SOURCE: Wikipedia, captured 2020-09-15
This page last modified: 2021-11-21 09:43:23 -0800 (PST)
Disambiguation: not the London, U.K. based Commonwealth Foundation
[2019-02-13] Spotlight on the Fairness Center:
The Fairness Center is a "non-profit" law firm that operates here in Pennsylvania with offices in Harrisburg and King of Prussia. The Fairness Center shares an office building with the anti-union Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives.
The Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives is a think tank based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It develops and advances fiscally conservative and libertarian public policies. The Commonwealth Foundation's stated mission is to "transform free-market ideas into public policies so all Pennsylvanians can flourish."
The Commonwealth Foundation was founded in 1987 by Don Eberly. Matthew Brouillette was hired as the Commonwealth Foundation's President in February 2002. At the time, the Commonwealth Foundation had three employees and $350,000 in annual revenue. In April 2016, Brouillette announced he was stepping down from his position. During his tenure, the Commonwealth Foundation grew to have 18 employees and an annual budget of more than $4 million with offices in Harrisburg and King of Prussia. Charles Mitchell replaced Brouillette as the Commonwealth Foundation's President and CEO.
Jane Leader Janeczek, a registered Democrat and the daughter of former Pennsylvania Democratic Governor George M. Leader, became the Commonwealth Foundation's board Chair in 2016. Jane Leader Janeczek became involved with the Commonwealth Foundation due to the organization's work on prison reform. In a column announcing her election as the Commonwealth Foundation's Chairwoman, Jane Leader Janeczek wrote:
"As my father and I -- both lifelong Democrats -- became more familiar with the work of the Commonwealth Foundation, we found not one policy proposal with which we disagreed. Whether prison reform to fix an ailing system, pension reform to put our state on solid financial footing, or paycheck protection to respect the use of taxpayer dollars, the Commonwealth Foundation's proposals represent common-sense policies."
The Commonwealth Foundation is active in policy areas such as criminal justice reform, school choice, and the Pennsylvania state budget. Commonwealth supports comprehensive criminal justice reforms focusing state resources on violent offenders and helping non-violent offenders who have served their sentences to reintegrate into society. The Commonwealth Foundation is a frequent commentator on public school reform; advocating for school choice through increased charter schools and tax credits for scholarships.
The Commonwealth Foundation "advocates for small government and market-based solutions" such as supporting the privatization of Pennsylvania's state-run liquor stores. The Commonwealth Foundation also supported former Democratic Governor Ed Rendell's proposal to privatize or lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
The Commonwealth Foundation was nominated for the Atlas Network's Templeton Freedom Award for its work in support of pension reform in the state.
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