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.”
State Budget
Pennsylvania State Budget Outlook
In November, the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released its Five Year Economic and Budget Outlook. Here are several trends for lawmakers. Pennsylvania’s Economy Remains Stagnant IFO forecasts Pennsylvania’s…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania State Budget OutlookEnergy
The Europeanization of American Energy Policy
Originally published at The American Spectator Is there anything a foreign agent of either Russia or China would do differently than European or American policymakers who embrace green energy…
Media Hit
Read More: The Europeanization of American Energy PolicyEducation
Blame the Union, Free the Schools
Originally published in the Delaware Valley Journal The commonwealth’s largest teachers union, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), recently induced yet another local union into “authorizing” a strike, this…
Media Hit
Read More: Blame the Union, Free the SchoolsCriminal Justice Reform
Cash bail costs victims the most
Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer My friend recently shared a story with me about growing up in an abusive home. He requested I keep his name and personal…
Media Hit
Read More: Cash bail costs victims the mostTaxes & Economy
Pa.’s Troubling and Continued Population Decline
December 22, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Pennsylvania lost over 40,000 residents between July 2021 and July 2022. These population…
Press Release
Read More: Pa.’s Troubling and Continued Population DeclineEducation
Krasner Isn’t Philadelphia’s Only Problem—It’s Education System Is
Originally published in The Philadelphia Citizen Underscoring Philadelphia’s crime problem, the Pennsylvania House voted to impeach the City’s district attorney Larry Krasner. As Philadelphia’s…
Media Hit
Read More: Krasner Isn’t Philadelphia’s Only Problem—It’s Education System IsEducation
Pa. Tax Credit Scholarships
Summary Pennsylvania awarded almost 63,000 K–12 scholarships, and the average overall scholarship increased to over $2,500 for the 2020–21 school year. In 2020–21, K–12 students in Pennsylvania submitted almost 139,000…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pa. Tax Credit Scholarships
State Rep. McClinton can no more declare herself speaker than Trump can declare himself president
Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer Democrats would have a lot more credibility accusing former President Donald Trump of undermining democratic norms and the rule of law if they…
Media Hit
Read More: State Rep. McClinton can no more declare herself speaker than Trump can declare himself presidentEducation
As governor, Shapiro should give Pa. students a ‘lifeline’
Originally published in LNP After months of campaigning — all the rhetoric, the countless negative ads and the record-setting political spending — Pennsylvanians made a decision: We elected a…
Media Hit
Read More: As governor, Shapiro should give Pa. students a ‘lifeline’Education
PSSA Results Show Students Need a Lifeline from Failing Schools and Special Interests
Originally published in the Delaware Valley Journal Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) released statewide scores from spring’s Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exams. The results are…
Media Hit
Read More: PSSA Results Show Students Need a Lifeline from Failing Schools and Special InterestsRegulation
Bloomberg Could Benefit From Climate Rules He Helped Craft
Originally published at The Daily Signal Billionaire businessman Mike Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and presidential candidate, is poised to benefit financially from proposed rules requiring climate disclosures…
Media Hit
Read More: Bloomberg Could Benefit From Climate Rules He Helped CraftHealth Care
Maryland’s Lesson: Nurse Practitioner Reform Will Increase Health Care Access
Originally published at RealClearHealth Sandra Nettina, a Maryland nurse practitioner (NP), walked into the family room of a 65-year-old woman with severe rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It was another…
Media Hit
Read More: Maryland’s Lesson: Nurse Practitioner Reform Will Increase Health Care AccessEnergy
The False Assumptions Behind Climate Regulations in Pennsylvania
Originally published at RealClearEnergy While they were in the majority, Pennsylvania House Republicans spent their political capital to advance American energy independence, free speech rights, and scientific integrity. Unlike…
Media Hit
Read More: The False Assumptions Behind Climate Regulations in PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Gone are the days when Republicans cared about fiscal responsibility
Originally published in The Philadelphia Inquirer In 2010, I was one of thousands of Americans marching in Washington, D.C., demanding to be heard by politicians who were putting…
Media Hit
Read More: Gone are the days when Republicans cared about fiscal responsibilityHealth Care
The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in Pennsylvania
Key Points More than 580,000 Pennsylvanians live in areas with a shortage of primary care professionals relative to the population. This shortage exists throughout the state but concentrates in rural…
Backgrounder
Read More: The Case for Nurse Practitioner Reform: Full Practice Authority in PennsylvaniaRegulation
Pennsylvania Electric Bills Could Double Under Pending Carbon Tax Scheme
November 30, 2022, Harrisburg, Pa. — Pennsylvania is experiencing historic surges in energy costs. Moreover, consumer electric bills could skyrocket even more under the controversial Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania Electric Bills Could Double Under Pending Carbon Tax SchemeEnergy
Rising Electricity Costs
How High Are Electric Bills Rising? Electricity bills are rising across the commonwealth by an average of 73 percent between December 2020 and December 2022.Increases range from 55 percent for…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Rising Electricity CostsEducation
2022 PSSA Test Scores Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
November 29, 2022, Harrisburg Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) newly released 2022 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test score results show that our students have…
Press Release
Read More: 2022 PSSA Test Scores Still Below Pre-Pandemic LevelsPublic Union Democracy
Shapiro Should Follow Tennessee’s Lead on Dealing with Unions
Originally published in RealClearPennsylvania After contributing nearly $11 million to Governor-elect Josh Shapiro’s campaign, executives of Pennsylvania’s biggest labor union will surely expect a return on their investment. But…
Media Hit
Read More: Shapiro Should Follow Tennessee’s Lead on Dealing with UnionsHealth Care
Director of Policy Analysis Elizabeth Stelle on WFMZ November 21, 2022
Giving nurse practitioners full practice authority would help eliminate at least half of the healthcare shortage areas in Pennsylvania. Topics on this pageElizabeth StelleHealthcare shortage area…
Media Hit
Read More: Director of Policy Analysis Elizabeth Stelle on WFMZ November 21, 2022Health Care
Remove barriers to increase health care access in Western Pa.
Originally published at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Nearly three years after the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, hospitals still struggle with significant labor shortages. Health care workers are…
Media Hit
Read More: Remove barriers to increase health care access in Western Pa.