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Puerto Rico's Infrastructure Renaissance Continuing in 2012
May 15, 2012, 4:40pmPuerto Rico emerged as a leader in attracting private investment in public infrastructure in 2011, with projects undertaken or underway that include a modernization of 100 K-12 schools, a $1.5 billion toll road lease and an ongoing procurement for a long-term lease of San Juan's international airport. Momentum continues in 2012.
Puerto Rico Building Robust Infrastructure Privatization Program
Puerto Rico advanced public-private partnerships in schools, highways and aviation in 2011
May 15, 2012In two short years, the administration of Governor Luis Fortuño has turned Puerto Rico into a privatization leader among its state peers. To address the territory's chronic deficits and unsustainable debt, the administration has advanced a range of reforms that include major spending reductions, optimization of government operations and the enactment of a new law in 2009 inviting private investors to modernize or develop new infrastructure across a variety of sectors.
Emanuel Administration Embracing Private Sector Competition in Chicago
New $7 billion infrastructure trust developing alongside initiatives in recycling, water and elsewhere
May 15, 2012Since taking office, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is doing what sensible leaders do: focusing resources on the core functions of government that must be provided and partnering with the private sector and using competition to lower costs on the rest.
Villaraigosa Administration Advocating Reform in Los Angeles
Debate over city-owned parking garages and zoo continues, progress made elsewhere
May 15, 2012When Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa first entered office he made public-private partnerships (PPPs) a major priority. While results have been slow to materialize, the City of Angels is making progress toward more efficient provision of public service delivery through the private sector.
Tulsa, Jacksonville Mayors Pursuing Public-Private Partnerships
Two first-term mayors hit the ground running in 2011
May 15, 2012Two first-term mayors hit the ground running in 2011 by pursuing transformative government reform initiatives: Tulsa, Oklahoma Mayor Dewey Bartlett and Jacksonville, Florida Mayor Alvin Brown.
California Library Privatization Success in Jeopardy
Meanwhile, successful partnerships thrive in Florida, Oregon and elsewhere
May 15, 2012Several California municipalities have successfully implemented public-private partnerships for their libraries, however state lawmakers passed a new bill (AB 438) that makes future partnerships less likely to occur. Meanwhile, successful partnerships thrive in Florida, Oregon and elsewhere.
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StudiesBlog PostsOp-EdsReason.comReason.tv
- The Year 2011 in Corrections Public-Private Partnerships and Public Safety
Corrections and Public Safety Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2011
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
May 1, 2012 - Privatization, Outsourcing and Insourcing Trends in Federal Government
Federal Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2011
Adam Summers and Anthony Randazzo
May 1, 2012 - Privatization and Public-Private Partnership Trends in Local Government
Local Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2011
Harris Kenny and Adam Summers
May 1, 2012 - Privatization and Public-Private Partnership Trends in State Government
State Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2011
Leonard Gilroy and Lisa Snell
May 1, 2012 - Privatizing "Yellow Pages" Government in Pennsylvania
Private sector solutions for the Keystone State
Leonard Gilroy, Harris Kenny, Katrina Currie and Elizabeth Stelle
May 26, 2011 - The Year 2010 in Corrections Public-Private Partnerships
Corrections Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
March 10, 2011 - The Year 2010 in Water & Wastewater Public-Private Partnerships
Water and Wastewater Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
March 10, 2011 - The Year 2010 in IT Outsourcing, Network Neutrality, and Federal Broadband
Telecommunications Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Steven Titch and Leonard Gilroy
February 25, 2011 - Privatization and Public-Private Partnership Trends in Local Government
Local Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Leonard Gilroy, Harris Kenny, Samuel Staley and Adam Summers
February 23, 2011 - Privatization and Public-Private Partnership Trends in State Government
State Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Leonard Gilroy, Harris Kenny, Shirley Ybarra and Tyler Millhouse
February 18, 2011 - Privatization, Outsourcing and Insourcing Trends in Federal Government
Federal Government Privatization Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Adam Summers, Anthony Randazzo and Leonard Gilroy
February 16, 2011 - School Choice, Charter Schools, and Trends In Educational Privatization
