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.”
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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Bonus recipients gave heavily to campaigns
More gasoline on the legislative bonuses fire, from Public Radio Capitol News.
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A heaping helping of handouts
Post-Gazette piece on a whole host of corporate welfare grants.
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Significant Tax Increase for Pennsylvania
The Tax Foundation assesses Governor Rendell’s plans to raise a host of taxes in Pennylvania.
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State judge pay system worse than legislative bonuses.
From Capitolwire.com (subscription): Ditzen also wrote: “For all the controversy surrounding Act 44, I have not heard anyone argue that the salary linkage for state judges to the federal…
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Taxpayers could bear cost of pension plans’ ‘noncrisis’
Rick Dreyfuss’s latest commentary in Sunday’s Patriot-News.
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Saying No To Teacher Strikes
The Evening Bulletin covers efforts to stop teacher strikes in PA, focusing on the efforts of Simon Campbell at Stop Teacher Strikes, Inc.
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The Case Against Smoking Bans
Thomas A Lambert in Regulation Magazine on the Case Against Smoking Bans in “public places.”…
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Rendell pushes health plan
Lancaster Intelligencer Journal article on RendellCare. After quoting my commentary on Rendell’s misdiagnosis of the problem, the article then quotes Rendell saying: “‘It’s important for the Legislature to…
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Rendell’s Energy Plan
From Capitolwire.com: By Christopher LilienthalStaff ReporterCapitolwire HARRISBURG (Feb. 1) – Gov. Ed Rendell outlined an energy independence strategy Thursday that calls for the creation of an $850…
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More on Legislative Bonuses
The Patriot News adds up the total legislative bonuses to $3.6 million over the last 2 years ($1.8 million from the Democratic caucus in 2006). Meanwhile, Bob Jubelirer defends…
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Time for another Rendell tax proposal
From the bad idea factory in Harrisburg comes another proposal for a tax increase to fund another misguided government program. This time, Governor Rendell proposes increasing electricity taxes by $850…
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Justice on Trial
The Commonwealth Foundation is co-sponsoring with Democracy Rising Pennsylvania and several other reform groups a survey of judicial candidates.
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Jubelirer’s ex-chief got $95,000 settlement package
More on the bonuses (and severance pay) paid to top legislator staffers from Brad Bumsted of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. It seems that looking through Jubelirer’s financial reports is like…
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Senate leaders disclosed over $363K in bonuses
After last weeks disclosure that several unnamed PA Democratic House staffers were getting taxpayer-paid bonuses for undisclosed activities, the Senate GOP had decided to end their practice of bonuses…
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