Nathan Benefield

Nathan Benefield

Senior Vice President

Nathan (Nate) Benefield is the Senior Vice President at the Commonwealth Foundation.

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

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 8, 2009

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

Read More: Bonus Fact Check: Government Preschool

Education

Fact Check: K-12 Education Support Increase Under SB 850

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 8, 2009

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 850

Regulation

Big Ideas for Pennsylvania

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 8, 2009

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 Pennsylvania

Taxes & Economy

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 8, 2009

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!

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 7, 2009

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”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 7, 2009

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?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 5, 2009

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

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 5, 2009

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 Taxes

State Budget

PA House Democrat Pushing for Higher Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 5, 2009

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 Taxes

Taxes & Economy

What Will Higher Business Taxes Get You?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 4, 2009

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

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 4, 2009

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 Economics

Education

Will Government-Run Preschool Help Fight Al-Qaeda?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 3, 2009

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

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • June 3, 2009

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 Debate

Taxes & Economy

Rendell Budget 2.0

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 3, 2009

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 2.0

Health Care

Still Looking for Free Market Health Care Proposals

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 2, 2009

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 Proposals

Government Accountability

PA Senate Passes Spending Transparency

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 2, 2009

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 Transparency

Taxes & Economy

Pennsylvania Budget Deficit Reaches $2.8 Billion

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 1, 2009

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 Billion

Regulation

Another Bad Pension Proposal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 1, 2009

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 Proposal

Government Accountability

Last Chance to Enter Please, No More Taxes! Video Contest

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 1, 2009

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 Contest

Taxes & Economy

June 9th Taxpayers’ Protest

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 29, 2009

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’ Protest

Government Accountability

Transparency Needed in Pennsylvania Budget Debate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 29, 2009

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