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Education
Sen. Lindsey Williams supports school choice—But only for the wealthy
Originally published at The Philadelphia Tribune I don’t know what I did or said to inspire state Sen. Lindsey Williams to storm out of a recent Senate Education Committee…
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Energy
Electric vehicles are not without environmental consequences
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Education
State House Democrats need to do their jobs
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Education
Pennsylvanians Deserve the Truth on Education Spending
Read More: Pennsylvanians Deserve the Truth on Education SpendingTaxes & Economy
Gov. Rendell and PA’s Business Climate: Rhetoric Doesnt Match Reality
As election time draws nearer, Gov. Ed Rendell is issuing a flurry of press releases to convince voters that his administration has improved Pennsylvania’s competitiveness and economic growth. To that…
Commentary
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Close the Loopholes
Few issues get politicians more exercised than the issue of tax “loopholes” – provisions in the tax code that allow affected taxpayers to reduce the amount of money they must…
Commentary
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Let Common Sense Prevail on School Construction Projects
In the current debate over school property tax reform in Pennsylvania, all of the plans under consideration in Harrisburg focus solely on the revenue side of the school finance equation…
Commentary
Read More: Let Common Sense Prevail on School Construction ProjectsRegulation
The Laws of Economics are Sovereign, Even in Pennsylvania
It’s a shame that King Canute never ran for office in Pennsylvania. King Canute was the mighty English ruler who, tired of the ceaseless flattery of his advisors, had them…
Commentary
Read More: The Laws of Economics are Sovereign, Even in PennsylvaniaRegulation
Pennsylvania Pensions: Man-Made Financial Disasters
The “Process Improvement Theory” relates to the timing in a process when errors are diagnosed and fixed. As the theory goes, at each ensuing interval in which a problem is…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania Pensions: Man-Made Financial DisastersState Budget
State Spending Limits: The Real “Road Less Traveled”
In his 2006-07 budget address, Gov. Ed Rendell claimed to be taking the “road less traveled.” But in unveiling his new spending plan, the governor revealed that he is speeding…
Commentary
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The Rendell Budget: Would Your Family Spend Money Like This?
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had a good tax year – that is, in government collection terms. General Fund revenues will exceed expectations this year by a projected $353 million. But…
Commentary
Read More: The Rendell Budget: Would Your Family Spend Money Like This?Taxes & Economy
Letter to Gov. Rendell on the Minimum Wage
January 23, 2006 Governor Edward G. Rendell225 Main Capitol BuildingHarrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 Dear Governor Rendell, I understand that politicians sometimes change their policy positions. And I probably don’t…
Commentary
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From Hopeless to Hopeful
On November 16, the legislators handed Gov. Rendell a bill to repeal the General Assembly’s July 7 pay and pension grab. The Governor promptly signed the measure without fanfare. Only…
Commentary
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Private Property & Liberty
Good afternoon. My name is Matt Brouillette, and I am president & CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, a public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg. We develop and…
Commentary
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President’s Address: Advancing Ideas Whose Time Have Come
"As we celebrate these first recipients of our Speaker Franklin Awards, I’m reminded of the great British Statesman Edmund Burke who once said: “All that is necessary for the triumph…
Commentary
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Protect Private Property from Eminent Domain Abuse
Thank you for the opportunity to address the issue of Eminent Domain. My name is Matt Brouillette, and I am president & CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation, a research and…
Commentary
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Minimum Wage Politics, Bad Economic Policy
It wasn’t a corporate executive who said, “Right now Pennsylvania businesses carry a very high tax burden compared to states we compete with. We’re [a] very heavily taxed business state….
Commentary
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Reform Government’s Claim on Your Domain
Pennsylvanians never really own their homes—they only “rent” them from the government. Don’t believe me? Just stop paying your school and county property taxes and you’ll find out who actually…
Commentary
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Singin’ Those Car Wash Blues
Setting aside the traditional economic arguments against increasing the state’s minimum wage rate, what impact would a proposal currently in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have on employees in a…
Commentary
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Protecting Private Property from Eminent Domain Abuse
Chairman Clymer, Rep. Yewcic and members of the House State Government Committee, good afternoon. My name is Matthew Brouillette and I am president & CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation for…
Commentary
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Government Clock Keeps on Tickin
We’re #1. That’s what the Pennsylvania Economy League discovered this month after comparing the overall cost of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to its counterparts in other states. The report on…
Commentary
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Is the NEA Really a NUT?
Is the NEA really a NUT? By asking, I’m not casting aspersions on the National Education Association’s sanity, just on its choice of name. The NEA’s British counterpart really is…
Commentary
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Throwing a Party for the Educational Status Quo
The National Education Association recently concluded its annual convention in Los Angeles, gathering 8,000 delegates in celebration of the status quo in public education. When attendees weren’t offering a vigorous…
Commentary
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Pennsylvanias Great Rail Disasters Continue
Dozens of cities around the country, including Pennsylvania cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, are building, planning, or considering new or expanded rail systems. But is rail really the best…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvanias Great Rail Disasters ContinueTaxes & Economy
Only We, the People, Can Restore the Spirit of 1776
The history of the world is a story about mankind’s struggle to be free. Millions upon millions of people have died over the age-old question about which form of tyrannical…
Commentary
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