November 7, 2011 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

WIFM: What's In It for Me?

"What's in it for me?"  Legislators will ask that question from time to time when they don't see the direct political benefit in voting for something controversial.  Recently, as Gov. Corbett and the General Assembly consider a package of education reform bills, legislators - particularly those in suburban and rural districts - are asking "What's in it for me?" more often.

October 27, 2011 | Commentary by CARA DOCHAT, PRIYA ABRAHAM

Government Unions Steal Worker Freedom

Pennsylvania is one of 28 states in which workers can be compelled to give part of their paycheck to a union just to keep their job.  Moreover, even non-membership is costly. Those able to evade union coercion are still compelled to pay hundreds of dollars in fair share fees, or agency fees, to cover their supposed share of benefits gained from collective bargaining.

October 25, 2011 | Commentary by REPRESENTATIVE RICK SACCONE

Rep.: Pa. Ed Needs 1st Class Not Third-World Results

One of the most controversial and emotional issues facing our Commonwealth involves the future of the education system. The media's attempt to reduce nearly every major complicated issue to a sound bite has resulted in this debate being labeled "school choice."

October 19, 2011 | Commentary by JAY OSTRICH

Willie and Penny Can’t Read

We'll call them Willie, Penny, Ben and Frankie, four public school students from Philadelphia, Reading, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, respectively.  If they don't drop out of school and become clients of the state like many of their former classmates, they will soon graduate and compete in a global market for a dwindling supply of skilled and unskilled jobs.

October 5, 2011 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Principles Must Lead Shale Fee Proposal

Before sound could travel from Gov. Corbett's lips to Pennsylvanians' ears, special interest groups and tax-and-spend politicians unwisely laid waste his plan to protect job growth and stave off family budget-crushing tax hikes through a non-punitive natural gas drilling impact fee.

September 27, 2011 | Commentary by CHARLES MITCHELL

Pennsylvania’s Public Universities Have Indigestion

If you ask them, they'll say they're hurting because budget-slashing Gov. Tom Corbett just forced something nasty down their throats—namely cuts to the subsidies they receive from Keystone State taxpayers.  Their problem, many of them say, is not enough money, and the only answer is raising tuition on students and parents.

September 20, 2011 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE

Public-Private Parking Prevents Tax Hikes

Facing immense fiscal and political pressures, many local governments are looking for ways to fund services without raising taxes. But officials need not curb their enthusiasm for fiscal responsibility if they simply put the brakes on being in the parking business.

Pennsylvania has 41 special government parking authorities; the rest of the nation, combined, has five. Despite their abundance, few can explain exactly why Pennsylvania relies on government-run parking monopolies.

September 13, 2011 | Commentary by JAMES MILLER, KATRINA CURRIE

The State of Inconvenience

Walk into any supermarket in Ohio and you can see shoppers purchasing everything they need for dinner - including the wine to go with it.  In West Virginia, residents can fill up their gas tank and replenish their wine selection in one stop.  In fact, every state except Utah provides more freedom over wine and spirits sales than Pennsylvania.  This lack of liquor liberty has turned average residents into bootleggers.

August 30, 2011 | Commentary by KATRINA CURRIE, LEONARD GILROY

Preserving Penn’s Woods Proven by Public-Private Partnerships

Earlier this month, Gov. Tom Corbett suggested the commonwealth consider leasing state park operations and services. Almost immediately and without thoughtful consideration, pundits launched political fire, claiming "privateers" would exploit or commercialize our natural resources beyond recognition.

August 24, 2011 | Commentary by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Green Light More Education Tax Credits

Would you ever give a green light or a hard-earned nickel to a business model that showed it was going to hire more staff to service fewer customers by doubling the cost of production while keeping the quality substandard and worse than the global competition? Of course not, but that is exactly the model Pennsylvanians invested in through the public education system in the last decade.