FEBRUARY 22, 2012 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Pennsylvania Welfare Spending

The FY 2011-12 total operating budget of $63.4 billion, which included $27.1 billion in General Fund spending, represented the first year-to-year reduction in state spending in at least 40 years. However, as the economy continues to struggle out of a recession and with increasing costs in public welfare, corrections, pensions, and debt, the FY 2

FEBRUARY 16, 2012 | News Release by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Report Finds Pennsylvania Welfare System Unsustainable, Hurting Poor

The Commonwealth Foundation released today an alarming new report on Pennsylvania public welfare that finds widespread abuse of tax dollars, with spending growing faster than the economy and exceeding education appropriations for the first time in state history.

FEBRUARY 16, 2012 | Policy Report by ELIZABETH STELLE

Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in Pennsylvania

Government welfare, with its goal to provide a helping hand to those in need, has instead become a vast series of programs that fall far short of the good intentions behind them. Welfare spending in the Keystone State consumes a growing share of the state budget, and is projected to crowd out spending on other government programs in the near fut

JANUARY 24, 2012 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE, JAY OSTRICH

Welfare Reforms Protect Poor, Taxpayers

Regardless of where you stand on taxpayer-funded entitlements, few Americans argue against the maintenance of temporary safety nets or modifications aimed at ending welfare fraud, waste and abuse.

MAY 26, 2011 | Policy Report by LEONARD GILROY, HARRIS KENNY, KATRINA CURRIE, ELIZABETH STELLE

Privatizing "Yellow Pages" Government

This report surveys the scope of Yellow Pages Government in Pennsylvania, looks at examples of state and local privatization throughout the country, and outlines best practices to equip lawmakers to successfully transition government out of unnecessary services by implementing a variety of models.

MAY 19, 2011 | Commentary by ANDREW GILLEN

Spending for Higher Education Doesn't Create Economic Growth

The Coleman Report, published in 1966, and subsequent experience and analysis has demolished the idea that inputs alone are very useful in explaining the output of K-12. As the college level, the college attainment rate is also quite stubborn in spite of dramatic increases in funding over the years. In other words, spending more does not au

MAY 9, 2011 | Commentary by REP. RICK SACCONE

Economic Pitfalls of Taxing Marcellus Shale

The facts are that in Pennsylvania, Marcellus drillers contributed more than $15 billion in capital investment and have paid in excess of $5 billion in royalties to landowners not including more than $1 billion in state and local revenues.  Think of every well as a nearly $5 million construction project boosting a local economy while ad

APRIL 13, 2011 | Commentary by DAVID TAYLOR

Bring PA Toward the Mainstream in Limiting Lawsuit Abuse

Having defeated a slew of trial-lawyer amendments, Pennsylvania's House of Representatives approved the Fair Share Act for the third time on Monday. The legislation, which has passed both chambers of the General Assembly twice before, would reform the outdated deep-pockets rule of "joint-and-several" liability by establishing proportion

APRIL 7, 2011 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Taxpayers First: The New, New Deal

Today, the average government employee enjoys better health care benefits, better pensions, better job security, and an earlier retirement than the average private-sector worker.  To pay for this, however, taxpayers have been strapped with unfunded liabilities that are poised to raise state and local taxes by billions of dollars in just

MARCH 15, 2011 | Policy Report by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Streamlining State Government

Reforming the Regulatory Structure of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania businesses must navigate a complex web of regulations from more than 340 independent state agencies, offices, state departments, boards, commissions, and committees stemming from the executive branch. Several other boards, committees, and commissions in state government primarily provide an advisory or public relat