Taxes & Economy

New Year, New Taxes in Pennsylvania

• Elizabeth Stelle
• January 15, 2025

Originally published at RealClearPennsylvania The new year is always a great opportunity to shed vices like smoking and binge eating. For state and local lawmakers, their guilty pleasure tends…

Media Hit

Government Accountability

How Pa. Governments Use Tax Dollars to Pay Associations to Lobby

• Elizabeth Stelle, Jessica Barnett
• December 1, 2021

Prohibiting local governments and government agencies from diverting public funds to these associations would increase transparency and prevent taxpayers’ dollars from funding lobbying harmful to taxpayers.

Backgrounder

Public Sector Union 2020 Election Spending

• Jessica Barnett
• March 18, 2021

Public sector union political action committees (PAC) spent $16.7 million in Pennsylvania during the 2019–2020 election cycle, principally on behalf of Democratic politicians.

Backgrounder

Downsides of the Minimum Wage

• Elizabeth Stelle
• March 11, 2021

Thank you Chairman Roae, Chairman Galloway, and members of the House Commerce Committee for inviting the Commonwealth Foundation to testify on this persistent issue. I am Elizabeth Stelle, the Director…

Testimony

Op-Ed: Four Places to Watch in Pennsylvania on Election Day

• Charles F. McElwee
• November 3, 2020

From upscale suburbs to blue-collar villages, Pennsylvanians will likely determine the presidential victor. Many consider this election a referendum on Trump’s pandemic-era leadership -- especially in a state where COVID-19…

Commentary

Public Union Democracy

Pa. Teachers Support Worker Freedom Case Before Supreme

• February 26, 2018

This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in a historic case, Janus v. AFSCME, that could free thousands of Pennsylvania teachers and other government workers from workplace coercion.

Press Release

Education

Teacher’s Bill of Rights: PA Educators Should be Free to Teach

• August 25, 2015

Teacher’s Bill of Rights: PA Educators Should be Free to Teach Removing Workplace Barriers Will Foster Best Learning Environment in Public Schools August 25, 2015, Harrisburg, Pa.—Mary…

Press Release

Education

Why Teachers Need a Bill of Rights

• Gina Diorio
• August 25, 2015

Mary loves teaching culinary arts, but she doesn’t want her name used in political mailers. Jane spent a career in the classroom, but she can’t donate the money she earned…

Media

Education

Trapped: One Teacher Tells His Story

• Elizabeth Stelle
• April 9, 2015

Frank is a high school teacher in Lackawanna County who has been frustrated with the NEA’s support of abortion for a long time: “I just don’t want to see any…

Media