Yellow Pages Test Would Ease State, Local Budget Pains
The Heartlander President Obama a few months ago blamed the nation’s economic weakness on spending cuts by state and local officials “who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past...
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Innovators in Action 2012, Year in Review
Reason Foundation's Innovators in Actionseries profiles innovative policymakers in their own words, highlighting good government efforts that are delivering real results and value for taxpayers. In...
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Using Innovative Policy Tools to Rebuild Colorado's Infrastructure
Innovators in Action 2013 States are struggling to adequately invest in infrastructure, a challenge compounded by the declining purchasing power of revenue from the federal gas tax and lower revenue...
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[Interview] Conversation with Colorado's High Performance Transportation...
On Monday, I chronicled the year in review for Reason Foundation's Innovators in Action 2012. Today, I'm publishing the first interview of Innovators in Action 2013, available here. I recently had the...
View ArticleGov. Kasich's Ohio Turnpike Mistake and the Future of Highway Funding
Public Works Financing December’s biggest transportation public-private partnership story was the rejection by Ohio Gov. John Kasich of the proposed long-term lease of the Ohio Turnpike. According to...
View ArticleReason Foundation Supreme Court Amicus Brief: Shelby County, Alabama v. Eric...
Issue:Whether Congress’ decision in 2006 to reauthorize Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act under the pre-existing coverage formula of Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act exceeded its authority under...
View ArticleTop 12 Transportation Stories of 2012
The start of the new year provides a great opportunity to look back at the major transportation stories of the past year. 2012 was an active year in transportation. Below are the top 12 stories of 2012...
View ArticleThe Bank of Englands Flawed Approach to Monetary Policy
Real Clear Markets & Reason.com Canadian central bank chief Mark Carney, who will become governor of the Bank of England in June, caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic when he appeared to...
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Reducing Federal Spending is the Only Permanent Fiscal Fix
Ahead of the Curve, Issue No. 13 To read the headlines, the American economy was saved when Congress narrowly passed legislation "averting" the fiscal cliff on January 1, and the president signed it 24...
View ArticleThe Top Transportation Issues to Watch in 2013
After detailing the 12 biggest transportation stories of 2012, it is time to detail the transportation issues to watch in 2013. 1) New Ports/Waterways Bill: Ports, inland waterways, and the freight...
View ArticleFunding Important Transportation Infrastructure In a Fiscally Constrained...
Transportation infrastructure is too important to the economy to be subject to across-the-board cuts in federal funding without first ensuring that alternate revenue streams are available. Ideally,...
View ArticleDependency on Congress Is Hampering the Nations Airports, Roads and Ports
The nation’s growing debt and deficits are increasingly impacting the nation’s ability to build, upgrade and maintain transportation infrastructure. A new Reason Foundation study argues that it is time...
View ArticleHow to Reform and Get More Value From Federal Transportation Programs
As Congress grapples with impending budget cuts, we need to do a fundamental rethink of how the federal government assists with much-needed transportation infrastructure. The reality going forward is...
View ArticleParks 2.0: Operating State Parks through Public-Private Partnerships
Yesterday we had the privilege of having our new policy study—“Parks 2.0: Operating State Parks through Public-Private Partnerships” (Parks 2.0) —published by the Conservation Leadership Council (CLC)....
View ArticleReason Foundation's California Reform Agenda
California is beset by problems that are reducing the quality of life its residents should be enjoying. The state has not really had a balanced budget in years, with spending growing faster than...
View ArticleReason Foundation Supreme Court Amicus Brief: Horne v. U.S. Department of...
Filed by the Reason Foundation, Cato Institute, National Federation of Independent Business, and Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence:Amici, described fully in the Appendix, are advocates who...
View ArticleGov. Brown Uses Tricks to 'Balance' CA Budget
Breitbart.com BigGovernment Gov. Jerry Brown is telling everyone that California’s state budget problems are “fixed” and predicting surpluses for years to come.It’s become sort of a tradition for the...
