State Budget

Debt or Prosperity? It’s Our Choice

  • November 2, 2012

Can Americans afford slower economic growth and a lower standard of living in the future? That will be the impact of growing government debt on the economy, according to a…

Media

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Regulation

How Big is the Pension Bomb?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 1, 2012

Taxpayers will have to pay $1,385 more each year for 30 years to fully pay off pension liabilities, according to a new study on the cost of pension plans…

Media

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Education

Pa. Teachers Unions Among America’s Most Powerful

  • Priya Brannick
  • October 31, 2012

Pennsylvania’s teachers unions rank fourth among all U.S. states in their strength and influence, according to a report released this week from the Fordham Institute. We trail only Hawaii,…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Pa. Job Growth Triples National Rate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 22, 2012

Last week saw the release of September state jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Media coverage of this jobs report focused on the unemployment rate only, which…

Media

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Education

“Won’t Back Down” Captures Heart of Education

  • Priya Brannick
  • October 2, 2012

“Won’t Back Down” is a movie about education that fittingly begins and ends with a close-up of a child reading aloud. Education debates in America frequently whirl…

Media

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Education

Parental Choice + Competition = Better Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2012

A new study of academic performance in Ohio finds that traditional public schools facing competition from charter schools experience greater gains in student learning. In summarizing the findings, the…

Media

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Regulation

Should Taxpayers Subsidize Chocolate Making?

  • September 20, 2012

I testified yesterday before the House Finance Committee about how government-directed “economic development” hampers economic growth. A prime example of this happened Tuesday, where taxpayers forked over more…

Media

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Regulation

Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy

  • September 19, 2012

Testimony of Katrina M. Currie to Pennsylvania House Finance Committee, September 19, 2012 Good afternoon, my name is Katrina Currie; I am a policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvania’s…

Testimony

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Health Care

How Much Will Obama’s Health Care Cost You?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • September 18, 2012

How much will the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) cost you? Our new policy points look at the cost Pennsylvanians will shoulder under the sweeping health care reform law.

Media

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