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.
OECD report on Biofuels
The recent OECD report on biofuels is a must read for lawmakers consider Governor’s plan to mandate ethanol use and to subsidize ethanol production in PA: The…
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Interstate 80 toll foes drive on capital
Patriot News on the growing push to repeal Act 44. More from the Commonwealth Foundation on repealing Act 44 here and here. Topics on this page…
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House Democrats fight probe of bonus payments
Patriot News on House Democrats’ taxpayer-funded lawsuit to limit the taxpayer-funded investigation into whether taxpayer-funded bonuses were handed out illegally. Topics on this page The Patriot-News…
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The Politics of Ethanol
NY Times article on The High Costs of Ethanol. If the typically liberal NY Times opposes the political games of ethanol, why does Governor Rendell continue to push…
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Cyber School Students Deserve Adequate Funding
Thank you, Chairman Roebuck and members of this committee for inviting us to speak today. My name is Nathan Benefield, I am the Director of Policy Research with the…
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Republicans Can Win on Health Care
Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal on some free market health care reforms. While Rove’s prescription contains much of the same reforms we suggested here and…
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Legislation on building wind farms encouraged
Patriot News Article on the debate over wind as a viable energy alternative. The headline is somewhat misleading, as the primary focus is on groups “encouraging” legislation that would…
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More Resources on Energy
Here are a couple of resources on energy policy I forgot to include in my previous post: Energy, Environment and Economics: A Guide for State Legislators – ALEC…
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Read More: More Resources on Energy
Free Markets vs. Socialized Medicine
John Goodman on Hillary Clinton’s new health care propsal, along with comments on John Stossel’s latest special on health care, which aired on Friday. Also check out…
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Readings on Energy
As the General Assembly begins a special session on energy (and it looks like the debate is only on how much to borrow and spend on corporate welfare grants),…
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The Hype for Energy Indebtedness
Governor Ed Rendell contends that his energy policy will help the Commonwealth attain “energy independence.” Don’t believe the hype. His plan imposes new taxes to cover the costs…
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Merit pay for teachers begins to earn high grades
USA Today commentary on the success of teacher merit pay in Denver and elsewhere. Topics on this page DenverUSA Today…
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Legislators back away from I-80 toll plan
Morning Call coverage of state lawmakers unhappy with Act 44 (Tolling I-80) and calling for going back to the drawing board. I respect this admission from the Rendell…
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PA Health Survey Results
The PA Department of Health released results on a survey of health (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System). What does this tell us? Their main finding was:…
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Sick Sob Stories
John Stossel in today’s Wall Street Journal on American health care and Michael Moore’s Sicko. When government is in charge of health care, the result…
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Biofuels may harm more than help
OECD report says that Ethanol and Biodiesel aren’t the holy grail that Gov. Rendell thinks they are: “When acidification, fertilizer use, biodiversity loss and toxicity of agricultural pesticides…
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There IS enough funding for roads and bridges
Sixty-three Senators believe there is enough federal funding for roads and bridges to also fund the “International Peace Garden” in Dunseith, North Dakota; “America’s Wetland Center” in Lake Charles, Louisiana;…
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Read More: There IS enough funding for roads and bridges
Cyberschools and AYP
Lancaster Intelligencer Journal on cyber schools academic performance and area schools. The article cites our Edifice Complex report– particularly fact about cyber students coming disproportionately from underperforming school…
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Time to put PHEAA up for sale
Editorial on PHEAA from The Valley Independent: “While the concept of placing the agency in the hands of a private, for-profit company might seem – considering the whole PROFIT aspect…
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Who are the judges?
A Reposting – for those of you who are neither lawyers or criminals and are looking for more info about the judicial candidates, here are various surveys/voter guides. Democracy…
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Pork or Bridge Repairs
The Club For Growth and Americans for Prosperity are blogging on Senator Tom Coburn’s effort to remove pork projects from transportation funding. Read more on transportation pork…
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