View ArticleEnterprising Roads: Improving the Governance of America's Highways
Most roads in the United States are owned and managed directly by government, with funding for construction and maintenance derived primarily from taxes on gas. For many decades, this system worked...
View ArticleCalifornia Shouldn't Raise Minimum Wage
Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento, emboldened by their new supermajority status, are now tempted to use their added power to push an aggressive legislative agenda. One such effort, which they have...
View ArticleBetter Service. Better Price.
Kansas Policy Institute & Reason Foundation In May 2012, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a historic tax reform package into law that lowered income tax rates across the board, increased tax...
View ArticleBase California's Budget on Performance, Not Politics
Orange County Register Given California's chronic fiscal dysfunction, Gov. Jerry Brown touting "a solid and enduring budget" in his recent State of the State speech probably shocked quite a few...
View ArticleWith LaHood Leaving, Who is the Next Secretary of Transportation?
Today’s news that Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is leaving the Obama administration led to shrieks of joy from transportation entities across the country. The next few days will be full of...
View ArticleReason-Rupe Poll: 79 Percent of Americans Say Federal Spending Hasnt...
Adjusted for inflation, federal spending per capita has increased approximately 39 percent since 1992, yet a new Reason-Rupe poll finds 79 percent of Americans believe the government’s spending...
View ArticlePoll: 79 Percent of Americans Say Federal Spending Hasnt Improved Americas...
Adjusted for inflation, federal spending per capita has increased approximately 39 percent since 1992, yet a new Reason-Rupe poll finds 79 percent of Americans believe the government’s spending...
View ArticleReason-Rupe Poll: 52 Percent of Americans Say Sandy Hook Is Being Exploited...
As gun rights and gun control are debated in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, a majority of Americans say elected officials are “exploiting” the tragedy. The new Reason-Rupe poll finds 52...
View ArticleReason-Rupe Poll: 52 Percent of Americans Say Sandy Hook Is Being Exploited...
As gun rights and gun control are debated in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, a majority of Americans say elected officials are “exploiting” the tragedy. The new Reason-Rupe poll finds 52...
View ArticleNew Reason Study Calls for California Tax Reform
In his State of the State Address last week, California Governor Jerry Brown asserted, "California is back, its budget is balanced, and we are on the move." Sadly, economic reality belies the...
View ArticleTax Credits in California: Economic Growth Engine or Wasteful Corporate Welfare?
All states, to some extent, use their tax codes to advance specific policies. Those various policies can be reflected in differing tax rates on individuals, businesses or activities. In addition, tax...
View ArticleMinimum Wage Hike Would Hurt California Economy
Orange County Register Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento, emboldened by their new supermajority status, may be tempted to use their added power to push an aggressive legislative agenda. In previous...
View ArticleCalifornia Budget Is Rife With Giveaways
FlashReport Gov. Brown's claim to have a balanced budget proposal that eliminates the deficit has been exposed for the fabrication it is (see my contribution here). His budget commits another fiscal...
View ArticleGov. Jerry Brown's Budget Breaches Prop. 30 Promise
Orange County Register "We have wrought in just two years a solid and enduring budget," Gov. Jerry Brown declared in his State of the State address, Jan. 24. "Against those who take pleasure, singing...
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Taxing and Regulating Recreational Marijuana in CO, WA (AUDIO)
I recently appeared on the Tax Policy Podcast hosted by Richard Morrison, Manager of Communications at the Tax Foundation, to discuss taxing and regulating recreational marijuana in Colorado (Amendment...
View ArticleMerging the Kansas Turnpike Authority Into the State DOT Is a Bad Idea
Mergers of government entities are often proposed in an effort to reduce costs. In many cases, however, cost savings are illusory and can be greatly outweighed by costly unintended consequences. That...
View ArticleSome Steps for Congress on Pension Reform
In this Wall Street Journal column Reason's Carl DeMaio explains how severely unsustainable are many state and local government pension plans.A 2011 study by the Congressional Research Service pegged...
