News
FL: Florida to Take Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion
Shortly before his announcement, the governor received word from the federal government that it planned to grant Florida the final waiver needed to privatize Medicaid, a process the state initially undertook as a pilot project. Mr. Scott, who is running for re-election next year, has heavily lobbied for the waiver, arguing that Florida could not expand Medicaid without it. New York Times
PA: Editorial: Corbett gambles, loses on lottery deal
From the reasoning for turning over the 41-year-old lottery — one of the largest in the country — to an outside, foreign manager, to exactly how that company plans to boost profits, the process has been shrouded in secrecy. . . Perhaps Corbett thought it was going to be a slam dunk; he certainly didn’t seem to be bothered by the criticism. . . If lawmakers want to expand services for seniors, they will have to come up with a plan themselves, debate it in their chambers and sell it to their constituents. That’s the way it should have been done in the first place. York Dispatch
TX: Editorial: A public equation for state lands
Slow down. Think about what you’re doing and work with others before you commit the state to building something it will come to regret. That was the basic message the Sunset Advisory Commission delivered recently to the Texas Facilities Commission, the state agency that’s shown an eagerness to develop state-owned property in partnership with private interests. Concerned about the Facilities Commission’s rush toward development, and critical that plans were being put together without transparency or consultation with other state agencies, sunset commissioners recommended legislators revisit a 2011 law designed to facilitate public-private partnerships. Austin American-Statesman
TX: University may accept proposals regarding outsourcing
If the University accepts proposals to outsource on-campus dining, parking and housing services, it would be the latest step in a long history of outsourcing at UT stretching back through the early 1990s. President William Powers Jr. appointed a 13-member Committee on Business Productivity last year, which spent almost $1 million in University funds to perform an efficiency study of the University and to identify potential untapped sources of revenue. The committee claims that by reorganizing the University’s administrative functions, assets and commercialization practices, the University could save $490 million in the next decade. UT The Daily Texan
WI: Daniel Golden: Privatization is the problem, not the solution
If you really believe the Republican dogma that the sale of well-run and properly maintained state assets such as these power plants is in the best economic interests of the citizens of Wisconsin, you probably also believed Mitt Romney when he said the reason he hid hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign banks had nothing to do with avoiding taxes. The Cap Times
UT: County union defends suit over mental health services
The union’s lawsuit alleges that the county’s bid to privatize its mental health services is an “illegal attempt to funnel public dollars to a private entity, and to improperly shed its responsibility for the welfare of its residents.” Ukiah Daily Journal
Where Should Colleges and Sports Teams Draw the Line in Selling Naming Rights
Companies often pay big money for the right to attach their name to a sports stadium, college football bowl game or even athletic team (think New York Red Bulls). But does corporate naming ever cross the line? This week, Florida Atlantic University announced its plan to rename its football stadium after a multibillion-dollar private prison corporation. What do you think? New York Times (blog)