Robert O’Donnell
Education Senior Fellow
The Honorable Robert W. O’Donnell is an Education Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation.
Bob is a Philadelphia-based attorney and a former Democratic Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As a member of the House for 19 years, Bob rose through the ranks of leadership, serving as caucus chairman, majority whip, majority leader, and Speaker of the House. While in public service, he developed a reputation as a thoughtful, dynamic, and intellectually honest member of the House. He has been a consistent advocate for equality of opportunity including supporting school choice throughout his tenure in the legislature.
Bob has served as a member of Public Employees Retirement Study Commission, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, the Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh, the Mayor’s Tax Budget and Advisory Committee (Philadelphia), the Chesapeake Bay Commission, the General State Authority, the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force (Philadelphia), the Millrite Council, and the Philadelphia Port Corporation Board of Directors.
He is a graduate of Temple University and its law school and attended The Hague Academy of International Law. Arcadia College and Philadelphia University awarded Bod honorary degrees, and he has received several public awards including citations from the Pennsylvania League of Cities Service and Common Cause.
Bob resides in Chestnut Hill with his wife, Dr. Donna Gentile O’Donnell.
Regulation
Zack and Miri Take a Fortune
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Earmark searches made easy
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Hugo Chavez: Bush is sociailist “comrade”
Cato-at-liberty notes that Venezuelan would-be-dictator Hugo Chavez has welcomed President Bush into the socialist movement: Socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mocked George W. Bush as a “comrade” on…
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Health Care Reform
Reform in health care should follow a few key principles: Give individuals and employers more choices in health care. Give them more freedom in choosing health care options.
Fact Sheet
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The Great Health Care Debate
Bob Moffit of Heritage writes that we are at a crossroads in health care in term of the difference between McCain and Obama’s proposals. The Commonwealth Foundation has said…
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“The Great Depression II”
As most movie sequels are dwarfed by the original, so too does the rhetoric about the US sitting on the precipice of “another Great Depression” over-hype the current situation, and…
Media
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Capitol Domes: Fiscal Cliff Ahead
The Central Penn Business Journal launched Capitol Domes today (subscribe to the feed here), a new blog featuring Matt Brouillette and Rock the Capital’s Eric Epstein. Brouillette’s…
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Heritage on ACORN
The Heritage Foundation has a post today giving an informative primer on ACORN and how it gets it money.
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The Vatican Denies Collective Bargaining for Catholic Teachers
When the Bishop Joseph F. Martino refused to recognize the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers as a collective bargaining unit the union took it’s…
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The Case for Corporate Tax Cuts
The NCPA has a short primer on why the US (and Pennsylvania) should cut corporate tax rates. The US has the 2nd highest (to Japan) combined corporate tax rate. …
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Buckeye Institute files Rico suit against ACORN
Our sister think tank in Ohio has filed a RICO suit (i.e. for organized crime) against ACORN for voter fraud. The full complaint is here. Since stories…
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Anatomy of a Train Wreck
The Independent Institute has a new report on the causes of the mortgage meltdown: This report concludes that, in an attempt to increase home ownership, particularly by…
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Business Owners: Economy and elected officials are bad, drilling and nuclear power needed
The Lincoln Institute has release their Fall 2008 Keystone Business Climate Survey covering a range of business and political issues. Some of the more interesting findings: Almost…
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Why Americans love term limits
Howard Rich, head of the pro-term limit group U.S. Term Limits, has an op-ed in the USA TODAY on why term limits are popular, except among legislators. Topics…
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Where will Canadians go for health care?
A Canadian commented on a previous post that – even though he had to come to the US to receive health care – the Canadian system is better because…
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Make the bailout “investments” voluntary
Letter I sent to the President and my representatives in Congress: The recent bailout plan approved by Congress authorized the Dept. of the Treasury to purchase mortgages securities at above-market…
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Stay (Just A Little Bit Longer)
Recently, state Senators Gibson Armstrong (R, Lancaster) and Vince Fumo (D, Philadelphia) sounded the alarm that Pennsylvania will be facing a massive budget deficit by the end of the…
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Is choosing your health care plan dangerous?
Michael Cannon’s latest commentary on health care reform is a must read: What I saw next was even scarier: The presidential debate, where Barack Obama told me how…
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must go
Good article in the Christian Science Monitor on the need to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Heritage Foundation blog also discusses how Fannie Mae and Freddie…
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Re-regulating Electricity
The Tribune-Review has an article breaking down the latest energy bill (HB2200). The bill seeks to regulate the “deregulation” process by: Mandating the installation of smart meters over a…
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Video: Flunked Panel Discussion
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