Headlines
1. Hopefuls tend to understate the threat to Social Security
2. Akron floating plan to lease sewer system
3. Taking Va. lottery private discussed
4. Aggressive shilling of private plans in lieu of Medicare points up systemic ills – Editorial
5. NY: Levy pushes to close Suffolk County’s nursing home

News Summaries
1. Hopefuls tend to understate the threat to Social Security
McCain told The Wall Street Journal on March 3 that "as part of Social
Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of
it — along the lines that President Bush proposed." Houston Chronicle
2. Akron floating plan to lease sewer system
In his annual State of the City address on Feb. 7, Mayor Don
Plusquellic proposed selling the city’s sewer system to pay for
scholarships for Akron’s public high school graduates to the University
of Akron or to trade schools. Akron Beacon Journal
3. Taking Va. lottery private discussed
The odds of winning the Virginia Lottery may be better than chances that
the state turns it over to private business. Richmond Times-Dispatch
4. Aggressive shilling of private plans in lieu of Medicare points up systemic ills
The federal government’s landmark program to guarantee health care to
the elderly is conducting an experiment in privatization that’s
producing worrisome results. State officials in Georgia and around the
country continue to report that unscrupulous agents, working on
commission, are fleecing elderly Americans into dropping traditional
Medicare coverage and paying extra to buy private plans that do not
meet their needs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5.. NY: Levy pushes to close Suffolk County’s nursing home
The debate over County Executive Steve Levy’s campaign to close or sell
Suffolk’s nursing home has highlighted the question of whether the
county should be in the business of operating public health care
facilities, whether they lose money or not. They say virtually all of
the Yaphank nursing home’s residents could be transferred to private
facilities if it closed, and that four local hospitals have expressed
interest in taking it over. Foley, now 89, a retired Suffolk
legislator, accused Levy of taking "an amoral approach to the question
of public health." "The public has to understand that you don’t make
money off the poor and to take care of the poor may cost money," Foley
said last week. Newsday

Headlines
1. 23 LI school districts have private lawyers on rolls
2. RI Supreme Court denies Carcieri’s request
3. TX: Perry still backs sale of lottery
4. IL: School contractor faces fire at hearing
5. CA: County psychiatric hospital to use private security firm


News Summaries

1. 23 LI school districts have private lawyers on rolls
Twenty-three school districts — nearly one-fifth of all the school
districts on Long Island — improperly reported private attorneys as
employees, which helped the attorneys earn public pensions totaling
more than $342,082 a year, plus health benefits worth thousands more, a
Newsday review of records has found. Newsday
2. RI Supreme Court denies Carcieri’s request
The state Supreme Court has denied a request from Governor Carcieri to
meet with Chief Justice Frank J. Williams over the issue of privatizing
some state jobs. Instead, the justices ordered interested parties,
including the governor, the speaker of the House and the president of
the Senate to file briefs on the privatization issue by May 9. The key
question is the constitutionality of the 2007 anti-privatization law,
which Carcieri is challenging, suggesting that the labor-backed statute
interferes with his constitutional ability to administer appropriations
and to carry out the day-to-day functions of the government. Providence Journal
3. TX: Perry still backs sale of lottery
Although Gov. Rick Perry’s proposal to turn the Texas lottery over to a
private contractor fizzled out last year, he still supports the idea
because he thinks it could generate billions of additional dollars for
health or education programs, his spokesman said Wednesday. Star-Telegram
4. IL: School contractor faces fire at hearing
Aramark, the contractor that cleans and feeds dozens of suburban
schools, was in the hot seat Thursday. The Illinois House Elementary
and Secondary Education Committee held a hearing in Chicago on a litany
of complaints against Aramark from workers, parents and union
officials. Thursday’s hearing focused on a report released this month
by the Service Employees’ International Union, which is trying to add
100,000 Aramark workers nationwide to its membership rolls and 2,000 in
the Chicago area alone. The report, titled "Failing Grade: How
Outsourcing Vital School Services to Aramark Corp. is Shortchanging
Illinois Kids," alleges Aramark pays low wages, provides few benefits
and does not adequately clean schools or feed suburban schoolchildren. Daily Herald
5. CA: County psychiatric hospital to use private security firm
The Alameda County Medical Center’s board of trustees voted unanimously
Tuesday to switch to a private firm for security at its psychiatric
facility. The move means that beginning May 1, Alameda County sheriff’s
deputies would no longer provide security there, a decision that upsets
some hospital employees, according to a hospital union official. The Argus

