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Public Union Democracy
PA Needs to Empower Workers—Not Union Executives
Originally published in the Delaware Valley Journal The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed House Bill 950, which proposes a state constitutional amendment empowering public sector union executives. Unfortunately,…
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Education
Pennsylvania’s education system is broken: here’s how to fix it
Read More: Pennsylvania’s education system is broken: here’s how to fix it
Criminal Justice Reform
The key to Cherelle Parker’s success? Rejecting the Democrats’ progressive wing.
Read More: The key to Cherelle Parker’s success? Rejecting the Democrats’ progressive wing.Energy
Earth Day Reality Check: Embrace the Truth Not Environmental Hysteria
Forty years ago, native Pennsylvanian Rachel Carson and author of Silent Spring wrote “We stand now where two roads diverge.” Carson’s statement accurately reflects the current state of Pennsylvania’s regulatory…
Commentary
Read More: Earth Day Reality Check: Embrace the Truth Not Environmental HysteriaTaxes & Economy
Governor Rendell Strikes Out With Economic Development Bonds
Governor Ed Rendell moonlights as a cable television sports commentator. So when Pennsylvanians recently saw headlines reading “Rendell Wants $2 Billion for Bonds,” many of them could be forgiven for…
Commentary
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What $17.4 Billion Cant Buy
There are few things in Pennsylvania that $17,438,840,000 cannot buy. Yet in signing the 2003-04 Budget, Governor Rendell told Pennsylvanians that $10,400 average per-pupil revenue is simply not enough to…
Commentary
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Sizing Up Pennsylvanias Next DEP Secretary
Today, the acronym DEP still stands for the “Department of Environmental Protection,” thanks to the era of relative cooperation between government and industry established by former DEP Secretaries James Seif…
Commentary
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Parent Reform: The Next Movement in Public Education?
Lebanon sure isn’t Lake Wobegon where, as Garrison Keillor tells it, all the children are above average. Heck, this Lebanon, Pennsylvania school district is apparently so troubled by children, it’s…
Commentary
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Creating A Truly New Pennsylvania
Pennsylvanians with high hopes that Governor Ed Rendell’s economic development policies will create a “new Pennsylvania” had better be prepared for disappointment. The new governor’s recent public comments make it…
Commentary
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School Taxes and Education Quality: Rendells Rhetoric Versus Reality
Governor Rendell’s inaugural speech reiterated his campaign promise to reform Pennsylvania’s school funding and property tax system while boosting the state’s share of total school revenue to 50 percent. But…
Commentary
Read More: School Taxes and Education Quality: Rendells Rhetoric Versus RealityPublic Union Democracy
Nobody should be forced to pay for someone elses politics!
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you Mr. Chairman and Members of the House Labor Relations Committee for the invitation to testify this morning on an important…
Commentary
Read More: Nobody should be forced to pay for someone elses politics!Education
Waiting at the Cradle
"Hey, what about the kids?" That is the slogan for a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign called "Focus Five for Kids," created to highlight children's issues during the Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign.
Commentary
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The Pennsylvania State (Everything But) Education Association
Almost as predictable as the beginning of the football season is the start of the strike season by public school employees in Pennsylvania. And the kick-off to the 2002-03 school…
Commentary
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Special Session on Property Tax Relief
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you, Chairman Wenger and members of the Committee for the invitation to testify this afternoon. My name is Matthew Brouillette and…
Commentary
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Statewide Teacher Contract Will Destroy The Teaching Profession In Pennsylvania
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you Mr. Chairman, Rep. Wilt, and Members of the House Labor Relations Committee for the invitation to testify this morning on…
Commentary
Read More: Statewide Teacher Contract Will Destroy The Teaching Profession In PennsylvaniaEducation
Pennsylvania’s Under-Funded Public Schools and the Special Education Burden
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you members of the Committee for the invitation to testify this morning. My name is Matthew Brouillette and I am the…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Under-Funded Public Schools and the Special Education BurdenEducation
Three Principles for Necessary for Successful Property-Tax/School-Funding Reform in Pennsylvania
Testimony of Matthew J. Brouillette, President, Commonwealth Foundation Thank you members of the Committee for the invitation to testify this morning. My name is Matthew Brouillette and I am the…
Commentary
Read More: Three Principles for Necessary for Successful Property-Tax/School-Funding Reform in PennsylvaniaPublic Union Democracy
Pennsylvania Businesses Can Now Spend Less Time In The Courtroom
By their very nature, businesspeople are willing to take significant risks to compete in the marketplace. Indeed, every day the profit motive compels people to invest their life savings in…
Commentary
Read More: Pennsylvania Businesses Can Now Spend Less Time In The CourtroomEducation
More Dollars Will Not Produce More Scholars
Just one day after Pennsylvania celebrated Tax Freedom Day 2002—the day when citizens stop toiling just to pay their federal, state, and local taxes and are finally free to work…
Commentary
Read More: More Dollars Will Not Produce More ScholarsEducation
Do Our Schools Really Need More Money?
If your wallet starts feeling a lot lighter, you can thank the administrators of Pennsylvania’s public school system. On March 12, over 50 superintendents and board members descended on the…
Commentary
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Private InvestorsNot TaxpayersShould Fund Lancaster Baseball Stadium
The siren song of professional baseball is seducing yet another Pennsylvania community. This time the object of affection is Lancaster, and taxpayers had better hope this love affair hits the…
Commentary
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National Sales Tax Scheme Would Cost PA Consumers $381 Million in First Year; Would Forfeit Up To 94,000 PA Jobs
A high-pressure push is on to add Pennsylvania to the list of states that agree to force consumers to pay more for all purchases they make online or from catalogues.
Commentary
Read More: National Sales Tax Scheme Would Cost PA Consumers $381 Million in First Year; Would Forfeit Up To 94,000 PA JobsTaxes & Economy
Philadelphia Stadium Deal: Great for Teams, Not for Taxpayers
After years of asking Santa for shiny new stadiums, the Phillies and Eagles may finally fulfill that Christmas wish courtesy of Philadelphia Mayor John Street and his merry band of…
Commentary
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Kvaerner Audit On Course With Details, Sails By Larger Question
A new state audit is re-aggravating a seasickness that has been plaguing Pennsylvanians since the launch of the deal to bring a Norwegian shipbuilding company to the former Philadelphia Naval…
Commentary
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