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Reason’s George Passantino served as a director of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Performance Review.

Reason's George Passantino served as a director of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's California Performance Review.

California Issues

"…as will Reason's innovative ideas about reforming government. Thank you for your commitment to California's future. Together, we will take California government into the 21st Century."
- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Listen when the Reason Foundation talks about streamlining state government." - Orange County Register


Study: Managed Competition Can Save San Diego $80-$200 Million a Year
Government-run golf courses, photo copying offices and trash collection should face competition from private sector
San Diego taxpayers could save $80 to $200 million per year by allowing the private sector to compete with government agencies to do things like clean city buildings, perform maintenance on government vehicles, and run golf courses, according to a new study by the Reason Foundation and San Diego Institute for Policy Research. With San Diego facing a nearly $400 million cumulative budget deficit by 2012, the study identifies 11 areas of city government that are ripe for managed competition.
» Press Release
» Full Study (.pdf)

California, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire Restrict the Most Jobs
Hair braider, fortune teller, florist and interior designer are some of the jobs for which states require licenses
Do you want to be a fortune teller in Maryland? Your future better include a license from the state. How about being a hair braider in Mississippi? You'll need 300 to 1,500 hours of training and government permission. Want to sell flowers in Louisiana? Only licensed florists can do that. And almost every state requires certification if you want to move furniture and hang art while calling yourself an interior designer.

In California, there are a total of 177 different jobs that require a special license or credential, the most in the country, according to a new Reason Foundation study examining occupational licensing trends.

Northeastern states aren’t much better. Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire all require job seekers to obtain a license before performing more than 130 jobs. In stark contrast, you can do most of those very same jobs - without a license - in Missouri, where just 41 careers require certification.
» Press Release with Complete Rankings
» Full Study (.pdf)
» State-by-State Occupational Licensing List (.xls)


California Policy Experts


Adrian Moore
Vice President, Research

George Passantino
Senior Fellow

Robert Poole
Director of Transportation Studies

Lisa Snell
Director of Education

Media Contact


Chris Mitchell
Director of Communications
(310) 367-6109


Policy Studies


Streamlining San Diego: Achieving Taxpayer Savings and Government Reforms Through Managed Competition
September 2007
By Geoffrey F. Segal, Adam B. Summers, Leonard C. Gilroy, and W. Erik Bruvold
 » Full Text (.pdf)
 » Press Release

Occupational Licensing: Ranking the States and Exploring Alternatives
August 2007
By Adam B. Summers
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary (.pdf)
 » State-by-State Occupational Licensing List (.xls)
 » Press Release with Complete Rankings

Sensible Policies for Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Los Angeles
March 2007
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

No Choices Left Behind: Competitive Models to Restructure California's Lowest-Performing Schools
December 2006
By Lisa Snell
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Press Release

Analysis of California's Proposition 90: The Protect Our Homes Act
October 2006
By Leonard C. Gilroy
 » Full Brief (.pdf)
 » Press Release

Analysis of California's Proposition 88: Education Funding, Real Property Parcel Tax, Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute
October 2006
By Lisa Snell
 » Full Brief (.pdf)
 » Press Release

A Bad Idea Gone Too Far: Proposition 86, The Tobacco Tax
October 2006
By Geoffrey F. Segal and Skaidra Smith-Heisters
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

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)

The Bond Propositions on California's November Ballot: Where Would the Money Be Spent?
September 2006
By Adrian T. Moore, Ph.D.
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

A Pocket Guide to Propositions on California's November 2006 Ballot
September 2006
By George Passantino
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

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)

Enabling Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation in California
September 2006
By George Passantino
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

Addressing California's Affordable Housing Shortage: Alternatives to Proposition 1C
September 2006
By Leonard C. Gilroy, AICP, Adam B. Summers, and Samuel R. Staley, Ph.D.
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

Addressing California's School and University Building Needs: Alternatives to Proposition 1D
September 2006
By Lisa Snell
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

Propositions 1E and 84: Funding the State’s Water and Flood Control Infrastructure
September 2006
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters and Adam B. Summers
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

