Public Union Democracy

Political Power of Public Sector Unions

• Nathan Benefield
• October 20, 2009

The Weekly Standard has a good piece on the growing political power of public sector unions, with a short history lesson, and many of the consequences (e.g.

Media

Health Care

Rendell still pushing RendellCare

• Nathan Benefield
• February 5, 2008

Within the last few weeks, three state health care proposals fundamentally similar to Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Pennsylvanians” added to my “bad ideas pile” California legislators overwhelming rejected…

Media

CA to offer tax breaks for health insurance

• Nathan Benefield
• January 5, 2007

Governor Schwarzenegger plans to make health coverage more affordable for Californians by making individually purchased plans tax free (the same way employer provide plans are taken from pre-tax income).

Media

Public Union Democracy

Teachers challenging union dues in California

• Nathan Benefield
• December 20, 2005

California teachers have initiated a lawsuit against the two major teacher’s unions in that state over their rights: NRTW – December Foundation Action The Califonia Teacher Association and California…

Media

Education

Throwing a Party for the Educational Status Quo

• July 18, 2005

The National Education Association recently concluded its annual convention in Los Angeles, gathering 8,000 delegates in celebration of the status quo in public education. When attendees weren’t offering a vigorous…

Commentary

Education

The Union Behind the Curtain

• April 7, 2005

California’s Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is giving his 49 colleagues across the country a quick tutorial in political courage. And Gov. Ed Rendell would be wise to sit up in class…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

No “Free Lunch” for Pennsylvania

• January 26, 2005

"Nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as he spends his own," the Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once remarked. For decades, Pennsylvania's state government has spent billions of taxpayer…

Commentary