financed by higher gross receipts taxes, once electricity rates go up.
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Celebrate the Good Half
Lowman Henry’s Commentary gets me thinking how much we really need to enact a Taxpayer Protection Act. As much as we have criticized the budget deal, it…
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Legislator Voting with Leader Record
Democracy Rising PA has put together spreadsheets looking at the percentage that both freshmen and veteran state legislators voted with their party leader on non-unanimous votes. It…
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