Pennsylvania will only become a beacon for opportunity when its policies are in the hands of taxpayers and citizens, not special interests and bureaucrats. It’s vital that our government is accountable to the people—not organizations or institutions. Policies that advance transparency and restore workers’ rights are the keys to this happening.

Government Accountability

Op-ed: Protect lives by preserving livelihoods

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 6, 2020

Wolf should take state lawmakers’ advice and bring transparency and fairness to Pennsylvania’s reopening — along with a sense of urgency. In doing so, he can continue flattening the curve…

Commentary

Read More: Op-ed: Protect lives by preserving livelihoods

Government Accountability

Op-ed: Pennsylvania construction shutdown puts the elderly at risk

  • Kevin Mooney
  • May 5, 2020

Industry leaders who are directly affected by the governor’s orders do not dispute that Wolf has authority to take action aimed at halting the spread of COVID-19. But it’s that…

Commentary

Read More: Op-ed: Pennsylvania construction shutdown puts the elderly at risk

Government Accountability

Persistent Leadership will Safely Reopen Pa.

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Tirzah Duren
  • April 24, 2020

Governor Wolf continues to take positive steps toward a safe and gradual opening of the Pennsylvania economy because lawmakers continue to advance good policy that protects lives and livelihoods.

Memo

Read More: Persistent Leadership will Safely Reopen Pa.

Government Accountability

Wolf Makes Reopening Concessions, but Stops Short of Transparency

  • April 20, 2020

April 20, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, Governor Wolf vetoed a bill, SB 613, that would have brought clarity to Pennsylvania’s controversial business shutdown and provided hope for the future. But…

Press Release

Read More: Wolf Makes Reopening Concessions, but Stops Short of Transparency

Education

Government Unions Threaten to Eclipse School Choice

  • Kevin Mooney
  • February 25, 2020

Governor Tom Wolf and other elected officials are pulling in millions of dollars from government unions that oppose school choice and exert considerable influence at the expense of education reform. …

Commentary

Read More: Government Unions Threaten to Eclipse School Choice

Public Union Democracy

Union Dues Fuel Political Activism, Records Show

  • Kevin Mooney
  • February 18, 2020

Considering government unions draw heavily from their dues to fund political activism, public school teachers who prefer not to fund this political activism of their state and national unions should…

Commentary

Read More: Union Dues Fuel Political Activism, Records Show

Government Accountability

Wolf’s Budget Borrows Billions and Attacks Schools of Choice

  • Charles Mitchell
  • February 4, 2020

February 4, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, Gov. Wolf outlined a massive spending and borrowing plan in his annual budget address. The $36.1 billion proposed General Fund Budget represents a…

Press Release

Read More: Wolf’s Budget Borrows Billions and Attacks Schools of Choice

Government Accountability

Lawmakers Send Message to Wolf on Eve of Budget Address

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 3, 2020

February 3, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, on the eve of Gov. Wolf’s sixth state budget address, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a much-needed fiscal reform called the…

Press Release

Read More: Lawmakers Send Message to Wolf on Eve of Budget Address

Government Accountability

CF Responds to Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai’s Retirement

  • Charles Mitchell
  • January 23, 2020

January 23, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa.—Today, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Mike Turzai announced he will not seek reelection at the end of his term. Turzai, an outspoken…

Press Release

Read More: CF Responds to Pa. House Speaker Mike Turzai’s Retirement

Criminal Justice Reform

CF’s 2020 Vision

  • January 1, 2020

The Commonwealth Foundation’s mission sounds pretty simple: transform free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish. Accomplishing that mission—with a divided government, powerful special interests, and a diverse…

Media

Read More: CF’s 2020 Vision

Education

Pension Pacman Must Be Stopped

  • Andrew Abramczyk
  • December 31, 2019

Next fiscal year Pennsylvania school districts will pay $4.9 billion into PSERS, the state teachers’ pension fund.1 Less than one quarter of that amount will fund new benefits earned by…

Media

Read More: Pension Pacman Must Be Stopped

Government Accountability

How to Make an Easy Six Million

  • Andrew Abramczyk
  • December 10, 2019

A week ago the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office announced charges against Wing Tat Chiu and Ivy Hiu-Ying Li, a married couple whom they accuse of earning $6 million in illegal…

Media

Read More: How to Make an Easy Six Million

Education

Parents Protest Politicians’ Education Hypocrisy

  • Marc LeBlond
  • December 9, 2019

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the latest in a long line of politicians to take advantage of school choice for their own kids—Sen. Warren sent her son to private schools…

Media

Read More: Parents Protest Politicians’ Education Hypocrisy

Education

We’re thankful!

  • November 28, 2019

And the winner of “Biggest Home State Win” is … the Commonwealth Foundation! You can imagine the excitement of CF staff when we recently found out we’d won a prestigious…

Media

Read More: We’re thankful!

Government Accountability

Sunlight is Always Welcome

  • November 20, 2019

Pennsylvania’s two state-wide public pension systems are deeply underfunded. They only have about sixty cents in assets available for each dollar of promised payouts, which means they are at…

Media

Read More: Sunlight is Always Welcome

Education

Former PSEA Director Says Union Flip-Flopped on Charters

  • Marc LeBlond
  • October 29, 2019

“When I was at PSEA we embraced charter schools.” Those are surprising words from former PSEA Executive Director Carolyn Dumaresq. And they carry even more weight, given she was…

Media

Read More: Former PSEA Director Says Union Flip-Flopped on Charters