Staff

Note From the Team Oct/Nov. 2016

• February 1, 2017

Standing up to Philadelphia union bosses is not for the faint of heart. Some might have been cowed into silence after becoming the target of union violence. Sarina Rose, a…

Commentary

State Budget

State Budget Solution #4: Cut Corporate Welfare

• Gina Diorio
• February 1, 2017

Pa. Leads Nation in Wasteful Corporate Subsidies at $6 Billion Since 2007 February 1, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—This year state government will transfer more than $800 million from Pennsylvanians…

Press Release

Health Care

The Case for Block Granting Medicaid

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 31, 2017

Governor Wolf is decrying efforts in Washington to give states more control over Medicaid through a block grant. This will have a devastating impact for many Pennsylvanians, and…

Media

Public Union Democracy

Paycheck Protection Passes Senate Committee

• Nathan Benefield
• January 31, 2017

The Senate State Government Committee today passed paycheck protection, which ends the special privilege that lets government union leaders use public resources to collect money earmarked for politics.  Since…

Media

Regulation

Film Tax Credit Draws Bad Reviews

• James Paul
• January 30, 2017

Be it Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, Denzel Washington in Fences, or Gerard Butler in Law Abiding Citizen—everyone loves to see their favorite movie stars come to the neighborhood. This, combined…

Media

Education

Q&A: Education Savings Accounts

• January 26, 2017

Could Education Savings Accounts change public education in Pennsylvania? We asked Jonathan Butcher, education director for the Goldwater Institute in Arizona and nationally-known expert on ESAs, for his expertise on…

Media

Education

State Budget Solution #3: Student-Focused Education Funding

• January 25, 2017

Education Spending Must Put Children’s Needs First January 25, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—This week marks National School Choice Week, which recognizes the importance of ensuring children have…

Press Release

Regulation

Budget Solution of the Week: Reduce Special Interest Spending

• January 25, 2017

In our budget solutions blog series, we’ve covered the benefits of a government efficiency review, the need to modernize the commonwealth’s corrections system, and the importance of…

Media

Educational Choice in a Grandparent’s Words

• James Paul
• January 23, 2017

National School Choice Week, beginning today, is a celebration of opportunity. Each of the educational options in Pennsylvania—private scholarship programs, charter schools, online education, and the ability to homeschool—empower…

Media

Education

Budget Solution of the Week: School Choice

• January 20, 2017

Earlier this month, House Majority Leader Dave Reed challenged his colleagues to change the way Harrisburg operates: “Now is the time to reimagine and redesign government, our state and…

Media

Health Care

4 Obamacare Failures & How to Fix Them

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 19, 2017

For almost seven years the benefits of Obamacare have been exaggerated and the costs severely underestimated. As repeal efforts gain momentum, many are understandably uncomfortable about another dramatic shift in…

Media

Regulation

State Budget Solution #2: Liquor Privatization

• January 19, 2017

Getting Government Out of the Booze Business Could Bring $1 Billion+ Windfall January 19, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—This week marks the 98th anniversary of the ratification of the…

Press Release

Criminal Justice Reform

Budget Solution of the Week: Corrections Reform

• January 13, 2017

The Department of Corrections (DOC) recently announced its intentions to close two state prisons and reduce capacity at community corrections facilities (halfway houses). These decisions will cut state incarceration…

Media

Public Union Democracy

The Inquirer’s Problematic Budget Prescriptions

• January 11, 2017

A Philadelphia Inquirer editorial urges optimism about the forthcoming state budget debate. It’s certainly well-warranted. Gov. Wolf and legislative leaders have repeatedly expressed interest in redesigning state government to…

Media

State Budget

State Budget Solution #1: Corrections Reform

• January 11, 2017

Flawed Sentencing System Driving Spending Growth January 11, 2017, Harrisburg, Pa.—As state budget season begins, Governor Wolf and legislative leaders have signaled their desire to streamline government as…

Press Release

Officials Move to Streamline the Corrections System

• Jessica Barnett
• January 10, 2017

“We are again in the position where the Department of Corrections must make significant reductions because of the dire budget forecast.” Thus Corrections Secretary John Wetzel highlights the challenges…

Media

State Budget

Budget Solution of the Week: Government Efficiency Review

• January 6, 2017

With the budget deficit casting a shadow over the current fiscal year, and deficits projected for at least the next five years, policymakers are acting to stem the tide of…

Media

Regulation

Phila. Cigarette Tax to be Levied on Non-Philadelphia, Non-Smokers

• James Paul
• January 5, 2017

Since Philadelphia residents aren’t buying enough cigarettes, taxpayers across the state will chip in millions to fund Philadelphia schools. Huh? Julie Shaw of Philly.com attempts to make sense of…

Media

Regulation

Pennsylvania Deficit Watch: January 2017

• January 4, 2017

Pennsylvania fell further into a financial hole during the month of December. According to the Department of Revenue, total General Fund collections came in $105.2 million below the state's official estimate. This marks…

Media

State Budget

What Population Trends Tell Us

• January 4, 2017

Before the holidays, CF publicized the historic decline in Pennsylvania’s population. The state was one of only eight to see an absolute decline in its number of residents. Domestic…

Media

Five Big 2016 Victories Across the States

• Elizabeth Stelle
• December 29, 2016

We love end-of-year lists. And while you can find boatloads of them across the internet (including our most popular blog posts of the year!), some of the most exciting policy…

Media