Education Chapter of Annual Privatization Report 2010
Lisa Snell and Leonard Gilroy
February 15, 2011 - State Budget Reform Toolkit
Leonard Gilroy and Jonathan Williams
January 25, 2011 - Corrections 2.0: A Proposal to Create a Continuum of Care in Corrections through Public-Private Partnerships
Improving performance and reducing recidivism through PPPs
Leonard Gilroy and Adrian Moore
January 3, 2011 - Where Did the Money Go? An Analysis of Spending and Revenue in Nebraska and Surrounding States, 2002-2008
Adam Summers, Leonard Gilroy and Lisa Snell
August 3, 2010 - Letter to Treasury Regarding Housing Finance Reform
A Framework for Reforming Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Housing Finance System
Anthony Randazzo
July 21, 2010 - Ten Principles of Privatization
Best practices in privatization to lower the costs of government
Leonard Gilroy and Adrian Moore
July 9, 2010 - Knowing What the Federal Government Owns
A how-to guide for managing federal property and assets
Anthony Randazzo and John Palatiello
June 29, 2010 - Knowing What State and Local Governments Own
A how-to guide for managing state and local property inventories
Anthony Randazzo and John Palatiello
June 29, 2010 - Comparing Private Sector and Government Worker Salaries
Public sector offers ironclad job security and greater pension benefits
Adam Summers
May 10, 2010 - Public-Private Partnerships for Corrections in California
Bridging the gap between crisis and reform
Leonard Gilroy, Adam Summers, Anthony Randazzo and Harris Kenny
April 1, 2010 - Improving the Economies and Business Climates In Struggling Cities
Examining how taxes, red tape, eminent domain and occupational licensing prevent economic growth
Policy Brief 92
Anthony Randazzo
March 17, 2010 - Ten Steps to Brings Jobs and Businesses Back to Cleveland and Other Big Cities
Reducing crime and taxes, improving zoning laws and adding transparency can spur growth
Policy Brief 90
Samuel Staley
March 17, 2010 - Rejuvenating Urban America Through Land Use and Housing Policy Reform
Cleveland Case Study
Policy Brief 91
Samuel Staley
March 17, 2010 - Ten Privatization Opportunities for Cleveland
Hopkins Airport, parking facilities and solid waste operations are prime privatization candidates
Policy Brief 88
Leonard Gilroy
March 16, 2010 - Local Government Privatization 101
Separating fact from fiction, privatization trends and the services that should be privatized
Policy Brief 89
Leonard Gilroy
March 16, 2010 - Ten Ideas to Fix Cleveland's Schools
Turn failing schools into charters, empower parents and principals
Policy Brief 86
Lisa Snell
March 15, 2010 - Savings for San Diego
Outsourcing to Reduce Costs and Improve Services
Leonard Gilroy and Adam Summers
December 10, 2009 - Vehicle Fleet Maintenance/Management Outsourcing Opportunities
How San Diego and other cities can reduce the costs of vehicle fleet maintenance and management services
Leonard Gilroy, Anthony Randazzo and Adam Summers
December 10, 2009 - Building Maintenance and Management Outsourcing Opportunities
How San Diego and other cities can reduce the costs of facility management
Leonard Gilroy and Adam Summers
December 10, 2009 - Trends In Public and Contracted Government Services From 2002 to 2007
Privatization and outsourcing by local governments
Policy Brief 80
Mildred Warner and Amir Hefetz
August 4, 2009 - Drowning in Debt: Bond Measures Threaten California's Already Precarious Debt Situation
Policy Brief 73
Adam Summers and Anthony Randazzo
October 1, 2008 - The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act: Prison Overcrowding, Parole and Sentencing Reform (Proposition 5)
Policy Brief 74
Skaidra Smith-Heisters
October 1, 2008 - CSI for Real: How to Improve Forensic Science
Policy Study 364
Roger Koppl
December 1, 2007 - Streamlining San Diego
Achieving Taxpayer Savings and Government Reforms Through Managed Competition
Geoffrey Segal, Adam Summers, Leonard Gilroy and W. Erik Bruvold
September 1, 2007 - Privatizing University Housing
Leonard Gilroy, Laura J. Davis, Sarah F. Anzia and Geoffrey Segal
January 1, 2007 - Undermining the Future
Problems with November's Bond Initiatives, and Alternatives
Adrian Moore, George Passantino and Adam Summers
September 1, 2006 - Detailing Foreign Management of US Infrastructure
Leonard Gilroy and Adam Summers
March 1, 2006 - Privatizing Public Hospitals
A Win-Win for Taxpayers and the Poor
Francois Melese
November 1, 2005 - Driving More Money into the Classroom
The Promise of Shared Services
William D. Eggers, Lisa Snell, Robert Wavra and Adrian Moore
October 1, 2005 - Rebuilding After Katrina
Policy Strategies for Recovery
Adrian Moore, Lisa Snell and Geoffrey Segal
October 1, 2005 - The Sky Isn't Falling in Colorado
Proven Strategies for Budget
Geoffrey Segal and Adam Summers
October 1, 2005 - The Gathering Pension Storm
How Government Pension Plans are Breaking the Bank and Strategies for Reform
George Passantino and Adam Summers
June 16, 2005 - Should States Sell Their Toll Roads?
