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.”
Public Union Democracy
AFSCME opposes unlimited government?!?
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (which runs 14 state universities, but not the “state-related” schools like Penn State and Pitt), banned all smoking on campus, both indoor and…
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Paying for Our Paving: Why Leasing the Turnpike Makes Good Economic and Public Policy Sense
Introduction How should Pennsylvania pay for its transportation infrastructure, now that the Federal Highway Administration has rejected the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s application to toll Interstate 80? Gas taxes? Vehicle fees? …
Fact Sheet
Read More: Paying for Our Paving: Why Leasing the Turnpike Makes Good Economic and Public Policy SenseTaxes & Economy
New Efforts to Address Expiring Rate Caps
Yesterday, Rep. Mike Turzai, along with Rep. Stan Saylor, unveiled a new bill to stabilize electric rates after the expiration of rate caps (Turzai Press…
Media
Read More: New Efforts to Address Expiring Rate CapsGovernment Accountability
Why a special session on reform is needed
During a press conference calling on Cerberus and the House Democrats to pass a number of reform bills already passed unanimously by the Senate, contending that a special…
Media
Read More: Why a special session on reform is neededState Budget
Rendell orders budget cuts, hiring freeze
Following reports that tax revenue is well behind projections, Governor Rendell has announced plans to reduce state spending by $200 million, including ending (taxpayer funded) out-of-state travel by…
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Turnpike Lease Back On The Table
The Philadelphia Bulletin has an article on the Turnpike lease facing real consideration now; the Daily Collegian and the Daily Item have similar pieces (HT GrassrootsPA).
Media
Read More: Turnpike Lease Back On The TableGovernment Accountability
Great Website on Fiscal Responsibility
Americans for Tax Reform has launched its Center for Fiscal Responsibility, a fantastic site dedicated to (as the name implies) fiscal responsibility in federal state and local government. I…
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Read More: Great Website on Fiscal ResponsibilityTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Turnpike Lease: Two years of deliberation
An anonymous poster remarks that “we don’t want to rush into anything (like leasing the Turnpike)”, and compares it to the rush to pass Act 44. He/she is correct…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Turnpike Lease: Two years of deliberationState Budget
Why state governments spend too much
A report from the Rockefeller Institute at SUNY (news release) looks at state and local government spending on social welfare. After adjusting for inflation, they found that expenditures…
Media
Read More: Why state governments spend too muchGovernment Accountability
New Blog: Snippets of PA Capitol Coverage
Pennsylvania Legislative Service has a new blog, which will include some of their coverage of happenings at the state Capitol (previously available only to paid subscribers) such as wrap…
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Read More: New Blog: Snippets of PA Capitol CoverageTaxes & Economy
What now for Pennsylvania transportation funding, turnpike lease?
Joe Grata has an article in the Post-Gazette on what will happen now that the federal government has rejected I-80 tolling in Pennsylvania. As we pointed out…
Media
Read More: What now for Pennsylvania transportation funding, turnpike lease?State Budget
Lancaster County delegation doles out $3 million in WAMs
LancasterOnline breaks down the taxpayer-funded pork projects (WAMs) awarded by Lancaster County lawmakers. (HT: GrassrootsPA) Topics on this page GrassrootsPALancaster County…
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Read More: Lancaster County delegation doles out $3 million in WAMsGovernment Accountability
DeWeese boasts about House reforms
The Herald Standard has an article in which Bill DeWeese praises all the reforms the House has done under his watch. Eric Epstein and Tim Potts offer…
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Read More: DeWeese boasts about House reformsEducation
‘Tis the Season…for teacher strikes, that is.
Saucon Valley teachers who make nearly $80K are ready to strike. Nick Falsone writes on his Bedlam in Bethlehem blog for The Express-Times about elementary school teacher Vivian Demko,…
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Read More: ‘Tis the Season…for teacher strikes, that is.Taxes & Economy
Lease it!, says The Times-Tribune
Editorial from The Times-Tribune makes part of the case for leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike now that the Federal Highway Administration has rejected a key feature of Act 44…
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Turnpike lease on the move…
Toll Roads News is reporting that House Democratic Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans is ready to move the Turnpike lease bill, and additional support is gathering. Of course, the Turnpike…
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Read More: Turnpike lease on the move…Government Accountability
House Republican Caucus: Opening the Books
The House Republican Caucus has posted a number of contracts on the Treasurer’s website and announced they will start observing the new Open…
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Read More: House Republican Caucus: Opening the BooksTaxes & Economy
Feds Reject Tolls on I-80
It’s official, the Pennyslvania Turnpike Comission’s attempt to toll I-80 has been denied by the Federal Highway Administration. See our news release…
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Read More: Feds Reject Tolls on I-80Regulation
Thank You for (Not) Smoking
Pennsylvania’s smoking ban goes into effect today and has created a cloud of controversy statewide, with a less than enthusiastic response from the smoking public. The Department of Health has…
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Read More: Thank You for (Not) SmokingTaxes & Economy
The Reemerging Paradigm: Public-Private Partnerships
Government officials continue to decry the terrible condition of the state’s roads, but this time real solutions like public-private partnerships are receiving some support. On Monday, the House Transportation Committee…
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Read More: The Reemerging Paradigm: Public-Private PartnershipsEducation
The Harriet Tubman of School Choice
I’m in Phoenix for a conference of state think tanks and (with panels on education reform today), so I won’t be blogging much over the next few days. I will…
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