Puerto Rico Building Robust Infrastructure Privatization Program
Though only out of office for a month, it is already clear that one of the most important and potentially lasting legacies of the administration of former Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño will be its work turning the territory into a privatization leader among its state peers. To address Puerto Rico’s chronic deficits and unsustainable […]
The Jefferson Journal: Midtown Tunnel Likely Dies Without Tolls
Hampton Roads area officials seem bent on delaying or cancelling the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) for the $2.1 billion Midtown Tunnel expansion over concerns about new tolls, preferring instead to ask state and regional leaders to shake a nonexistent money tree for transportation cash. But attacking the Midtown Tunnel partnership will do nothing for the […]
Midtown Tunnel Likely Dies without Tolls
By Leonard Gilroy and Baruch Feigenbaum Hampton Roads area officials seem bent on delaying or cancelling the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) for the $2.1 billion Midtown Tunnel expansion over concerns about new tolls, preferring instead to ask state and regional leaders to shake a nonexistent money tree for transportation cash. These actions harken back to […]
Focus On Results for Smarter Government Budgeting
Fiscal crises inevitably yield difficult choices for policymakers as they seek ways to reduce spending. there are surely some functions government can stop providing … but the traditional budgeting process fails to offer meaningful guidance on where to start. With the budget essentially on autopilot, Virginia’s state and local governments need a better approach.
2010 Highlights in State Government Reform
As Virginia’s state government and many local governments throughout the Commonwealth look for ways to reform their operations, here are some examples of what is being successfully accomplished in other states to deliver better services at less cost.
The Jefferson Journal: Taking State Parks Off the State’s Books, Part II
The idea of long-term concessions with private recreation management firms for the operation and maintenance of state parks has generated feedback ranging from supportive to skeptical. But attached to some of that skepticism have been myths about what this new concept for public lands management is … and isn’t. Here are a few of those […]
Taking State Parks Off the State Books
Governor McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring will soon begin identifying opportunities to streamline, consolidate, privatize or eliminate inefficient or unnecessary services, programs and authorities in Virginia state government. The state parks should be among the many state services and agencies the Commission ultimately puts under the microscope.
Laissez Les Bon Reforms Roulez — Government Reform, Louisiana-style
A multi-billion dollar state budget deficit is generally a good sign that it’s time for government downsizing. Virginia policymakers should not aim low by setting their sights on merely rebalancing the budget; rather, they should put into place major budget and fiscal reforms. Here are some lessons from Louisiana …
Public Options Are Ill Conceived
Whether it is golf courses, miniature golf, water parks—or newspapers or health insurance—government should leave commercial activities to the private sector.
Virginia’s Secret Weapon
Virginia has a secret weapon in the battle to close the budget. Isn’t it time state leaders deployed it?