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.”
Education
Bonus Fact Check: Government Preschool
One point that has been raised during the Rendell administration’s taxpayer funding lobbying campaign for higher taxes was the benefits of the Pre-K Counts programs. On this, we…
Media
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Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850
While the Rendell administration is burning your tax dollars funding a bus tour across Pennsylvania to ask for more education spending (and the higher taxes needed to pay for…
Media
Read More: Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850Regulation
Big Ideas for Pennsylvania
The Patriot News has a series of “Big Ideas for Pennsylvania”, including a couple we have championed – privatizing the state-owned liquor stores and reforming the state…
Media
Read More: Big Ideas for PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Reading Eagle writer Mary Young opines that, in the state budget debate, both sides should simply get along. She advocates basically splitting the difference between the Senate’s $27.3…
Media
Read More: Can’t We All Just Get Along?Taxes & Economy
Good Thing We Got That Stimulus!
Gov. Rendell claimed Arlen Specter “saved the county” with his vote on the “stimulus” legislation. Here is a chart to turn your laughter into tears, courtesy of…
Media
Read More: Good Thing We Got That Stimulus!State Budget
“Cuts First, Taxes Last”
The Philadelphia Inquirer comes out with an editorial calling for cutting wasteful spending in the state budget before talking about a tax increase. Here are some of the points…
Media
Read More: “Cuts First, Taxes Last”Taxes & Economy
Are Higher Taxes a “Centrist” Position?
Sharon Ward of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) writes to the Tribune Review complaining about being a labeled “liberal” or “far left”. To be fair to Ward,…
Media
Read More: Are Higher Taxes a “Centrist” Position?Government Accountability
More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher Taxes
The Rendell administration is going on another taxpayer funded bus trip across the state for higher spending (and the higher taxes need to pay for them). The target this…
Media
Read More: More Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying for Higher TaxesState Budget
PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher Taxes
Pennsylvania House Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans is again trumpeting the calls for a higher state income taxes in the Tribune Review. Despite billions in federal dollars flowing into…
Media
Read More: PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher TaxesTaxes & Economy
What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?
Bloomberg, via the Club for Growth, has a troubling lesson for those who want to hike business taxes. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says that if Obama’s new corporate…
Media
Read More: What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?Regulation
New Study of Film Tax Credit Ignores Economics
The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issued a report on the state’s film tax credit, concluding that the $75 million program generates over $500 million in economic activity…
Media
Read More: New Study of Film Tax Credit Ignores EconomicsEducation
Will Government-Run Preschool Help Fight Al-Qaeda?
The Patriot News has a blurb about former generals saying that government-run preschool will help improve the military, and that if the Pennsylvania Senate budget passes, the terrorists…
Media
Read More: Will Government-Run Preschool Help Fight Al-Qaeda?Government Accountability
Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget Debate
With the approach of June 30th and the end of the state’s fiscal year comes the annual argument in Harrisburg over Pennsylvania’s budget. With Senate Republicans having passed a spending…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvanians Deserve Open Budget DebateTaxes & Economy
Rendell Budget 2.0
In remarks yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced that he will cut at least $400 million from his earlier spending plan. He then went on to berate himself for being…
Media
Read More: Rendell Budget 2.0Health Care
Still Looking for Free Market Health Care Proposals
Ryan Ellis has a good post over on RedState on the Congressional Republican health care plan (see previous post here) and offering much more serious proposal for transforming…
Media
Read More: Still Looking for Free Market Health Care ProposalsGovernment Accountability
PA Senate Passes Spending Transparency
Legislation which we have discussed many times on this blog (see previous posts here and here, and Elizabeth Bryan’s commentary here) to create an online database…
Media
Read More: PA Senate Passes Spending TransparencyTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Budget Deficit Reaches $2.8 Billion
The latest report from the PA Department of Revenue, through the end of May, indicate that Pennsylvania’s General Fund revenue shortfall has now reached $2.8 billion for the fiscal…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Deficit Reaches $2.8 BillionRegulation
Another Bad Pension Proposal
The Post-Gazette has a story of another reform to municipal pension plans. The plan would be to put all new municipal employees into a statewide, defined benefit pension system.
Media
Read More: Another Bad Pension ProposalGovernment Accountability
Last Chance to Enter Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest
The deadline for entering our Please, No More Taxes! video contest is midnight tonight (June 1). There are $4,000 in prizes available for the top 3 entries. Contest rules…
Media
Read More: Last Chance to Enter Please, No More Taxes! Video ContestTaxes & Economy
June 9th Taxpayers’ Protest
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe is helping to coordinate a “Taxpayer’s Protest” on June 9 in Harrisburg. All taxpayers are encouraged to come down to the state…
Media
Read More: June 9th Taxpayers’ ProtestGovernment Accountability
Transparency Needed in Pennsylvania Budget Debate
ABC 27 has a news story and video on proposed legislation that would create an online portal and database of state spending in Pennsylvania. What is most disappointing…
Media
Read More: Transparency Needed in Pennsylvania Budget Debate