Peter Samuel
June 1, 2005 - Offshoring and Public Fear
Assessing the Real Threat to Jobs
Ted Balaker and Adrian Moore
May 1, 2005 - Making Florida's Government Competitive
Geoffrey Segal
April 1, 2005 - Funding the National Park System
Improving Services and Accountability with User Fees
Adam Summers
April 1, 2005 - How to Tackle Some of LA's Problems
March 2, 2005 - Virginia Spending and Budget Reform
Geoffrey Segal
February 1, 2005 - Priority Colorado
Balancing the Budget While Preserving TABOR and Colorado's
Geoffrey Segal, George Passantino, Adam Summers, Lisa Snell and Tarren R. Bragdon
February 1, 2005 - Conservation Through Private Initiative
Harnessing American Ingenuity to Preserve Our Nation's Resources
Michael De Alessi
January 1, 2005 - What's in the Government's Attic?
John Palatiello
December 1, 2004 - Exposing the Myths and Realities of Competitive Sourcing
Geoffrey Segal, Ade Ifelayo and Chandra Pesheck
August 1, 2004 - San Diego Citizens' Budget Plan
June 1, 2004 - Private Competition for Public Services
Unfinished Agenda in New York
E.J. McMahon, Adrian Moore and Geoffrey Segal
December 1, 2003 - Frequently Asked Questions About Water / Wastewater Privatization
Geoffrey Segal and Adrian Moore
September 1, 2003 - Getting the Right People for the Right Job
Solving Human Capital Challenges with Competitive Sourcing
Geoffrey Segal, Adrian Moore and John P. Blair
September 1, 2003 - Movin' Juice
Making Electricity Transmission More Competitive
Lynne Kiesling and Adrian Moore
September 1, 2003 - Emergency Medical Services Privatization
Frequently Asked Questions
Ted Balaker and Adam Summers
August 1, 2003 - Roadmap to Reform for California
George Passantino, Carl DeMaio, Kathleen Connell, Matt Fong, Bill Jones, Bill Baker and Lucy Killea
August 1, 2003 - Revisiting the Public Interest in Private Water
Don S. Evans
May 1, 2003 - Citizens' Budget
How to Balance CA Budget without Tax Increases
Carl DeMaio, Adrian Moore, Adam Summers, Geoffrey Segal, Lisa Snell, Vincent Badolato and George Passantino
April 1, 2003 - Contracting for Road and Highway Maintenance
Geoffrey Segal, Adrian Moore and Samuel McCarthy
March 1, 2003 - Why an Air Traffic Control Corporation Makes Sense
Robert Poole
March 1, 2003 - The Extent, History, and Role of Private Companies in the Delivery of Correctional Services in the United States
Geoffrey Segal
November 1, 2002 - Corporate Corrections? Frequently Asked Questions About Prison Privatization
Geoffrey Segal
November 1, 2002 - The Salinas Utility Users Tax
Necessary Revenue Source or Government Waste?
Geoffrey Segal and Adam Summers
October 1, 2002 - Designing a Performance-based Competitive Sourcing Process for the Federal Government
37 Proposed Changes to Regulations and Approaches to Competing and Outsourcing Commercial Activities in Government
Carl DeMaio, Adrian Moore and Vincent Badolato
October 1, 2002 - How to Navigate the Politics of Privatization
Robin A. Johnson
July 1, 2002 - Long-term Contracting for Water and Wastewater Services
Robin A. Johnson, John McCormally and Adrian Moore
May 1, 2002 - Citizen's Budget Reports
Improving Performance and Accountability in Government
Geoffrey Segal and Adam Summers
March 1, 2002 - California Competitive Cities
A Report Card on Efficiency in Service Delivery in California's 10 Largest Cities
Geoffrey Segal, Adrian Moore and James Nolan
February 1, 2002 - Weighing the Watchmen: Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Outsourcing Correctional Services
Part 1: Employing a Best Value Approach to Procurement
Adrian Moore and Geoffrey Segal
January 1, 2002 - Weighing the Watchmen
Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Outsourcing Correctional Services Part 2: Reviewing the Literature on Cost and Quality Comparisons
Geoffrey Segal and Adrian Moore
January 1, 2002 - The Future of Local Emergency Medical Service: Ambulance Wars or Public-Private Truce?
