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.

June 23, 2010 | Testimony by MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

More Reforms Before More Revenue in Transportation

Testimony before the Senate Transportation Committee

Good morning and thank you Chairman Rafferty for the invitation to testify before your committee and for your consideration of our policy solutions to help address Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure funding challenges.

While many in this building and in the transportation industry view Pennsylvania's transportation infrastructure as a revenue problem, I would like to frame the issue as a spending problem.

June 11, 2010 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD, KATRINA CURRIE

Green Jobs and the Broken Window Fallacy

Testimony to the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee

This concept applies to the "green jobs" craze gripping lawmakers.  Green jobs, i.e., jobs in wind, solar, and other alternative energies, are in and of themselves a good thing.  But when government attempts to pick winners and losers-by identifying which industries are "green" or "good" and subsidizing them at taxpayers' expense, mandating their use, and even punishing their competitors with costly regulations-it hinders our overall economy.  Jobs created in industries that depend on government assistance are not sustainable, will not stimulate the economy, and will not result in net job growth.

June 2, 2010 | Testimony by ELIZABETH STELLE

Welfare Fraud and Abuse

Testimony of Elizabeth Stelle to the Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee

Welfare advocates justify spending increases by emphasizing that they're necessary to provide for Pennsylvania's vulnerable residents, including children, older adults, and the disabled. However, we must consider the efficiency and the outcomes of such programs. If resources are being squandered on those who don't need them and are defrauding the system, both welfare recipients and taxpayers would benefit from the above welfare reforms.

April 30, 2010 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Does Legislative Size Matter?

Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee

In summary, our analysis suggests that a reduction in the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly could improve the lawmaking process, but only if it includes other, more comprehensive reforms such as those I just outlined.  We, at the Commonwealth Foundation, would be pleased to work with you on any of these good government reform measures.

April 12, 2010 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Cost-Saving Ideas for Pennsylvania State Budget

Government has no money of its own to spend; it only has that which it first takes out of the pockets of working Pennsylvanians in the form of taxes or out of our children's future paychecks in the form of debt.  Every dollar you tax, borrow and spend is a dollar that cannot be spent, saved, or invested by the people who earned it. Therefore, examining how each dollar of the $66 billion state budget is spent, prioritizing programs, identifying waste, and finding greater efficiency is critical to restoring Pennsylvania's prosperity. 

February 23, 2010 | Testimony by KATRINA CURRIE

Whistle-Blower Protection

Taxpayers deserve to know when their money is being wasted and used for illegal acts, and whistleblower protection laws help ensure transparency and accountability. Misuse of taxpayer funds is not limited to public agencies.

December 14, 2009 | Testimony by JOE STERNS

Qualifications for Governor (HB 2083)

House Bill 2083 begs us to consider whether or not an Attorney General longing to be Governor would be inclined to abuse his power to achieve his political goals, and further, whether or not there should be a four-year hiatus between an Attorney General's transition to Governor. House Bill 2083 doesn't apply the logic of its premise to the spectrum of state government.

December 9, 2009 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Costing-Out the Price of Education

In the last two years, Gov. Rendell has used the "costing-out" study to justify proposed increases in state education subsidies. Yet while costing-out or "adequacy" studies have been conducted in over 35 states to quantify the amount of education funding needed, in no case did spending increases result in dramatic improvement of adequacy standards.

December 9, 2009 | Testimony by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Project Labor Agreements

PLAs are agreements between government and state contractors that contain stipulations beneficial to unionized labor, such as: requiring employment of unionized workers, use of union apprentice programs, and payments into union funds. 

Yet PLAs result in higher costs for taxpayers and create unfair and discriminatory contract privileges.