AUGUST 31, 2010 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE

Traditional Energy Fuels Pennsylvania's Economy

Pennsylvania has always been a leading provider of America's energy. From timber and coal to the nation's first commercial oil well, and now the Marcellus Shale boom, traditional energy is vital to our state's economy. But these industries, and the prosperity that accompanied them, are now threatened because they have become politically unpopular. Instead of entrepreneurship and the responsible development of natural resources, today's energy companies are rewarded on the basis of the

AUGUST 27, 2010 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Gov. Rendell's Gamesmanship

While table games have been in Pennsylvania casinos for more than a month, I don't know if Gov. Rendell has tried his luck. But it would be a safe wager that he's a fantastic poker player. Why? For eight years, he's been able to bluff, bully, and stare down anyone who opposes his tax-borrow-and-spend agenda.

AUGUST 26, 2010 | Commentary by DAVID KIRKPATRICK

Teachers and their Unions, Part II

This is another look raising legitimate questions as to how, or even if, teacher unions can reasonably be said to recommend their members which, of course, they maintain they do. These are not carefully selected events but essentially random occurrences that have appeared in a wide variety of districts over a long period of time, and continue to do so.

AUGUST 19, 2010 | Commentary by DAVID W. KIRKPATRICK

Teachers and Their Unions

Teacher unions like to say they represent their members and look out for their best interests, including protecting their rights to speak out without reprisal. Teachers are by the nature of their work college graduates. So it's a bit more common for them to try to have their say than in many other occupations.

AUGUST 17, 2010 | Commentary by NATALIE ROGOL

Time to Exit Rendell's Road to Higher Taxes

Governor Rendell has proposed a series of tax increases to fill a $415 million transportation funding deficit created when the federal government rejected his plan to toll I-80 for a third time. The state's highway system is in sorry condition, but not because taxpayers pay too little. Pennsylvania spends more on transportation than nearly every other state, and since the Governor took office, transportation spending increased 53%. The biggest problems with the state's

AUGUST 10, 2010 | Commentary by JOSHUA HOERNER

A School Choice Governor?

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett recently made headlines by announcing his support for full-fledged school choice in Pennsylvania. Democrat Dan Onorato has also expressed support for school choice, particularly the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC). A school choice governor will be a welcome change from the past eight years, during which Governor Rendell and his allies worked to stymie educational options.

AUGUST 3, 2010 | Commentary by DOUG MCLINKO

Gas Fuels Growth

The national economy is in a slump, unemployment remains stubbornly high, and economic growth is being hampered by misguided policies. Meanwhile, Bradford County, Pennsylvania led the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in net job growth from March of 2009 through March of 2010 with 2500 new jobs or a 7.2% employment increase. The robust increase in jobs is a direct result of Marcellus Shale drilling and its ancillary economic benefits.

JULY 29, 2010 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Lancaster Co. Human Relations Commission

Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners: July 29, 2010

I hope the Commissioners will seriously consider both the costs and the benefits of the LCHRC. They may find that there is reason to continue this work, but I hope not to pay lip service to "promoting diversity," but for the actual results and performance of the LCHRC's work.

JULY 28, 2010 | News Release by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Can Pennsylvania Grow Money from Trees?

PA Climate Change Plan would help neither the environment nor the economy

The Commonwealth Foundation (CF) today released Growing Money on Trees: An Analysis of PA's Climate Change Action Plan, offering a cost-benefit analysis of a climate change plan prepared by the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) for Pennsylvania. The report-prepared by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University-finds little basis for the economic benefits forecast in the Plan.

JULY 28, 2010 | Policy Report by BEACON HILL INSTITUTE AT SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY

Growing Money on Trees

An Analysis of PA’s Climate Change Action Plan

In December 2009, the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee (PCCAC), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS), released its report, Pennsylvania: Final Climate Change Action Plan. However, a cost-benefit analysis finds serious flaws in the report, rendering its findings useless for policymakers seeking to make informed policy decisions about climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emi