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.”
Priceless politics
Thomas Sowell wonders why local governments feel they need to own and operate golf courses under the mantra of “helping the poor”: “Are the taxpayers being asked to support…
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Hearing may be major step toward state constitutional convention
The push for a Constitutional Convention in PA may be heating up, the Post-Gazette reports.
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Spirits of privatization are likely to stay bottled up
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette considers the prospects of privatizing the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
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Uninsured And Overinflated
Investor’s Business Daily editorial breaks down the “46 million” without health insurance: most are without insurance short-term, immigrants, eligible for current government programs, or young and choosing not to…
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Adding Up the Reasons For Expensive Health Care
Washington Post article details why healthcare is so expensive in the US. Doctor’s pay, unnecessary testing, and hospital amenities play a major role (and the third-party payer model falls…
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The Stubborn Welfare State
Robert Samuelson looks at where tax dollars really go. The charts tell it all.
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A Portrait of the Economy
Wall Street Journal editorial on why growth of Big Government always undermines economic growth.
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The Tax Foundation on Windfall Profits Tax
Tax Foundation Audio on Governor Rendell’s proposed oil profits tax (from KDKA, Pittsburgh).
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Should Uncle Sam Take Oil Company Profits?
US News and World Report answers: No: “Today’s earnings are tomorrow’s investments, both in exploiting hard-to-reach oil reserves and in alternative fuels.” Of course, Governor Rendell believes those investments…
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Critics claim property tax savings offset by other taxes
Governor Rendell’s ideas of tax relief by raising taxes. But it is “ahead of schedule”.
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Utah enacts school vouchers
Utah Governor Huntsman signed into law the first statewide school voucher program open to virtually all students. Scholarship value would vary based on family income.
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Top bonus recipients aided top Dems
Post-Gazette expose linking legislative bonus recipients to campaign work and contributions.
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Gov. Ed Rendell: Raising taxes with a purpose
Governor Rendell in a letter to the editor explains why his taxes are little but the benefits are big.
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Electric customers face double hit
The Morning Call explains why electricity prices will be going up to pay for a program to tell consumers that electricity prices are going up.
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9.8% Spending Increase
Because of plans to create new state funds and shifting spending from the General Fund to other funds, the Governor’s budget proposal really implies a 9.8% increase in spending from…
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Eliminating government mandates would lower cost of health insurance
Good editorial pointing out how mandates drive up the cost of health insurance, and that fewer mandates would lower costs. Let me repeat (specifically for the Rendell administration): fewer…
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Pennsylvania’s Windfall Profits Tax?
The Tax Foundation’s blog on Rendell’s proposed windfall profits tax.
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Taxing Teachers
When Governor Rendell intoduced his proposed “Oil Company Gross Profits Tax”, he bashed Exxon-Mobil and their profits. The Governor apparently forgot that Exxon’s profits are owned by people, including being…
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Record Taxes
Much has been made about Exxon’s “record profits”, but no media focused on their “record taxes“–Exxon paid three times in taxes what they earned in profits. Why is this…
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Rendell To Seek Increase in Sales Tax
ABC 27 previews the Governor’s budget proposals.
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Fiscal Revelation
Wall Street Journal crunches numbers in the federal budget and national debt.
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