Nathan Benefield

Nathan Benefield

Senior Vice President

Nathan (Nate) Benefield is the Senior Vice President at the Commonwealth Foundation.

An Ohio native, Nate holds an undergraduate degree in political science and economics and a master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University in Chicago. He also completed his doctoral studies (ABD) in political science at Loyola University, also in Chicago.

Nate joined the Commonwealth Foundation in 2005. Now as senior vice president, he provides strategic leadership as well as operational oversight spanning policy analysis, government relations, marketing, and communications.

Nate has researched and written extensively on public policy issues including the state budget, public sector labor reform, government spending and taxes, liquor privatization, education, and economic development. Under Nate’s policy leadership, the Commonwealth Foundation’s work on public sector pension law helped drive the bipartisan pension reform of 2017, heralded by the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post as an example for other states to follow.

Nate has testified numerous times before state legislative committees and is often called upon by legislators and members of the media to provide expertise. He is a frequent commentator on both television and radio, and his writings have appeared across the state and nationally in outlets including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Patriot-News, and Weekly Standard.

Nate’s favorite rock song and personal motto are both “Don’t Stop Believin.”

State Budget

Can You Afford $1,000 More?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 5, 2015

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a major tax increase. This vote will be, in all likelihood, on a proposal Gov. Tom…

Media

Read More: Can You Afford $1,000 More?

State Budget

Wolf Truth Squad: Tax Hikes on Working Families

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 2, 2015

UPDATE: Gov. Wolf offered a new tax proposal on October 6, 2015. Here is a summary of that plan   As noted yesterday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives…

Media

Read More: Wolf Truth Squad: Tax Hikes on Working Families

Tax Hike Vote: Four Things to Know

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2015

UPDATE: Gov. Wolf offered a new tax proposal on October 6, 2015. Here is a summary of that plan   Legislative leaders have promised that on Wednesday October 7,…

Media

Read More: Tax Hike Vote: Four Things to Know

State Budget

Four Things to Know about Wolf’s September Tax Increase Proposal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2015

On September 11, 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf presented legislative leaders with a second tax increase proposal—totaling$1.8 billion for the 2015-16 budget year, and a $3.2 billion net increase in 2016-17,…

Memo

Read More: Four Things to Know about Wolf’s September Tax Increase Proposal

Education

Wolf Veto = $11 Million Bill for Taxpayers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 30, 2015

School districts have borrowed $346 million—and taxpayers will pay to pay up to $11 million in interest payments—as a result of Gov. Wolf’s budget vetoes, according to a report…

Media

Read More: Wolf Veto = $11 Million Bill for Taxpayers

State Budget

Fresh Start, or Stale Policies of Decades Past?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 30, 2015

At the beginning of 2015, we heard a lot about a “fresh start” for Pennsylvania. But nine months later, it's difficult to identify anything fresh about Gov. Wolf's tax, borrow…

Media

Read More: Fresh Start, or Stale Policies of Decades Past?

State Budget

Who Will Vote to Raise Your Taxes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 29, 2015

Republican leadership in the General Assembly has announced they will allow a floor vote on a budget proposal that has the massive tax increases Gov. Wolf and government union leaders desire—if Democrats…

Media

Read More: Who Will Vote to Raise Your Taxes?

Regulation

Government that Works?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 29, 2015

Last week, Governor Wolf revved up his Jeep and resumed his “Government that Works” tour in Lancaster. In an ironic twist, Wolf also promised to veto a temporary funding bill…

Commentary

Read More: Government that Works?

Regulation

Losers and Phony-Baloneys

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2015

Last week, Gov. Wolf unveiled new, bad policy ideas—to slightly adjust a misguided pension proposal, and to propose a private manager to a government run liquor monopoly.  But just as…

Media

Read More: Losers and Phony-Baloneys

Regulation

New Wolf Offer, Same Bad Policy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 17, 2015

Yesterday, 28 days after receiving a budget compromise proposal from legislative Republicans, Gov. Wolf rejected that offer and issued his own plan—hiring a private contractor to manage the government liquor…

Media

Read More: New Wolf Offer, Same Bad Policy

State Budget

Free the Budget Hostages

  • Matthew Brouillette, Nathan Benefield
  • September 15, 2015

This week, lawmakers are expected to vote for a “stop-gap budget”—funding state services and programs for a few months, while continuing to negotiate a budget compromise. Yet, some politicians oppose…

Media

Read More: Free the Budget Hostages

Public Union Democracy

Union Dues are Used for Politics (and Members Don’t Know It)

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 10, 2015

Yesterday's blog post and infographic noted how union dues from Pennsylvania teachers and state workers fund political ads from America Works USA. In response, on both Twitter…

Media

Read More: Union Dues are Used for Politics (and Members Don’t Know It)

How Public Employees are Forced to Fund Attack Ads

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 9, 2015

Pennsylvania school teachers and state workers are being forced to fund political attacks—with money collected at taxpayer expense through public payroll systems. Here’s how it works: Last year, 228,291 Pennsylvania…

Media

Read More: How Public Employees are Forced to Fund Attack Ads

Vince Hughes: A Brave Man

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 26, 2015

In March, Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a massive tax increase of $12 billion over the next two years. Sen. Vince Hughes offered this tax plan—or 97 percent of it,…

Media

Read More: Vince Hughes: A Brave Man

Education

Will Wolf Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 25, 2015

On June 30, state lawmakers passed a budget that offers $10.4 billion in state support for public schools. This represents an all-time high—indeed, an increase from last year’s all-time high—and…

Media

Read More: Will Wolf Take ‘Yes’ for an Answer?

Regulation

Borrowing ‘Dumb’ Ideas on Pension Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 24, 2015

Would you take out a second mortgage on your home to bet on the stock market? Such an idea deserves ridicule—if not alarm. You’d be putting your home and your…

Commentary

Read More: Borrowing ‘Dumb’ Ideas on Pension Reform

Taxes & Economy

Taxes and Taxes and Taxes, Oh My!

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 24, 2015

A recent NPR article notes that Pennsylvania “gathers less than 1 percent of its total tax receipts from an impact fee” on natural gas production (emphasis mine). Naturally, the…

Media

Read More: Taxes and Taxes and Taxes, Oh My!

Public Union Democracy

Exposing Union Myths and Hypocrisy on Pension Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 20, 2015

Pennsylvania government unions rely on disproven myths to lobby against pension reform. Their actions, however, demonstrate they don't believe their own snake oil, and offer their employees' the same retirement plans…

Media

Read More: Exposing Union Myths and Hypocrisy on Pension Reform

Government Accountability

Something Pennsylvania Government Does Pretty Well

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 19, 2015

A new report on state spending transparency websites gives Pennsylvania’s site—PennWatch—a solid ‘B’ grade. Created through legislation passed in 2011, PennWatch offers data—down to the “checkbook level”—on state…

Media

Read More: Something Pennsylvania Government Does Pretty Well

Union Leader Still Flouting the Law

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 17, 2015

Yesterday’s Post-Gazette featured a story highlighting the fact that Wendell Young still isn’t registered to lobby, and UFCW 1776 is underreporting their expenses: Mr. Young isn’t registered as…

Media

Read More: Union Leader Still Flouting the Law

Regulation

Gov. Wolf’s So-Called Compromise

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 17, 2015

Gov. Wolf proposed a new “compromise” on pensions and the budget last week, according to news reports. Here is what that compromise includes: A defined contribution plan for new…

Media

Read More: Gov. Wolf’s So-Called Compromise