Stephen Kelly
Senior Associate of Government Affairs
Stephen Kelly is a Senior Associate of Government Affairs at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Stephen is an Adams County native. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2022 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Economics.
After graduating, Stephen returned home to Pennsylvania. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, he was a Polling Assistant for the 2022 Midterm Elections at Cygnal, a polling and survey research firm serving center-right and conservative campaigns, political action committees, and independent expenditures.
Outside of work and following politics, Stephen enjoys learning about history, playing rugby, and rooting for all the Philadelphia sports teams.
Government Accountability
Turnout in Pennsylvania Declines
HT to Grassroots PA for this story – Turnout in Pennsylvania not only didn’t break records, it declined (both as a percentage of registered voters and in total…
Media
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Remember Remember the Fifth of November
In honor of Guy Fawkes day, here are some clips for V for Vendetta because ideas, not politicians offer real hope and change “We are told to remember…
Media
Read More: Remember Remember the Fifth of NovemberTaxes & Economy
Capitalism and the Financial Crisis
Walter Williams has a great column on the mortgage meltdown and the free market You can decide whether we have in an unregulated laissez-faire economy. There are 15…
Media
Read More: Capitalism and the Financial CrisisGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania House and Senate Results
Based on elections results from the Pennsylvania Department of State and the Tribune Review: Republicans pick up one seat in the PA Senate. Their current majority will be 29-20, with…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania House and Senate ResultsEducation
Schools Need Your Vote Every Year
School board members are not up for re-election this year. That’s too bad, for a lot of people will be voting tomorrow. School board elections are held in off-years meaning…
Commentary
Read More: Schools Need Your Vote Every YearGovernment Accountability
Voter Fraud and Intimidation in Philadelphia and elsewhere
A couple of good resources exposing (and seeking citizen journalists) on voter fraud and intimidation are Voter Fraud Squad and Election Journal. The latter has video of two…
Media
Read More: Voter Fraud and Intimidation in Philadelphia and elsewhereTaxes & Economy
Rendell lies on Social Security
A few days ago, Governor Rendell complained that the McCain campaign was “deplorable” and “despicable” for trying to scare voters by painting an inaccurate portrait of “spreading the wealth”…
Media
Read More: Rendell lies on Social SecurityTaxes & Economy
Election Day Reading – Taxes, Great Depression, and Policy
Here are some of the best articles of the day: Lawrence Kudlow is stunned by a poll showing voters think Obama is the real taxpayer. He also exposes an…
Media
Read More: Election Day Reading – Taxes, Great Depression, and PolicyEducation
Education Spending: Grass vs. Artificial Turf Football Fields
To demonstrate how school spending has grown so dramatically, the York Dispatch has a story on the great debate raging on how much to spend on the turf for…
Media
Read More: Education Spending: Grass vs. Artificial Turf Football FieldsEducation
Schools Need Your Vote Every Year
School board members are not up for re-election this year. That’s too bad, for a lot of people will be voting tomorrow. School board elections are held in off-years meaning…
Commentary
Read More: Schools Need Your Vote Every YearTaxes & Economy
Higher taxes won’t help Pennsylvania economy
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) issued a news release, gleefully welcoming the looming state budget deficit and tax increase. Their exuberance is due to the fact…
Media
Read More: Higher taxes won’t help Pennsylvania economyRegulation
Taxpayers to give additional $3M to Lancaster convention center
Retiring Sen. Gib Armstrong – mostly in the news these days for noting how large Pennsylvania’s growing budget shortfall is – has promised to deliver $3 million in…
Media
Read More: Taxpayers to give additional $3M to Lancaster convention centerTaxes & Economy
Closing the Gap: The Story of the Middle Class
While the middle class is more of a state of mind than a voting block, both presidential candidates are promising prosperity for these crucial voters. Obama talks about “a…
Media
Read More: Closing the Gap: The Story of the Middle ClassTaxes & Economy
Real Hope and Change Comes From Ideas Not Politics
In 1993, I officially launched my campaign for President of the United States. Granted, I was only 17 years old, hadn’t graduated high school yet, and wasn’t a member of…
Commentary
Read More: Real Hope and Change Comes From Ideas Not PoliticsHealth Care
Is health care freedom in jeopardy?
The Wall Street Journal makes note of a ballot measure in Arizona which reads: “no law shall be passed that restricts a person’s freedom of…
Media
Read More: Is health care freedom in jeopardy?Taxes & Economy
Blame greed: Has America Been Punked?
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford mocks the notion that “greed” caused the financial crisis (that might have caused trouble had he been named McCain’s VP choice) and places the…
Media
Read More: Blame greed: Has America Been Punked?Taxes & Economy
PA October tax collections $280 M short
The Pennsylvania Revenue Department released the October revenue collections showing state collections were $280 Million below estimate for the month, and now $560 Million short for the fiscal year…
Media
Read More: PA October tax collections $280 M shortRegulation
Personal Accounts for Social Security: Still the Best Deal
Michael Tanner has a post on Cato-at-liberty noting that personal accounts for Social Security would still be good, even considering recent stock market losses. That is, stock market gains…
Media
Read More: Personal Accounts for Social Security: Still the Best DealTaxes & Economy
Why The Mortgage Crisis Happened
Here is a rather lengthy and detailed history of how government involvement in the mortgage and financial industries in the United States created…
Media
Read More: Why The Mortgage Crisis HappenedRegulation
Government Spending Doesn’t Create Jobs
The Heritage Foundation blog exposes one of the great myths of Washington (and Harrisburg) – that more government spending on transportation infrastructure (or economic development, or corporate welfare,…
Media
Read More: Government Spending Doesn’t Create Jobs