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Recent Research and Commentary

Reason's Len Gilroy Talks TVA Privatization, Annual Privatization Report on Heartland Institute Podcast

May 23, 2013, 3:54pm

Leonard Gilroy

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the Heartland Institute's Steve Stanek for an episode of their Heartland Daily Podcast, where we discussed President Obama's recent budget proposal to study a potential privatization of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

How to Avoid Closing Washington State Parks

May 17, 2013, 1:57pm

Leonard Gilroy

Many thanks to the Washington Policy Center for publishing my legislative memo today on how to avoid the closure of dozens of Washington State parks, as Gov. Inslee has proposed if his tax increase package fails to advance

Rethinking Washington State Parks: How to Avoid Governor Inslee’s Plan to Close 60 State Parks

Antiquated, top-down management model is unsustainable; private sector can play major role

May 17, 2013

Leonard Gilroy

The century-old, top-down model of state parks operated and managed by state parks agencies is not sustainable and needs to be replaced by an approach in which the parks agency sets the mission for the parks system and then serves as a coordinator to arrange the right blend of public and private sector operators on a park-by-park basis.

Louisiana Republicans Introduce Bills to Replicate Massachusetts's Pro-Union, Anti-Privatization “Pacheco Law”

May 9, 2013, 7:36pm

Leonard Gilroy

My latest column offers a critique of two bills introduced in the Louisiana legislature that are modeled after the Massachusetts "Pacheco Law," which is widely regarded as the most onerous and stringent anti-privatization law in the country.

Louisiana Republicans Introduce Bills to Replicate Massachusetts's Pro-Union, Anti-Privatization “Pacheco Law”

Bills would effectively shut down use of privatization, competitive contracting to lower costs of government

May 9, 2013

Leonard Gilroy

Two proposed bills introduced in the Louisiana legislature raise serious barriers to fiscal responsibility, as the bills would effectively shut down the ability of the current and future governors to use the proven tool of competitive contracting to lower the costs of state government. Given the similarity to a 1993 law enacted in Massachusetts at the behest of government employee unions—and which has stymied privatization efforts in that state for two decades since—a more appropriate title for the proposed Louisiana bills would be the "Louisiana Government Employee Protection Act."

Cutting the Debt Is Important to 96 Percent of Americans and 74 Percent Want a Government Spending Cap

Tired of red ink and politics as usual, 80 percent say they’d consider voting for a third-party or independent presidential candidate in 2012

May 3, 2011

As the federal government rapidly approaches the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, 96 percent of Americans say it is important to reduce the national debt, according to a new Reason Foundation-Rupe poll. Of those surveyed, 69 percent believe reducing the national debt is “very important.”

With the debt piling up, it is also clear that taxpayers do not trust the federal government to live within its means. In fact, the Reason-Rupe survey finds 74 percent of Americans support implementing a spending cap that would prohibit the government from spending more money than it takes in during a fiscal year. Only 19 percent oppose a government spending cap.

The most popular policy prescription for reducing the national debt is spending cuts: 45 percent of people say Congress should bring down the debt by reducing spending without raising taxes. Another 16 percent favor reducing the debt primarily through spending cuts, but are open to some tax increases; 14 percent prefer an equal emphasis on spending cuts and tax increases; 8 percent want to reduce the debt primarily through higher taxes with some spending cuts; 4 percent say current spending levels should be maintained and taxes should be raised as needed; and 1 percent of Americans say we shouldn’t do anything about the debt.

The Reason-Rupe poll included several open-ended questions that allowed respondents to voice concerns and share their own ideas. When asked to name the biggest problem facing America today, 30 percent say the economy, 23 percent emphasize jobs and unemployment, and 10 percent cite government spending, debts and deficits.

When given the opportunity to name any government program they’d like to spend less money on 22 percent of Americans suggest cutting military and defense spending.

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