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Discussing Prison Privatization on HuffPost Live (VIDEO)
I recently had the opportunity to appear on HuffPost Live, The Huffington Post's new Internet-based video streaming network, to discuss how federal and state policymakers partner with private prison...
View ArticleCalifornia Tax Increases are Bigger Than They Look
Richard Rider, who runs San Diego Tax Fighters, had a great letter to editor in the Wall Street Journal about the actual increase in CA state taxes. You can read the original here, but the letter read:...
View ArticleCalifornia Must Reform Tax Code to Spur Economic Growth
Orange County Register Winston Churchill asked, "Can a people tax themselves into prosperity? Can a man stand in a bucket and lift himself up by the handle?"California Gov. Jerry Brown seems to think...
View Article2012 Urban Mobility Report Indicates as Economy Improves Congestion Returns
The Texas Transportation Institute released its 2012 Urban Mobility Report last week. The major finding is that after remaining static since 2005, congestion is growing thanks to an improving...
View ArticlePresident Obama 's SOTU Transportation Component Similar to "Groundhog Day"
In last night’s State of the Union speech, President Obama’s displayed how transportation remains a low priority for the White House. After admitting that he did not focus on transportation in his...
View ArticleReform Californias Tax System to Boost Economy
In my most recent policy study, co-published by Reason Foundation and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Foundation, I analyze what I consider to be some of the more egregious special-interest corporate and...
View ArticleFixing the Too Big to Fail Dilemma
The call to break up banks deemed "Too Big to Fail" (TBTF) is one you'd expect from the likes of Christopher Dodd, Barney Frank, and even Occupy Wall Street-but when you have folks like conservative...
View ArticleExamining 20 Years of U.S. Highway and Bridge Performance Trends
President Barack Obama’s new infrastructure plan calls for spending $40 billion on “urgent upgrades.” But a new Reason Foundation report examining 20 years of state highway data finds the condition of...
View ArticleStudy: 20 Years of Highway Data Shows Roads and Bridges Arent Crumbling
President Barack Obama’s new infrastructure plan calls for spending $40 billion on “urgent upgrades.” But a new Reason Foundation report examining 20 years of state highway data finds the condition of...
View ArticleAmerica's Roads and Bridges Aren't Crumbling
President Barack Obama’s new infrastructure plan calls for spending $40 billion on “urgent upgrades.” But a new Reason Foundation report examining 20 years of state highway data finds the condition of...
View ArticleSupreme Court Antitrust Ruling Supports Public-Private Neutrality, Reduces...
On February 19, 2013, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in an important antitrust case, FTC v. Phoebe Putney Health Sytem, Inc. The Court clarified an ambiguity in existing federal antitrust...
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Ahead of the Curve Issue No. 14: The Economic Mess of the Recovery Act
Ahead of the Curve, Issue No. 14 Some people really hate their own birthday -- they hide it from friends and they eschew any suggestion that a dinner be put together in their honor. So it might be...
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Economy Declined as Government Spending Rose
In the wake of stunning news that the U.S. economy shrunk by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2012, prominent media outlets and commentators are reporting that lower government spending is the cause of the...
View ArticleReason-Rupe Poll: 57 Percent Say Killing Americans With Drone Strikes Is...
A majority of Americans, 57 percent, believe it is unconstitutional for the president of the United States to order the killing of American citizens who are suspected of being terrorists, a new...
View ArticleNew Reason-Rupe National Poll Examines Public's Opinions on Drones, the Nanny...
A majority of Americans, 57 percent, believe it is unconstitutional for the president of the United States to order the killing of American citizens who are suspected of being terrorists, a new...
View ArticleUtah Needs "Backpack" Funding
I take on funding inequities at the district level in Utah in the Deseret News education blog. Funding is so unequal between schools in Salt Lake City that a school board member is appealing to the...
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