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George Passantino is a senior fellow at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets.
In 2004, Passantino served as a full-time director on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Performance Review. Passantino helped lead a thorough, top-to-bottom review of state government that the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office concluded could save California $15 billion over five years.
Passantino has authored frequent studies, white papers, and commentaries on California's need for fundamental economic, legislative, and regulatory reform. His views have appeared in numerous publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Orange County Register, San Diego Union-Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, and Investor's Business Daily.
Prior to joining Reason in 1997, Passantino served as a legislative consultant to the California State Legislature. His wide range of high-profile legislative accomplishments include the 1996 passage of California's version of Megan's Law, which has helped thousands of parents protect their children from dangerous sex offenders.
Passantino graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Applied Economics from California State University, Bakersfield.
Policy Brief 52
Undermining the Future: Problems with November's Bond Initiatives, and Alternatives
September 2006
By Adrian T. Moore, Ph.D., George Passantino, and Adam B. Summers
» Full Brief (.pdf)
Policy Brief 51
A Pocket Guide to Propositions on California's November 2006 Ballot
September 2006
By George Passantino
» Full Brief (.pdf)
Policy Study 341
Addressing California's Transportation Needs: Problems with Proposition 1B and Alternative Approaches
September 2006
By Ted Balaker, Adrian T. Moore, Ph.D., George Passantino, Robert W. Poole, Jr., Adam Summers, and Lanlan Wang
» Full Study (.pdf)
Policy Brief 50
Enabling Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation in California
September 2006
By George Passantino
» Full Brief (.pdf)
Policy Study 335
The Gathering Pension Storm: How Government Pension Plans are Breaking the Bank and Strategies for Reform
June 2005
By George Passantino and Adam B. Summers
» Full Study (.pdf)
» Policy Summary (.pdf)
» Press Release
Report
Priority Colorado: Balancing the Budget While Preserving TABOR and Colorado’s Quality of Lifes
February 2005
By Geoffrey F. Segal, George Passantino, et al.
» Full Report (.pdf)
Report
Roadmap to Reform for California
August 2003
By George Passantino, Reason, Carl DeMaio, Reason, Kathleen Connell, Matt Fong, Bill Jones, Bill Baker, and Lucy Killea
» Full Report (.pdf)
Policy Study 308
A Risk Based Airport Security Policy
May 2003
By Robert Poole, with George Passantino
» Full Study (.pdf)
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Not the Time for Tax Increases in California
State has many options for raising money besides tax increases
August 1, 2008 | Orange County Register
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Put a Lid On State Budget, Already
California's budget woes underscore need for a spending limit
December 12, 2007 | Orange County Register
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
The Chilling Effect of the Schwarzenegger-Bush Freeze
Mortgage assistance plans don't fix the problem
December 6, 2007 | Flash Report
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Spiderman and Schwarzenegger
Will impulse to spend or reform win out in California?
May 29, 2007 | Reason.org
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Schwarzenegger Goes From Milton Friedman to Big Government
Arnold's nanny-state plan misdiagnoses what's wrong with health care
February 9, 2007 | Flash Report
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Governor's Rose-Colored Glasses Tint the Budget
Schwarzenegger is outspending Gray Davis, ignoring state's major fiscal woes
February 7, 2007 | California Political News
By Adrian Moore and George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Infrastructure, Yes! Mega-debt, No!
Massive bond isn't answer to California's troubles
November 30, 2005 | FlashPoint.org
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Schwarzenegger Needs to Refocus
Quality of life issues left on sidelines
November 11, 2005 | San Diego Union Tribune
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Plan Districts to Safeguard Democracy
CA needs nonpartisan redistricting
November 3, 2005 | Los Angeles Daily News
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
California Needs Better Laws, Not More Government
Needless boards only add red tape, bureaucracy
October 23, 2005 | Antelope Valley Press
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Reviving the Reform
California Performance Review still packs a punch
August 3, 2005 | Orange County Register
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
How to Keep Pension Promises on the Road to Solvency
CA government pension systems encourage irresponsible behavior
June 21, 2005 | San Francisco Chronicle
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in California's Transportation Future
Projects funded by tolls could add highway capacity that would not otherwise be built
May 17, 2005 | Testimony
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Billions of Reasons to Reform Pensions
Shifting to a 401(k) plan would stabilize skyrocketing CA pension costs
April 7, 2005 | Orange County Register
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Ending CA Gridlock Requires Compromise
Pols should quit raiding road funds; allow toll lanes
April 1, 2005 | Los Angeles Daily News
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
The Bodybuilder's Guide to Government Reform
Getting rid of California’s flab
November 19, 2004 | California Political Review
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
What Schwarzenegger Didn't Do
Evaluating the governor’s first year
October 8, 2004 | Los Angeles Times
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Our Unfocused Legislature
Why pay full-time money for part-time results?
August 10, 2004 | San Jose Mercury News
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Lighting a Fuse to Blow Up Boxes
Report offers more than 1,000 ways to improve state government
August 8, 2004 | Orange County Register
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
A Lean and Fit State Government
Pushing the state toward reform
January 13, 2004 | San Diego Union-Tribune
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
CA State Deficits: The Day of Reckoning Is Here
Spending must be controlled
December 22, 2003 | San Francisco Chronicle
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
After the Recall
Immediate action needed to revive state
October 6, 2003 | Orange County Business Journal
By George Passantino, Reason, and Carl DeMaio, Reason
» Full Text
Reforming California
Text of speech to California Commission on Taxation and the New Economy
September 9, 2003
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
Companies Can't Leave CA Fast Enough
State lost 21,500 jobs last month alone
June 19, 2003 | Los Angeles Daily News
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
State Meddling, Not Deregulation, Behind Energy Crunch
California did not deregulate
October 1, 2001 | Reason.org
By George Passantino, Reason
» Full Text
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