Obama's hidden hand of privatization
At the Department of Education, Secretary Arne Duncan has been leading
the “Race to the Top,” with support for charter schools at the core of
the race (states that aren’t fully supportive of expanded charter
schools are, per Duncan, out of the running). DOE’s “Race” as well as
the highly anticipated Promise Neighborhoods program—meant to replicate
the success of Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone’s use of its
charter school as its unifying central program component—both adopt
what Denise Ravitch has referred to as a core privatizing concept of
the conservative education canon. In her characteristically unvarnished
style, Ravitch observes, “The Obama administration is promoting the
privatization of large segments of American education and undermining
the profession of teaching.”
Nonprofit Quarterly
NJ: Gov task force recommends massive privatization
New Jersey would close its centralized car inspection lanes and
motorists would pay for their own emissions tests under a sweeping set
of recommendations set to be released by the Christie administration
today. State parks, psychiatric hospitals and even Turnpike toll booths
could also be run by private operators, according to the 57-page report
on privatization. Preschool classrooms would no longer be built at
public expense, state employees would pay for parking and private
vendors would dish out food, deliver health care and run education
programs behind prison walls....It is unclear how many of the
recommendations will be adopted by Gov. Chris Christie, who
commissioned the report in March. Christie’s spokesman declined comment
Thursday.
The Star-Ledger
LA: Override of Gov's veto unlikely
It's unlikely legislators will overturn Gov. Bobby Jindal's veto of a
bill requiring legislative approval of private company takeovers of
some mental health programs at East Louisiana State Hospital, the lead
sponsor of the bill said Thursday...House Bill 1443 would have required
legislative committees sign-off on “requests for proposals” and
contracts for private operation of some programs at the state’s
inpatient psychiatric treatment facilities. Edwards sponsored HB1443
after Jindal announced plans to privatize 82 beds at the Jackson campus
of the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System and to lay off more than
100 workers there.
The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
CA: Troubles with privatizing
Since his election to San Diego City Council, DeMaio has been
relentless in his attempts to privatize San Diego's city services,
including the city's drinking water and wastewater systems....In
California, at least nine cities have taken back their water systems
from private companies because of the failures of privatization.
Petaluma ended its wastewater contract with Veolia in 2007 after a cost
analysis revealed that public operation was 18 percent cheaper, saving
$1.6 million over three years. The Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District
ended its private contract with United Water after independent
consultants found that public operation would reduce operational costs
by 10 to 15% while offering better benefit packages.
Voice of San Diego
