Thomas Cusmano
Regional Director, Strategic Partnerships
Thomas (Tom) Cusmano is Regional Director, Strategic Partnerships at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Prior to joining the Commonwealth Foundation in early 2022, Tom spent twelve years at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and its student journalism subsidiary, the Collegiate Network (CN). Both ISI and CN educate, train, and mentor America’s most promising principled student leaders, scholars, and future journalists.
Tom has spent three decades facilitating development support for national, regional, and statewide charitable organizations. He says, “The greatest blessing of my professional life has been to assist an inspiring group of dedicated, patriotic, and generous Americans with their philanthropy. I now have the opportunity to return that inspiration for my home state of Pennsylvania through the worthy endeavors of the Commonwealth Foundation.”
Tom has been a Pennsylvania resident since 1994 and proudly proclaims another great blessing, living in Amish Country, where he, his wife, and family “found home.”
Taxes & Economy
Happy Bill of Rights Day
Today is the 318th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights Institute has some resources, as does The Examiner. Topics…
Media
Read More: Happy Bill of Rights DayState Budget
Earmarks Galore
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn has a new report on the most outrageous examples of federal spending. Some of the top examples, courtesy of the Center for Fiscal Accountability:…
Media
Read More: Earmarks GaloreRegulation
Pennsylvania school employees pension costs to quadruple in 4 years
The Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at their meeting today certified a small increase in the employers’ (re: taxpayers) contribution rate – from the current 4.76% to…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania school employees pension costs to quadruple in 4 yearsTaxes & Economy
Stop the Bailout of the States
ALEC has a new page opposing a federal taxpayer bailout of the state, including the letter from a coalition of groups. They currently collecting names of state legislators…
Media
Read More: Stop the Bailout of the StatesTaxes & Economy
US Auto Sales by Manufacturer
I thought I’d post this data on US car sales (new car and light truck) by brand, since it took a while to find. The data is available at…
Media
Read More: US Auto Sales by ManufacturerRegulation
Rendells Wicked Game
People are but mere pawns for Gov. Ed Rendell’s use as political leverage in an inexorable pursuit of his policy agenda. Thousands of state employees were unnecessarily furloughed…
Commentary
Read More: Rendells Wicked GameTaxes & Economy
Big 3 Bailout vs. Free Market Solution
In his blog today, John Micek offers some criticism of Mark Hendrickson’s commentary on the auto-makers bailout, which we ran today. Micek points to the lack of “solutions”…
Media
Read More: Big 3 Bailout vs. Free Market SolutionTaxes & Economy
Cutting Taxes Better Stimulus than Government Spending
With all the push for more government spending (at both the state and federal level) to “stimulate the economy”, readers should take a look at new research highlighted…
Media
Read More: Cutting Taxes Better Stimulus than Government SpendingRegulation
Pennsylvania completes study of things to buy me for Christmas
OK, the study isn’t on things to buy me for Christmas, but the Joint State Government Commission completed a study on Violent Interactive Video Games. Some of the games…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania completes study of things to buy me for ChristmasTaxes & Economy
The auto bailout is a blood transfusion for a dying patient
David Leonhardt has a good article in the New York Times explaining why the “Big 3 Automakers” have higher labor costs than Honda, Toyota, et. al. Greater fringe benefits…
Media
Read More: The auto bailout is a blood transfusion for a dying patientEducation
Failing Science
The Patriot News has a story on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s news release that almost two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s 11th grade students are not proficient in science. The…
Media
Read More: Failing ScienceState Budget
Pennsylvania’ $1.6 billion budget shortfall, and Rendell’s fixes
Governor Rendell gave his mid-year budget briefing earlier today – you can download the presentation here, but let me save you the time – the only thing new or…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’ $1.6 billion budget shortfall, and Rendell’s fixesRegulation
Where to Find WAMs
I have gotten a couple of requests today for lists of WAMs and other recent spending. We put together a list of recent grants the Governor has awarded/announced in…
Media
Read More: Where to Find WAMsTaxes & Economy
No tax increases
President Pro Tem (and now Pennsylvania Lt. Governor, though the former role has more relevance) Joe Scarnati has take a strong stance against any tax increase in the Pittsburgh…
Media
Read More: No tax increasesTaxes & Economy
The Fallacy That Government Creates Jobs
Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute has an excellent piece on the economic benefit of so-called fiscal “stimulus” In part, this is a debate about Keynesian economics, which is…
Media
Read More: The Fallacy That Government Creates JobsGovernment Accountability
78-Group Coalition Demands Greater Bailout Transparency
The Commonwealth Foundation has joined 77 other organizations in calling for greater transparency for taxpayers in the numerous bailouts being handed out with little oversight. From the news release:…
Media
Read More: 78-Group Coalition Demands Greater Bailout TransparencyHealth Care
The Trouble with Canadian Healthcare
Brett Skinner has an article in The American magazine on why “a single-payer system is probably the least effective way to achieve universal health insurance coverage.” Topics on…
Media
Read More: The Trouble with Canadian HealthcareGovernment Accountability
Open government should save taxpayers, not cost them
The Tribune Review has a scathing editorial about Governor Rendell’s decision to charge citizens for the cost of retrieving open records about the government. In contrast, consider Texas,…
Media
Read More: Open government should save taxpayers, not cost themRegulation
Funding Loans While Facing a Deficit?
The day after announcing more budget cuts, including a wage freeze, Governor Rendell announced $2 million in new state funded loans. So let…
Media
Read More: Funding Loans While Facing a Deficit?Regulation
Rocky Balboa and the trouble with occupational licensing
The Moving Pictures Institute has put together the clip from Rocky Balboa in which Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) fights the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission for his right to box.
Media
Read More: Rocky Balboa and the trouble with occupational licensingRegulation
Cigarette Taxes Encourage Smuggling
A new report from the Mackinac Center (full 99 page report here) estimates the effect of cigarette taxes on smuggling of cigarettes (both “commercial” and “casual” – i.e.
Media
Read More: Cigarette Taxes Encourage Smuggling