Education

Determining the Cost of an Adequate Education

• Nathan Benefield
• March 5, 2008

The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently commissioned a $650,000 study to determine what it “costs” to educate a child. The firm winning the commission reported that the state should increase spending…

Commentary

Regulation

Specter and the NFL

• Nathan Benefield
• February 3, 2008

The response to news that Arlen Specter wants to hold hearing with the NFL over “spy-gate” has been met with universal disdain – see, for instance, Don Boudreaux’s…

Media

Ethanol Backlash

• Nathan Benefield
• November 12, 2007

Wall Street Journal article on how Congress is rethinking the negative effects of subsidizing and mandating use of ethanol. I don’t usually call on the PA General Assembly to…

Media

Regulation

Public Pension Reform Introduced

• October 30, 2007

Commonwealth Foundation applauds legislation to enroll new public employees in more predictable, affordable “Defined-Contribution” pension plan HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation joined Rep. Scott Boyd (R-Lampeter), Sen. Pat Browne…

Press Release

PennFuture: Give Governor Rendell power to control the weather

• Nathan Benefield
• October 18, 2007

The environmental group Penn Future released a “PennFuture Facts” calling for the PA General Assembly to pass parts of its agenda. Yet the alarmist “facts” they use are so…

Media

Remember in November of ’08

• Nathan Benefield
• July 30, 2007

“The ‘reform movement’ in the Pennsylvania Legislature is dead,” writes Brad Bumsted, who ask us all to “Remember, remember the 5th of November…” Okay, so I think Brad is…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Mass Transit Reform: Lessons for Pennsylvania

• June 26, 2007

Executive Summary Pennsylvania’s two major public transit agencies, the Philadelphia-area Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Pittsburgh-based Port Authority Transit (PAT), have been in financial crisis for years, with…

Fact Sheet

Legislative Spending

• Nathan Benefield
• March 4, 2007

Tribune Review article looks at the overall growth in the PA General Assembly’s budget, and the improvement of amenities for lawmakers. The Herald Standard points out that many…

Media

Taxes & Economy

Taxpayers Guide to the Rendell Property Tax Relief Act of 2006

• February 1, 2007

For more than three decades, Pennsylvania policymakers have repeatedly attempted to devise a mechanism to reduce school district property taxes on homeowners. Such a mechanism has been elusive. A number…

Fact Sheet