Taxes & Economy

Big Oil vs. Big Ethanol

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 7, 2008

Everyone in Pennsylvania (save the Amish, who are also unlikely to be reading this blog) must have heard or seen the Barack Obama, anti-“Big Oil” ad dozens of…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Hoover’s Heirs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 3, 2008

Wall Street Journal editorial on what not to do facing a possible recession, i.e. follow the lead of Herbert Hoover: In 1930, he signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act,…

Media

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Education

Report: Philly graduation rate 33% lower than suburbs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 1, 2008

A new report on graduation rates in the largest US cities has troubling news for Philadelphia (and most urban districts). The Philadelphia City School District ranks 34th among the…

Media

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Education

New Reports on Education and School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 31, 2008

Here are a few new reports that make for handy reference guides for legislators, advocates, researchers, or anyone interested in education reform. American Legislative Exchange Council: 2007…

Media

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Health Care

Affordable Health Care Agenda

  • March 28, 2008

The Commonwealth Foundation has joined with over two dozen organizations to form the Health Care Freedom Coalition. Below is a Statement of Principles. We, the Health Care Freedom Coalition, believe…

Commentary

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Taxes & Economy

Tax Freedom Day for PA is April 21

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 26, 2008

The Tax Foundation released their annual report on Tax Freedom Day today. The national Tax Freedom day will be April 23 – the number of days it takes for…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Concerns About Turnpike Lease Misguided

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 19, 2008

Testimony before the PA House Transportation Committee Good morning. I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research…

Testimony

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Taxes & Economy

Defending Free Trade

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 15, 2008

The Economist has an editorial defending NAFTA – and the need for the US (and presidential candidates) to drop NAFTA bashing. (HT: The Foundry). On a related front,…

Media

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State Budget

Porkers win the day, again

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 14, 2008

A few days ago, I remarked that the DeMint-McCain earmark moratorium was likely to pass the Senate, as both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton had signed on.

Media

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