News
CA: ‘No’ votes take lead on measure to privatize trash service in Fresno. Votes against a measure that would privatize garbage service in Fresno to raise revenue for the cash-strapped California city took a slim lead on Friday as election officials continued counting ballots. Reuters
CA: Power shift possible at Fresno City Hall If trash outsourcing measure fails. This public comeuppance of Fresno’s mayor would take the form of a stunning citywide rejection of her effort to outsource home trash service. Swearengin, who was easily re-elected to a second term last year, invested her political capital in the garbage venture, which now appears headed for defeat at the ballot box. The effect would be to shift power at City Hall to a City Council bloc with Democratic Party roots. Fresono Bee
NJ: CWA to appeal Christie’s plan to privatize parts of the NJ lottery. New Jersey’s largest public workers union has filed a notice of appeal in state Superior Court in Trenton protesting the Christie administration’s plan to have a private company take over parts of the state lottery. Hunterdon County Democrat
LA: LSU hospital deals pulled from agenda. The LSU Board of Supervisors pulled from its Friday agenda approval of deals that would privatize the operations of LSU hospitals in Bogalusa and Pineville. It is unclear when the agreements with private partners will again come up for board approval. The Advocate
PA: No road funding – letter. I have been a critic of the campaign that the Post-Gazette continues to wage to privatize the Pennsylvania Wine & Spirits stores — a campaign waged in spite of mounting evidence that privatization is bad fiscal and public health policy. However, I have to agree with you that linking privatization with transportation funding is a shortsighted idea. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
IA: Will Shenandoah privatize water/sewer departments? That was the issue at hand during a special meeting of the Shenandoah city council Tuesday. Representatives from PeopleService, as well as the water and wastewater departments addressed the council on the pros and cons of privatizing public services. SW Iowa News