Public Union Democracy

Leaders Agree: Public Unions Are Blocking Reform

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • July 14, 2014

House Majority Leader Mike Turzai took to the podium last week, providing press and spectators his response to the Governor’s criticisms, blue-line budget reductions, and House priorities. We applaud…

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Public Union Democracy

PSEA Pours $3.8 Million Into Politics

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 9, 2013

In the last year, the Pennsylvania State Education Association poured $3.8 million of its members’ dues into “political activities and lobbying,” according to its 2013 financial disclosure report. That’s an…

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Education

PSEA Exposed: Vex, Lies and Audio Tape

  • Priya Brannick
  • December 22, 2011

Nestled in the $4.2 million the Pennsylvania State Education Asssociation spent in 2010-11 on political activities are some very telling expenditures on polling firms.  For example, remember the much-touted…

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Education

Taxpayer-Funded Lobbyists’ Survey Contradicts Real Polls

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 6, 2011

The Pennsylvania School Boards Association has released a new “survey” claiming that state residents oppose plans to provide vouchers to students. The PSBA’s funding comes from taxpayers through school…

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State Budget

Why Lawmakers Don’t (And Shouldn’t) Raise Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 26, 2010

Terry Madonna and Michael Young have a new column asking why Pennsylvania lawmakers are so loath to raise taxes: This response differs dramatically from past practice. Throughout most…

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Taxes & Economy

Specter to Blame for Specter’s Demise

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 20, 2010

We try not to engage too much in political punditry here, but the latest Terry Madonna and Michael Young Politically Uncorrected piece, on the end of Sen. Arlen Specter’s…

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Another “Is Reform Dead” Editorial

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 27, 2007

Madonna and Young’s Politically Uncorrected attempts to assess “the reform movement” (which as a monicker needs to be killed). They are generally accurate in their assessment of the lack…

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Sweep The Judges?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 12, 2007

The Bulletin offers an insightful discussion of the PA Clean Sweep’s push for rejecting all judges up for retention. While we don’t offer advice on how to vote,…

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Taxes & Economy

The Property Tax Relief Scholarship Act

  • April 13, 2006

It is “like throwing gasoline on a fire,” said G. Terry Madonna, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Reivew. The idea is “definitely…

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