News
CA: California cities’ outsourcing plans face uncertainty
Cash-strapped California cities will think twice about outsourcing work to companies to cut costs after a state court blocked one city’s ambitious plan to hand several services to the private sector. The state’s Supreme Court last month backed an appeals court decision against the City of Costa Mesa’s outsourcing plan, which garnered national attention when a city worker jumped to his death from the roof of the city hall after being fired. Reuters
PA: Anti-gambling lawmaker says privatizing Pennsylvania Lottery ‘will create more questions than answers’
A key anti-gambling legislator has cautioned Gov. Tom Corbett against accepting a bid from a British firm to manage the $3.5 billion Pennsylvania Lottery without addressing lawmakers’ concerns. Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, said in a letter to the Republican governor on Thursday that he is concerned that Camelot Global Services will usher in a gambling expansion that could hurt families, and added that such a gambling expansion requires lawmakers’ approval. PennLive
IL: Chicago Clinches Title For Nation’s Highest Parking Meter Rates
For Chicago motorists, the start of 2013 brings the fifth consecutive year of parking meter rate increases, further ensuring the Windy City retains its title for the nation’s most expensive meters. Just four years ago, most parking meters were just a paltry 25 cents per hour. On Jan. 1, downtown parking meters will jump 75 cents an hour, moving from the current $5.75 per hour to $6.50 per hour…. In December 2008, the Chicago City Council approved a privatization deal put together by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley which leased the city’s metered parking spaces to a private firm for $1.16 billion dollars. DNAinfo
IL: Emanuel Moves Forward With Midway Privatization
Emanuel cited the parking meter deal as Exhibit A for why and how a possible deal to privatize “the world’s busiest square mile” will be different this time. Chicagoist
LA: Analysis: LSU getting out of the hospital business
The Board of Supervisors has agreed to privatize operations of its public hospitals in New Orleans, Houma and Lafayette, including the $1 billion New Orleans hospital under construction with state and federal money dedicated after Hurricane Katrina…. The governor chose the privatization path without talking to lawmakers, LSU hospital officials or health care leaders. NECN
DE: State chamber of commerce supports Wilmington port privatization
The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce supports a plan to privatize thestate-owned Port of Wilmington. Rich Heffron with the DSCC tells WDEL-AM that privatizing all or part of the port is necessary to complete a project to build a pier and cargo-handling facilities on the Delaware River. Newsworks.org
Privatization or Public Education?
Helen Ladd and her husband Edward Fiske are distinguished observers of American Education. Ladd is a Professor of Economics at Duke University. Fiske was education editor of the anew York Times. Together they describe a fork in the road for our nation’s public school system. Will we continue towards free-market privatization or will we revitalize public education? This is what they see ahead as the risks in the privatization agenda. DianeRavitchBlog