The Gathering Pension Storm: How Government Pension Plans are Breaking the Bank and Strategies for Reform
June 2005
Policy Study 335
By George Passantino and Adam B. Summers
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary (.pdf)
 » Press Release

California's K-12 Education Primer
May 2005
By Lisa Snell
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

The Orange County Toll Roads: Largely Successful
March 2005
Policy Brief 39
By Robert W. Poole, Jr.
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

Orange County's 91 Express Lanes: A Transportation and Financial Success, Despite Political Problems
March 2005
Policy Brief 38
By Robert W. Poole, Jr.
 » Full Brief (.pdf)

How to Tackle Some of LA’s Problems
March 2005
By Reason Foundation
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Press Release

Easing California's Transportation Crisis with Tolls and Public-Private Partnerships
January 2005
By Robert W. Poole, Jr.
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary (.pdf)
 » Press Release

Fueling America: How Hydrogen Cars Affect the Environment
November 2004
Policy Study 322
By William J. Korchinski
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Expanding Slot Gaming in California
October 2004
By Jeffrey C. Hooke and Thomas A. Firey
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Affordable Housing in Monterrey County: Analyzing the General Plan Update and Applied Development Economics Report
August 2004
By Benjamin Powell, Edward Stringham, and Adam Summers
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Special Education Accountability: Structural Reform to Help CA Charter Schools Make the Grade
July 2004
By Lisa Snell
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Do Affordable Housing Mandates Work? Evidence from Los Angeles County and Orange County
June 2004
By Benjamin Powell and Edward Stringham
 » Full Study (.pdf)

San Diego Citizens' Budget Plan
June 2004
By Reason and Performance Institute
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Housing Supply and Affordability: Do Affordable Housing Mandates Work?
April 2004
By Benjamin Powell and Edward Stringham
 » Full Study (.pdf)
 » Policy Summary (.pdf)
 » Talking Points (.pdf)

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 Study (.pdf)

Smart Growth in Action, Part II: Case Studies in Housing Capacity and Development from Ventura County, California
May 2003
By Geoffrey Segal, William Fulton, Susan Weaver, and Lily Okamura
 » Full Study (.pdf)

Citizens' Budget – How to Balance CA Budget without Tax Increases
April 2003
By Reason
 » Full Study (.pdf)

 

More California-related Studies

Commentary


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

Taco Wars in Los Angeles
Government seeks to help restaurants by chasing away taco trucks
May 21, 2008 | Reason.org
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Opening CalPERS to Private Accounts Is a Bad Investment
Should the state manage retirement plans for private-sector employees?
May 20, 2008 | Reason.org
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Mysterious Things Happening Behind CalPERS' Curtain of Secrecy
Letter to Sacramento Bee
May 19, 2008 | Reason.org
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

California Won't Fix Budget Until It Cuts Spending
State deficit keeps growing despite revenue increases
March 7, 2008 | Reason.org
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

California Focus: End Recurring Budget Deficits
Limits on the money California spends and collects would force prioritizing
February 24, 2008 | Orange County Register
By Adrian Moore, 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

Private Solution to California's Infrastructure Problems
Schwarzenegger says state needs $500 billion
December 12, 2007 | The Libertarian Perspective
By Adam Summers, 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

California's High-Speed Train Project Should Be Derailed
Overstating ridership figures and understating costs doesn't make it a good idea
October 30, 2007 | The Libertarian Perspective
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

California Licenses Most Jobs in Nation
Regulations protect existing business interests from competition
September 24, 2007 | Los Angeles Business Journal
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Fixing California's Pension Mess
Pruning benefits and switching to a 401-k-style system could save the system
August 20, 2007 | Orange County Register
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Fixing California's Pension Problem
State must rein in unaffordable increases in employee benefits
August 8, 2007 | Orange County Register
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Congestion Pricing for Los Angeles
An Open Letter to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
July 2007 | The Planning Report
By Robert Poole, Reason
 » Full Text

