Regulation

Philadelphia’s Pension Non-Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 15, 2009

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing addressing the city’s unfunded pension liability by, essentially, not paying as much as the city should (HT GrassrootsPA). Like Pennsylvania’s state…

Media

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Education

School District Consolidation is a Red Herring

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 13, 2009

In the movie Men in Black, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) carries a small device that flashes, allowing him to make people forget meeting him (or seeing aliens).  Gov. Rendell…

Commentary

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Regulation

CF Report Finds $5 billion in Gov’t Waste

  • February 12, 2009

State gov’t overspending is impeding prosperity and burdening taxpayers HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation today released Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009, a report that spotlights how the…

Press Release

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Education

For-Profit Philadelphia Schools Show Gains

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 10, 2009

A new study by Paul Peterson and Matthew Chingos finds that the Philadelphia public schools contracted out to for-profit operators showed significant gains in student achievement. Specifically, the…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Trucker’s Words of Wisdom on Taxes

  • January 20, 2009

A spokeswoman for House Democratic Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) said to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that a tax increase “is the last place we should go, but at this…

Media

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Regulation

There’s a reason so many Steeler fans have left Pittsburgh

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 19, 2009

Jerry Bowyer has an excellent piece in today’s Wall Street Journal on why sports – and taxpayer subsidized sports stadiums – do not lead to broader economic gains (a…

Media

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Government Accountability

Taxpayer Funded Lobbying and the Growth of Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 22, 2008

Americans for Prosperity has a new analysis of taxpayer-funded lobbying of the federal government.  I don’t want to point out the obvious, but this taxpayer-funded lobbying is almost all…

Media

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Regulation

Taxpayers helping millionaires

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 22, 2008

Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed celebrates the end of a long-standing tradition of sending taxpayers money to sports stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia – or rather, the extension of that tradition…

Media

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Regulation

Ed Rendell and Rosie O’Donnell

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 19, 2008

Q: What do Governor Ed Rendell and Rosie O’Donnell have in common (hint: it has nothing to do with food)? A: They have both gotten on Donald Trump’s bad side.

Media

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