Policy Update 18
Robin A. Johnson
August 1, 2001 - Opening the Floodgates
Why Water Privatization Will Continue
Robin A. Johnson and Adrian Moore
August 1, 2001 - Competitive Cities
A Report Card on Efficiency in Service Delivery in America's Largest Cities
Adrian Moore, James Nolan and Geoffrey Segal
April 1, 2001 - Innovative Alternatives to Traditional Municipal/County Corrections
E-Brief 113
Geoffrey Segal
March 1, 2001 - Privatization and Layoffs
The Real Story
Robin A. Johnson
March 1, 2001 - How to Commercialize Air Traffic Control
Robert Poole
February 1, 2001 - Managing for Results at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A Report to the 43rd President and 107th Congress
Carl DeMaio
February 1, 2001 - Electronic Procurement
How Technology is Changing Government Purchasing
Geoffrey Segal and Matthew D. Taylor
February 1, 2001 - Managing for Performance at the EPA
Carl DeMaio
January 1, 2001 - Emerging Options for Youthful Offenders
Utilizing Public-Private Partnerships to Offer Hope, New Direction for Troubled Youth
Geoffrey Segal
December 1, 2000 - Child-Welfare Reform and the Role of Privatization
Lisa Snell
October 1, 2000 - Infrastructure Outsourcing
Leveraging Concrete, Steel, and Asphalt with Public-Private Partnerships
Adrian Moore, Geoffrey Segal and John McCormally
September 1, 2000 - Privatizing Landfills
Market Solutions for Solid-waste Disposal
Geoffrey Segal and Adrian Moore
May 1, 2000 - More Airline Competition
Yet Another Reason for Airport Privatization
Robert Poole
December 1, 1999 - Muni Power Grabs
Municipal Utilities, Tax-exempt Debt, and the Competitive Market
Adrian Moore and Jeff Woerner
November 1, 1999 - Getting Greens in the Black
Golf course Privatization Trends and Practices
Lisa Snell
August 1, 1999 - Reforming Financial Management in the Public Sector
Lessons U.S. Officials Can Learn From New Zealand
Ian Ball
May 1, 1999 - Passenger-Friendly Airports
Another Reason for Airport Privatization
Sheesh Advani
March 1, 1999 - Blueprint for the Privatization of Child Welfare Services
Conna Craig, Ted Kulik, Tim James and Shamim Nielsen
December 1, 1998 - Private Prisons
Quality Corrections at a Lower Cost
Adrian Moore
April 1, 1998 - Privatizing Public Hospitals
Strategic Options in an Era of Industry-Wide Consolidation
Richard Tradewell
April 1, 1998 - Competitive Neutrality
Ensuring a Level Playing Field in Managed Competitions
William D. Eggers
March 1, 1998 - Regulatory Reform at the Local Level
Regulating for Competition, Opportunity, and Prosperity
Adrian Moore and Tom Rose
February 1, 1998 - Commercializing the Global Positioning System
Albert Blackburn
July 1, 1997 - Performance Based Contracting
Designing State of the Art Contract Administration and Monitoring Systems
William D. Eggers
May 1, 1997 - Using Contractors to Cook, Clean, and Drive the Bus
Janet R. Beales
December 1, 1996 - Privatizing Federal Research and Development Laboratories
Joseph P. Martino
November 1, 1996 - Delivering Services for the Mentally Ill and Developmentally Disabled
A Consumer Choice Model
Richard H. Dougherty and William D. Eggers
October 1, 1996 - Airport Privatization Pilot Program
Robert Poole
September 1, 1996 - A Guide For Divesting Government-Owned Enterprises
Henry Gibbons
July 1, 1996 - Spectrum Privatization
Removing the Barriers to Telecommunications Competition
David Colton
July 1, 1996 - Community Law Enforcement
The Success of San Diego's Volunteer Policing Program
Kathy Kessler and Julie Wartell
May 1, 1996 - Federal Power
The Case for Privatizing Electricity
Douglas Houston
March 1, 1996 - Restructuring America's Water Industry
Comparing Investor Owned and Government Water Systems
Kathy Neal, Patrick J. Maloney, Jonas A. Marson and Tamer E. Francis
January 1, 1996 - Privatizing Emergency Medical Service
How Cities Can Cut Costs and Save Lives
Robert Poole
November 1, 1995 - A Guide for Divesting Government Owned Enterprises
Henry Gibbons
August 1, 1995 - How to Privatize Orange County's Airports
Robert Poole
August 1, 1995 - Rescuing Orange County
Robert Poole
May 1, 1995 - Revitalizing State and Local Infrastructure
Empowering Cities and States to Tap Private Capital and Rebuild America
Robert Poole
May 1, 1995 - Revitalizing Our Cities
Perspectives from America's New Breed of Mayors
William D. Eggers
March 1, 1995 - Competitive Government for a Competitive Los Angeles
William D. Eggers
November 1, 1994 - Teacher, Inc.
