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Recent Research and Commentary

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."

Innovators in Action: Jacksonville, FL Commissioner of Public-Private Partnerships Renée Finley on Building the City's PPP Program to Drive Efficiency, Quality of Life

May 7, 2013, 3:36pm

Leonard Gilroy

In the latest interview in the Innovators in Action 2013 series, Reason's Leonard Gilroy interviews Renée Finley, Jacksonville, Florida's Commissioner of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), on the origins and accomplishments to date of Jacksonville’s PPP program, lessons learned along the way, and more.

Building Jacksonville’s Public-Private Partnership Program to Drive Efficiency, Quality of Life

Interview with Renée Finley, Commissioner of Public-Private Partnerships, City of Jacksonville, Florida

May 7, 2013

Leonard Gilroy

Reason Foundation Director of Government Reform Leonard Gilroy interviewed Renée Finley, Jacksonville, Florida's Commissioner of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), in April 2013 on the origins and accomplishments to date of Jacksonville’s PPP program, lessons learned along the way, and more.

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