Education

Give Voters a Say on School Taxes

• Nathan Benefield
• June 23, 2011

Five years ago, state lawmakers passed Act 1 to provide property tax relief and give voters a voice on school tax increases.  But since slot machine gambling was introduced in…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

PA Property Tax Administration 2nd Worst in Nation

• June 9, 2011

This past May, the commonwealth tied for second worse in the nation in state property tax administration, according to the Council On State Taxation (COST). States were evaluated in…

Media

Public Union Democracy

PA Legislators Consider Unemployment Compensation Reforms

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 23, 2011

By June 11th, the state must change its unemployment compensation rules to meet federal guidelines, or 45,000 Pennsylvanians will lose their unemployment benefits. Gov. Corbett has been supportive of more…

Media

Government Accountability

Exclusive Interview with Gov. Corbett, and Tonight on Stossel

• Matthew Brouillette
• May 12, 2011

Right now, I’m writing you from a train leaving New York City, because last night I interviewed with “The Stache,” John Stossel, about the natural gas boom in…

Media

Education

Has Penn State “bin Laden” with Speech-Squelching Policies?

• Charles Mitchell
• May 2, 2011

Our friends at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) say yes: The announcement late last evening that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan…

Media

Education

Property Taxpayer Referendum

• Nathan Benefield
• May 2, 2011

Good afternoon.  I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation.  We are a nonprofit, independent public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg.  I would…

Testimony

Tax on Tag Tough to Take

• April 19, 2011

From the “You can’t make this stuff up file,” nanny state legislators from New York have finally found a way to tax toughness by enacting a punitive tax…

Media

State Budget

Understanding the Pennsylvania State Budget

• Nathan Benefield
• March 7, 2011

Pennsylvania's total state operating budget for FY 2010-11 is approximately $65.4 billion-or $5,193 for every man, woman and child in the commonwealth.  This policy brief looks at the entire state…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

Is State Bankruptcy a Solution?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• February 16, 2011

What do New York, California and Illinois have in common? They are in fiscal disarray and may soon be asking for a bailout from Congress. Bailing out these states would…

Media