A Private Practice Option for Educators
Janet R. Beales
October 1, 1994 - Guidelines for Airport Privatization
Robert Poole
October 1, 1994 - Doing More with Less
Competitive Contracting for School Support Services
Janet R. Beales
September 1, 1994 - Public Authorities and Private Firms as Providers of Public Goods
Clayton P. Gillette
September 1, 1994 - Privatizing Milwaukee's Airport
Robert Poole
July 1, 1994 - Intergovernmental Contracting For Public Services
John W. Donlevy, Jr.
February 1, 1994 - Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Privatization and Compliance
Holly June Stiefel
February 1, 1994 - Rightsizing Government
Lessons from America's Public Sector Innovators
William D. Eggers
January 1, 1994 - Techniques for Mining the Public Balance Sheet
Roger D. Feldman and Thomas M. Ingoldsby
September 1, 1993 - Privatization and Public Employees
Guidelines For Fair Treatment
John O'Leary and William D. Eggers
September 1, 1993 - How to Spin Off Air Traffic Control
Robert Poole
August 1, 1993 - Comparing Public and Private Bus Transit Services
A Study of the Los Angeles Foothill Transit Zone
John O'Leary
July 1, 1993 - Contracting Water and Wastewater Utility Operations
Roger Hartman
June 1, 1993 - Port Privatization
An International Perspective
David Haarmeyer and Peter Yorke
April 1, 1993 - Privatizing Los Angeles International Airport
Analyzing the Alternatives
Robert Poole
April 1, 1993 - Cost Savings from Privatization
A Compilation of Findings
John Hilke
March 1, 1993 - Competitive Contracting of Transit Services
Jean Love and Wendell Cox
March 1, 1993 - How To Compare Costs Between In-House and Contracted Services
Lawrence Martin
March 1, 1993 - Privatization Opportunities for States
William D. Eggers
February 1, 1993 - Designing an Effective Bidding and Monitoring System to Minimize Problems in Competitive Contracting
John Rehfuss
February 1, 1993 - Designing a Comprehensive Privatization Program for Cities
John Stainback
February 1, 1993 - Satellite Schools
The Private Provision of School Infrastructure
Janet R. Beales
January 1, 1993 - Designing a Comprehensive State Level Privatization Program
William D. Eggers
January 1, 1993 - Rightsizing Government
Lessons From America's Public-Sector Innovators
William D. Eggers
January 1, 1993 - Privatizing Infrastructure
Options for Municipal Water Supply Systems
David Haarmeyer
October 1, 1992 - Fire Protection Privatization: A Cost Effective Approach to Public Safety
Questions and Answers About the Private Sector Fire Service
John R. Guardiano
October 1, 1992 - Expanding Airport Capacity
Getting Privatization Off The Ground
William H. Payson and Steven A. Steckler
June 1, 1992 - Toward Accountability and Efficiency
Reform of the Bonneville Power Administration
Kenneth W. Costello and David Haarmeyer
April 1, 1992 - Mining the Government Balance Sheet
What Cities and States Have to Sell
Robert Poole, David Haarmeyer and Lynn Scarlett
April 1, 1992 - The Public Benefits of Privatizing Logan Airport
Robert Poole
November 1, 1991 - Building a Safer and More Effective Air Traffic Control System
Robert Poole
February 1, 1991 - Airport Privatization
What the Record Shows
Robert Poole
August 1, 1990 - Public vs. Private
Alternative Ownership Scenarios for Electric Utilities
Michael A. Crew and Paul R. Kleindorfer
June 1, 1990 - Selling LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports
Robert Poole
May 1, 1990 - Privatizing Airports
Robert Poole
January 1, 1990 - Privatization of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Douglas Houston
October 1, 1988 - Privatizing the Air Traffic Control System
Robert Poole
November 1, 1986
Privatization Blog
- Puerto Rico's Infrastructure Renaissance Continuing in 2012 (5/15)
- Puerto Rico Building Robust Infrastructure Privatization Program (5/15)
- California Library Privatization Success in Jeopardy (5/15)
- Christie Administration Expanded Privatization Portfolio in New Jersey in 2011 (5/15)
- Jindal Continued Louisiana Privatization Push in 2011 (5/15)
Related Topics
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