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.”
Dubai firm to sell U.S. ports
Dubai Ports World is selling their US Ports operations to AIG. Here are all the changes planned after a year of the Dubai firm and several years of a…
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The Price is Wrong: Most Americans Significantly Underestimate Health Care Costs
A survey by HealthMarkets shows that prices doctors charge for the same procedure vary dramatically, an dmost consumer have little idea what the service costs.
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The Top 1% . . . of What?
Wall Street Journal article looks at the PR campaign against the “top 1%”. Two points to note: 1) Using tax return as a measure of income misses a lot…
Media
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How to Help the Poor
John Stossel on how rich business leaders can help the poor… Great business creators like Duncan and Turner waste their skills if they just give money away.
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The Education Market Index
The Cato Institute release a report, The Education Market Index, which ranks states on the freedom and choice in their K-12 education markets. Pennsylvania ranks 9th, but only with…
Media
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Turnpike Lease is Win-Win for Taxpayers, Lawmakers
Governor Rendell’s recent announcement that the state would seek “expressions of interest” on a lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is a recognition of the potential benefits of public-private partnerships (P3s)…
Commentary
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How do state taxes effect entrepreneurship?
A report by the SBA Office of Advocacy looks at state taxes and the effect on entrepreneurship (measure as the number of sole proprietors). While much of their analysis…
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Bad ruling allowed teacher strikes
Read Simon Campbell’s editorial in Sunday’s Patriot News.
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School districts’ pension tab to rise
Charles Thompson reports in the Patriot News that school districts’ contributions to the pension system is going to rise by about $94 million next year. That is minor compared…
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In case you missed it …
The Evening Bulletin covered Wednesday’s Speaker Franklin Awards Gala.
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Specter gets GOP back on track
Sports Illustrated reports that Arlen Specter is trying to push the GOP back to the founding father’s principles of government, such as ensuring access to TV coverage of football.
Media
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What about those with spending problems?
The Post-Gazette reports that the hotline for problem gamblers has now opened. The irony of legalizing gambling to (in part) fund services for problem gamblers isn’t lost on me,…
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State of the Unions
Stephen Moore in the Wall Street Journal on the Washington State case on whether workers are entitled to refuse union fees that will be used for political activity. The…
Media
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Rendell: Make an offer for Pa. Turnpike
Yesterday, Governor Rendell announced that the state will be accepting bids for a lease on the Pennsylvania Turnpike through December 22. (See Philadelphia Inquirer story). A lease would require…
Media
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Rendell to weigh turnpike funding
The Patriot News reports that Governor Rendell will announce his views on leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike. We at the Commonwealth Foundation maintain that Public-Private Parternships are the key to…
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National Health Care? We’re Halfway There
New York Times article highlights that fact that almost half of all Americans are covered by government health care (through Medicare, Medicaid and related program, and government employee’s health…
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Critic: Select house leader openly
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article on the need for transparency in leadership elections.
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Amtrak service between Philly, Harrisburg trying to improve on ‘beyond pathetic’
The Morning Call reports that the $145 million taxpayer grant to Amtrak for “high speed rail.” Not only was this project not worth the benefit (See here), but…
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Increasing Dependence on Government
In a new report, the 2006 Index of Dependency, the Heritage Foundation concludes that Americans are growing increasingly dependent on government in the areas of housing, health care, education,…
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Kid’s coverage shortfalls
Stateline.org reports that many states Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) face multi-million dollar shortfalls, and hope that the federal government will bail them out. The article notes that states…
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Can 600 economists all be wrong?
Greg Mankiw blogs on some economists “support” for a minimum wage increase. Some economists see the “modest benefits” outweighing the “modest adverse affects”. But unlike Governor Rendell and his…
Media
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