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.”
Taxes & Economy
Roots of the Crisis
FreedomWorks has a great looking redesign of their website. They also have a new feature article on the “roots of the financial crisis“, which is full…
Media
Read More: Roots of the CrisisTaxes & Economy
Cutting Governor’s Schools of Excellence is a “Washington Monument Ploy”
The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is an ongoing gag to connect any person to actor Kevin Bacon in under six moves. If news stories count, I am tied…
Media
Read More: Cutting Governor’s Schools of Excellence is a “Washington Monument Ploy”Taxes & Economy
Is tolling I-80 dead?
Some of the Turnpike Commissioners think that tolling I-80 across PA remains a strong possibility, and that the federal government did not “reject” the tolling plan. See the…
Media
Read More: Is tolling I-80 dead?Regulation
More on the PA Pension “Spike”
A couple of editorials on the crisis in Pennsylvania’s public pension crisis from the Daily Review and the Courier Express. Both called for depoliticizing the plans by moving…
Media
Read More: More on the PA Pension “Spike”Regulation
Rendell administration: Commonwealth Foundation is right about government spending
A Capitolwire (subscription) headline reads “DCED acting secretary says little state can do to create jobs,” after a hearing in which Secretary Cornelius notes that “economic development” programs have…
Media
Read More: Rendell administration: Commonwealth Foundation is right about government spendingState Budget
What do Economists Agree On?
Greg Mankiw posts a selection from his textbook on what economists agree on, from a survey. I am not suprised to see economists overwhelmingly support free trade, as that…
Media
Read More: What do Economists Agree On?Regulation
Update on the Boscov’s Bailout
John Micek has a summary of the new PA DCED secretary’s explanation of the Boscov’s bailout, during a hearing today. Secretary Cornelius noted that bailouts encourage companies to start…
Media
Read More: Update on the Boscov’s BailoutEducation
Piccola Offers Alternative Plan for PA Higher Ed
State Sen. Jeff Piccola has a new proposal to offer additional grants directly to Pennsylvania students for higher education, and tie this funding to both schools’ holding tuition costs down…
Media
Read More: Piccola Offers Alternative Plan for PA Higher EdGovernment Accountability
Pay to Play Culture in Harrisburg
ABC 27 has a story/video highlighting the “pay-to-play” cronyism in Harrisburg, specifically the $11 million in outside legal fees (despite hundreds of lawyers on staff) going to Ballard Spahr…
Media
Read More: Pay to Play Culture in HarrisburgRegulation
PA pension funds report major losses
Mark Scolforo summarizes the reports from Pennsylvania two statewide pension funds SERS (for state workers) and PSERS (for school district employees): The percentage losses on investments were similar.
Media
Read More: PA pension funds report major lossesTaxes & Economy
New Study of Business Tax Burdens
The Council on State Taxation has released a new study on state and local business taxes. It is a good primer on what taxes business pay (for instance, I…
Media
Read More: New Study of Business Tax BurdensTaxes & Economy
A tax code even a congressman can understand
Andrew Moylan editorializes that simplifying the federal tax code would provide an economic “stimulus.” Individual taxpayers spend more than 3.5 billion hours complying with the code. That …
Media
Read More: A tax code even a congressman can understand
Is Propaganda Good “Economic Development”?
Philadelphia Inquirer head honcho Brian Tierney has a response in the Wall Street Journal defending a state bailout of the Inky. The Wall Street Journal had previously…
Media
Read More: Is Propaganda Good “Economic Development”?Health Care
Health Care Policies and Small Business
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business. Pennsylvania gets a fairly…
Media
Read More: Health Care Policies and Small BusinessHealth Care
Health Care Policies and Small Business
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business. Pennsylvania gets a fairly…
Media
Read More: Health Care Policies and Small BusinessRegulation
Philadelphia’s Pension Non-Reform
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing addressing the city’s unfunded pension liability by, essentially, not paying as much as the city should (HT GrassrootsPA). Like Pennsylvania’s state…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia’s Pension Non-ReformTaxes & Economy
Feulner blast stimulus process
Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner has a scathing open letter to Congress on the stimulus bill: In addition to being the single most expensive bill ever proposed,…
Media
Read More: Feulner blast stimulus processEducation
School Choice Yearbook
The Alliance for School Choice has released their 2008-09 School Choice Yearbook (click here for the news release). The yearbook profiles school choice programs in every state, the…
Media
Read More: School Choice YearbookTaxes & Economy
The Burden of PA Business Taxes
The Tribune Review has a story featuring Tax Foundation president Scott Hodge discussing Pennsylvania’s business tax climate at an appearance in Pittsburgh: The state needs…
Media
Read More: The Burden of PA Business TaxesEducation
School District Consolidation is a Red Herring
In the movie Men in Black, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) carries a small device that flashes, allowing him to make people forget meeting him (or seeing aliens). Gov. Rendell…
Commentary
Read More: School District Consolidation is a Red HerringGovernment Accountability
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009 identifies $5 billion in unhealthy state spending in FY 2008-09 and offers a series of recommendations to both resolve the current revenue shortfall…
Report
Read More: Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009