California's Looming Water Crisis
State needs peripheral canal sending Sacramento water to Southern California
July 26, 2007 | Reason.org
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters, 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

Preparing for "Earthquake Katrina" and a Levee Disaster in California
Taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook to subsidize, rebuild homes and farms built in flood danger zones
April 30, 2007 | Reason.org
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters, Reason
 » Full Text

Industrial Hemp Can Boost Economy, Cut Pollution
Schwarzenegger's drug war concerns are way off base
April 19, 2007 | Reason.org
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters, Reason
 » Full Text

California: Nanny State 911
Race to ban trans fat, smoking, light bulbs, and plastic bags
April 9, 2007 | The Libertarian Perspective
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Expanding Smoking Bans Should Worry Us All
Bay Area's nanny state is growing
February 16, 2007 | San Francisco Examiner
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters, 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

Universal Health Care Would Be Universal Disaster
Rise in health care costs coincides with Medicaid and Medicare expansion
February 7, 2007 | The Libertarian Perspective
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

Arnold's Wrong Model
Bush may promote state health plans, but California isn't a good model
January 22, 2007 | The New York Sun
By Shikha Dalmia, Reason
 » Full Text

Schwarzenegger's Health Care Plan May Turn Uninsured Into Criminals
Universal health care plan isn't ready, could hurt businesses
January 18, 2007 | San Francisco Examiner
By Shikha Dalmia, Reason
 » Full Text

Protecting Property Rights in a Landslide
Voters in nine states pass measures to curb eminent domain abuse
November 8, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Education After Affirmative Action
California's students have benefited from end of racial preferences
November 7, 2006 | San Francisco Examiner
By Shikha Dalmia, Reason and Henry Payne
 » Full Text

Prop 1B Might Make Things Worse
Southern California needs toll roads and transportation reform
November 3, 2006 | Reason.org
By Ted Balaker, Reason
 » Full Text

Defending the Right to Steal Your Property
Self-serving opponents of property rights measures aim to sour debate, deceive voters
November 3, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Never-Ending School Bonds
Over budget and behind schedule is state's school-building motto
November 2, 2006 | San Diego Union-Tribune
By Lisa Snell, Reason
 » Full Text

Robert Redford and Property Rights
Is California's Prop 90 the most dangerous threat ever?
November 1, 2006 | Reason.org
By Samuel Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

Bonds Won't Make Housing Affordable
Instead of Prop 1C, California would be better off air-dropping money to taxpayers
November 1, 2006 | Orange County Register
By Shikha Dalmia, Reason
 » Full Text

Prop. 1E's Blank Check Primed for Pork, Not Flood Control
California using a pre-Katrina mindset
November 1, 2006 | Reason.org
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters, Reason
 » Full Text

Smoke and Mirrors
Santa Rosa's outdoor smoking ban and Prop. 86
November 1, 2006 | Reason.org
By Skaidra Smith-Heisters, Reason
 » Full Text

Taking 'Takings' to the Voters
The California, Idaho, Arizona, and Washington initiatives
October 30, 2006 | The Weekly Standard
By Shikha Dalmia and Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Beware the Bogus Measure 37 Poll
Biased poll is an "October surprise" intended to deceive voters, taint debate on property rights measures
October 27, 2006 | Reason.org
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

California's Transportation Bond Won't Build Roads
Prop. 1B phony fix for L.A. road needs
October 24, 2006 | Los Angeles Daily News
By Ted Balaker, Reason
 » Full Text

Prop 90 Protects Your Home
California needs to block eminent domain abuse, limit regulatory takings
October 20, 2006 | San Francisco Examiner
By Leonard Gilroy, Reason
 » Full Text

Protecting Homes and Liberties
California's Prop. 90 seeks to protect property rights
October 17, 2006 | Reason.org
By Adam Summers, Reason
 » Full Text

California's Proposed Bonds are Fiscally Irresponsible
Bonds cost taxpayers nearly $2 for every $1 borrowed
October 11, 2006 | San Francisco Examiner
By Samuel Staley, Reason
 » Full Text

 

More California-related Op-Eds and Commentaries



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