December 13, 2012

News

NJ: Bill would require Legislature approval of lottery privatization

“The proposal to privatize, without public explanation, one of our most profitable and well-run assets is troubling,” said Assembly Budget Chair Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), who introduced the legislation, in a statement. “The Christie administration appears ready to forfeit substantial long-term revenue for a one-shot payment that will also hurt small-business owners and risk vital programs for our students, veterans and the disabled. More oversight is clearly needed.”  NJBIZ

CA: Council votes to seek private Convention Center manager

Opposing the privatization were council members Richard Alarcon and Paul Koretz, who wants to see if the new governance structure will bring about positive changes to the center. Los Angeles Times

CA: San Francisco Parks: Supervisor Wants More Transparency

In recent years, there’s been a growing outcry among some San Francisco residents about the expanding number of private events being held in the city’s public parks. Enter Supervisor John Avalos, who is now taking steps to potentially put a curb on this practice. At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Avalos introduced a bill that would require the city’s Recreation and Parks Department to hold a public informational hearing for any event that occupies more than 25 percent of a given park and runs for longer than 48 hours.  Huffington Post

NY: Officials consider privatization of LIPA

State officials examining how to restructure the Long Island Power Authority in the wake of superstorm Sandy are considering options that include selling the local electric grid to a private company and greatly reducing LIPA’s role. Newsday

NH: Prison Privatization Proposal Seems Doomed in New Hampshire

A long-discussed proposal to privatize prisons in New Hampshire appears to be on its last legs due to changes in the state’s political landscape after November’s election.  Correctional News

MT: Guest column: School privatization reduces choice

In recent public policy discussions regarding the use of public funds to pay for private education in Montana, there are critical facts that are lost in the details. Using public funds for private education essentially makes “private” education now “public,” only without the accountability, rights and choices made available to the public when interacting with their existing public schools.  The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

NC: Wake planners seek green light on ‘red route’ study for toll road           

Wake County officials voted Wednesday to ask state legislators to repeal a law that prohibits transportation planners from even studying a potential toll road path through Garner. WRAL.com

How Sandy Might Tweak Today’s High-Speed Rail Privatization Hearing

The hearing continues a series of grillings GOP lawmakers have been giving to Amtrak in a push to reduce the subsidies the national rail network relies on each year. Other witnesses on the docket include a DOT rep, an American Enterprise Institute Scholar and a Morgan Stanley managing director. The 15 word hearing title obscures the topic, so it’s pasted way down below in this post, but rest assured the conversation will cover privatization of high-speed rail along the Northeast Corridor. Transportation Nation