Ruth Bader
Stewardship & Development Research Associate
Ruth Bader is the Stewardship & Development Research Associate at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Originally from the Finger Lakes region of New York, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Public Relations with a minor in Business from SUNY Oswego.
Ruth resides in the Harrisburg area, and, in her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and two dogs.
Taxes & Economy
Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano on News Nation with Marni Hughes
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Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano appears on Newsmax on October 13, 2022
Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano discusses the day’s business headlines with Newsmax host Alex Kraemer and market analyst Seth Denson. Topics on this pageNewsmax TV…
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Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano appears on Newsmax on October 13, 2022Taxes & Economy
Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano appears on Newsmax on October 12, 2022
Commonwealth Foundation Executive Vice President Jennifer Stefano discusses the day’s business headlines with Newsmax host Alex Kraemer.SHOW LESS Topics on this pageNewsmax TV…
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Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Executive VP Jennifer Stefano appears on Newsmax on October 12, 2022Public Union Democracy
Public-Sector Unions Struggle to Maintain Influence, Membership
Originally published at Newsweek Some observers argue the labor movement in America is “having a moment,” but for the four largest public-sector workers’ unions—AFSCME, SEIU, NEA, and AFT—the “moment” is…
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Read More: Public-Sector Unions Struggle to Maintain Influence, MembershipPublic Union Democracy
Government Union Political Spending in the 2021–22 Election Cycle
Introduction According to campaign finance reports and union financial disclosure statements, Pennsylvania government unions have spent $169 million on politics since 2007, making government unions a top special interest in…
Fact Sheet
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Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis of Government Union Political Spending in Pennsylvania’s 2021-22 Election Cycle
October 10, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — The Commonwealth Foundation today released an analysis of government union political spending during the 2021–22 Pennsylvania election cycle. The report finds that government…
Press Release
Read More: Commonwealth Foundation Releases Analysis of Government Union Political Spending in Pennsylvania’s 2021-22 Election CycleEducation
What Shapiro and Mastriano share in common
Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer The outsize personalities in the Senate race are taking up the oxygen from Pennsylvania’s more mundane gubernatorial race — and that’s a problem.
Media Hit
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No Carbon Taxation Without Representation? Pennsylvania Decides
Originally published at the Daily Caller Pennsylvania voters who played an instrumental role in bringing an overreaching executive to heel during the COVID-19 pandemic will have the opportunity to…
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Read More: No Carbon Taxation Without Representation? Pennsylvania DecidesPublic Union Democracy
Government unions have too much power
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette No one dominates political contributions like government unions. They spend millions on elections to buy their out-sized influence on officials and public policy. …
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Read More: Government unions have too much powerPublic Union Democracy
Unions should not trample the rights of government workers
Originally published in The Patriot-News Four years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that no government worker could be forced to pay into a union they…
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Government Union Membership Plummets Post Janus
September 28, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. – The nation’s four largest government unions lost almost 219,000 members combined after the U.S. Supreme Court ended forced unionism for government workers in Janus…
Press Release
Read More: Government Union Membership Plummets Post JanusEducation
The teacher shortage isn’t the real issue with Philly schools
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer Daniel Nansi always dreamed that his daughter would go to school in America — until he landed in Philadelphia. Originally from Benin, a…
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Democrats’ War On Charter Schools Is Sending Families Into The Arms Of Republicans
Originally published at The Federalist Democrats’ war on education opportunity is hurting them in public opinion, and it will hurt them in November. There’s a war brewing in education…
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The Battle for Worker Freedom in the States: Grading State Public Sector Labor Laws
KEY POINTS In the four years following the Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the nation’s four largest government unions—AFSCME, SEIU, NEA, and AFT—have lost almost 219,000 union…
Report
Read More: The Battle for Worker Freedom in the States: Grading State Public Sector Labor LawsTaxes & Economy
Pa. Economic Trends September 2022
Overview Families across the country continue to feel the pressure of rising prices. The Consumer Price Index is up 8.3% over the last year, and while gasoline prices have fallen…
Backgrounder
Read More: Pa. Economic Trends September 2022Education
Philadelphia’s school board needs to get out of charter authorizing
Originally published at Broad + Liberty The Philadelphia school board is the sole authorizer of the city’s charter schools — and its record doesn’t look good. Just days before…
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Pennsylvania Back-to-School Education Trends
As students head back to school, there are many claims of teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. In reality, public school spending is at a record high and Pennsylvania ranks among…
Research
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Biden’s divisive rhetoric won’t hide the Democrats’ massive policy failures
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer Democrats are demonizing Republican voters again — a sure tell that they are panicked about getting shellacked in the November midterm elections. That’s…
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Read More: Biden’s divisive rhetoric won’t hide the Democrats’ massive policy failuresEducation
During COVID, towns raised school taxes when they didn’t need to. They’re not likely to come down.
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Finally, a normal school year without face masks and split schedules. But one remnant of the pandemic is here to stay — higher…
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Read More: During COVID, towns raised school taxes when they didn’t need to. They’re not likely to come down.Public Union Democracy
Government unions are outsized bullies holding workers, taxpayers hostage
Originally published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review As we enter election season, it’s time we address the elephant in the room. It’s an elephant with an outsized influence on Pennsylvania…
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Read More: Government unions are outsized bullies holding workers, taxpayers hostageTaxes & Economy
Student loan forgiveness unfairly shifts the burden of college debt to everyday Americans
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer Nothing celebrates the doggedness of American workers like transferring self-incurred debts from college-educated workers to the backs of those who elected to forgo…
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Read More: Student loan forgiveness unfairly shifts the burden of college debt to everyday Americans