What’s Shapiro Hiding?
Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation’s weekly news roundup of policy issues being debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania. Governor Shapiro’s Super Bowl Appearance Highlights…
Blog
Read More: What’s Shapiro Hiding?Energy
Pennsylvania Democrats must stop playing politics and unleash American energy
Originally published in Broad + Liberty: Democrats have a demographics problem. In November, voters, even those who historically back Democrats, shifted support to President Donald Trump, Sen. Dave McCormick,…
Media Hit
Read More: Pennsylvania Democrats must stop playing politics and unleash American energyPublic Union Democracy
SB 166 Falls Short in the House
Last night, Pennsylvania’s government union leaders preserved their exclusive political privilege. By a close vote of 90-102, the state House voted down SB 166 which would have prohibited…
Media
Read More: SB 166 Falls Short in the HouseGovernment Accountability
Government Unions Outspend the Natural Gas Industry
Proponents of a natural gas severance tax argue the natural gas industry wields undue political influence in Harrisburg. State representative Greg Vitali laments: They [natural gas industry] just always…
Media
Read More: Government Unions Outspend the Natural Gas IndustryRegulation
The Mirage of Green Jobs
Promoters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon-emission regulation attempt to playdown the jobs it would kill with promises of “green jobs”. Yet these positions pay less and are largely…
Media
Read More: The Mirage of Green JobsEducation
Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone?
From the 1986-87 to 2005-06 school years, taxpayer spending on Pennsylvania’s government-run K-12 schools increased from $6.6 billion to almost $22 billion—a 72% increase after adjusting for inflation. Between…
Report
Read More: Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone?Education
The Truth About Cyber Schools
An increasing number of parents are choosing Pennsylvania’s public cyber charter schools for their children every year—enrollment grew from 1,848 to almost 16,000 students between 2001 and 2006. Cyber…
Commentary
Read More: The Truth About Cyber SchoolsEducation
The Public School Edifice Complex: New report assesses spending on buildings vs. instruction
HARRISBURG, PA — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation released a policy report, Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone?, which examines the spending in public education in Pennsylvania and the…
Press Release
Read More: The Public School Edifice Complex: New report assesses spending on buildings vs. instruction
No reform of incumbent protection ads
Article on the Reform Panel’s debate on taxpayer-funded “Public Service Ads” (a.k.a. incumbent protection plans), from Capitolwire.com (subscription): Even after a former House majority leader blasted taxpayer-paid TV…
Media
Read More: No reform of incumbent protection ads