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Utah Man Wanted by Truth Police

• Nathan Benefield
• January 17, 2006

An article appearing on ESPN.com – Why isn’t Jazz owner under fire? – argues that Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller should be penalized (fined, suspended or just chastised) for…

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Education

Public nonprofit, privately profitable

• January 17, 2006

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, a taxpayer-supported, government-monopoly student loan organization, will pay its top executive, Dick Willey, nearly a half million dollars in 2006, reports the Harrisburg…

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Public Union Democracy

Union ousted

• January 16, 2006

Montgomery County Court-related employees throw out AFSCME, reports The Times Herald.

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Education

“Living in an alternate universe”

• January 16, 2006

The Brownsville Area School District recently voted to give administrators some retirement benefits that no private sector would even consider–Nine years of free healthcare insurance for retiring early. As The…

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Education

Conservative professors face discrimination

• January 16, 2006

Commonwealth Foundation Adjunct Scholar and Villanova University associate professor of political science Bob Maranto in the Philadelphia Inquirer on how diversity on college campuses excludes conservative academics.

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Education

The birthplace of school choice

• January 16, 2006

John Fund of the Wall Street Journal says the “front lines of today’s civil rights struggle are not in the South but in Milwaukee.” Read Fund’s Political Diary.

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Education

PA is national leader on teacher strikes

• January 13, 2006

Pennsbury School District parent, Simon Campbell, nails the teacher strike issue in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Regulation

The pensions crunch

• January 13, 2006

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on pensions in the private sector. You think its bad at IBM, Verizon, et al. Just wait til you see what’s going on in state…

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Taxes & Economy

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes

• January 13, 2006

From the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal… Poll: Taxes are most pressing problem What’s the most pressing problem facing the state? The answer is taxes…

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Health Care

Maryland’s Wal-Mart Bill: Coming to PA?

• January 13, 2006

From the National Federation of Independent Businesses… Maryland lawmakers voted this week to over-ride a veto by Gov. Robert Erlich of a bill that will force Wal-Mart and other companies…

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Education

John Stossel: ‘Stupid in America’

• January 13, 2006

John Stossel plans to look at how the public schools are failing kids tonight on ABC. ‘Stupid in America’ will ask the question: Does the U.S. government’s monopoly over public…

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Health Care

Maryland Senate seeks control over Wal-Mart

• Nathan Benefield
• January 12, 2006

The Maryland Senate voted to override the governor’s veto of the “Wal-Mart Bill” (Financial News – Yahoo! Finance), so called because it applies only to one company in the…

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Override of guv’s veto?

• January 12, 2006

Text of Jan. 11 press release. Turzai and Reed move to override Governor’s veto.Say job creation bill has necessary support in House and Senate HARRISBURG — Rep. Mike Turzai…

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Property tax reform proposals are like belly buttons

• January 10, 2006

Former Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Education

Referendum exemption is blackmail

• January 10, 2006

From the York Dispatch… Thumbs Down to Rep. Stan Saylor’s proposal to amend property tax reform legislation to an extent that renders taxpayer approval impotent when it comes to increases…

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Education

States Throwing Money at Higher Education

• Nathan Benefield
• January 10, 2006

An analysis of state spending on higher education from The Chronicle of Higher Education shows that overall spending increases substantially outpaced inflation. While the article’s perspective (and the perspective…

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Education

Are American Kids Stupid?

• Nathan Benefield
• January 9, 2006

I love John Stossel reports – this Friday (on 20/20) he asks, “Are American Kids Stupid?” The answer, of course, is no, but our monopolistic public school system is.

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Give us the right to vote!

• January 9, 2006

The Public Opinion in Chambersburg agrees, school tax increases should require voter approval. Read their editorial.

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Public Union Democracy

The best of the best, of course

• January 8, 2006

The Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System and the Public School Retirement System are the envy of the government worker world. They are the most generous systems in the entire country.

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Regulation

Go to HBG to do good, but end up doing well, very well

• January 8, 2006

The retirement of many long-time legislators is opening up the eyes of many to the very generous pensions. See The Citizens Voice story by Michael Race, Stepping out to…

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Government Accountability

Will 2006 be the year of reform?

• January 6, 2006

Democratic Representative Greg Vitali hopes so. Read his commentary in today’s Philly Inquirer.

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