Headlines
1. Roanoke VA’s Civic Center could become privatized
2. Wisconsin: Selling of naming rights possible for mental health center
3. CO: I-70 toll plan opposition holds rally
4. MD: Tax credits for donations to private schools get Senate nod
5. Norfolk public schools asked to study busing private-school kids
6. Privatization key in Milwaukee county race


News Summaries
1. Roanoke VA’s Civic Center could become privatized
If the entire Civic Center becomes privatized, it could mean employees
will lose their jobs. But, a city spokesperson says it’s too early to
even talk about layoffs. WDBJ7.com
2. Wisconsin: Selling of naming rights possible for mental health center
Brown County officials are considering the possibility of selling
naming rights for the new Brown County Mental Health Center as a way to
offset its nearly $21 million price tag. County Board member Patrick
Evans says it would be prudent to do that for the taxpayers if the tax
burden can be reduced. WKBT.com
3. CO: I-70 toll plan opposition holds rally
Two Front Range lawmakers are pushing ahead with plans to charge a toll
on a congested stretch of Interstate 70 west of Denver to pay for more
lanes, despite objections from some mountain communities along the
route. Florine Raitano, director of the I-70 Coalition representing 35
counties along the thoroughfare, said lawmakers should wait for the
group’s recommendations, which are due by the end of May. "If it had
been easy, we would have solved it by now," she said.MyFOXColorado.com
4. MD: Tax credits for donations to private schools get Senate nod
An Anne Arundel County lawmaker’s legislation that was approved in the
Senate this morning is being criticized as a back-door attempt to
institute school vouchers. HometownAnnapolis.com
5. Norfolk public schools asked to study busing private-school kids
Advocates of public school transportation for private school students
are asking Norfolk to be the first school division in Virginia to study
the possibility of such an arrangement. The Virginian-Pilot
6. Privatization key in Milwaukee county race
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker follows a conservative path on
key county issues, with a strong belief in the power of free enterprise
to help transform county government efficiency. He’s a fiscal hawk, who
eagerly embraces the idea of possible privatization of key county
functions – including parks and Mitchell International Airport. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Reports
GAO Report: Defense Contracting: Army Case Study Delineates Concerns
with Use of Contractors as Contract Specialists. GAO-08-360, March 26, 2008 http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-360
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08360high.pdf

Headlines
1. Passport backlog put data more in hands of contractors
2. NY Public Library "trades naming rights" to greedy hedge fund billionaire for big bucks
3. Texas hold ’em: Privatizing the lottery raises gambling stakes
4. Privatizing school lunches may be bad for academic performance
5. UMaine labor bureau updates review of privatization pitfalls
6. Texas pension funds could invest in big road projects
7. Report: Mich. prison health care costs rise, partly due to poor inmate tracking
8. Naming rights for Detroit airport terminal up for sale
9. MA: Support for libraries overdue – editorial
10. TN: CCA inmate didn’t leave cell to shower for 9 mos.
12. FL: A tax increase by another name – editorial




News Summaries
1. Passport backlog put data more in hands of contractors
The contract employees who snooped into the passport files of two
presidential candidates this year were part of a private workforce that
has increasingly assumed responsibility for processing the sensitive
documents, State Department and industry officials said yesterday.
….now 60 percent of the 4,400 passport employees work for private
firms. Washington Post
2. NY Public Library "trades naming rights" to greedy hedge fund
billionaire for big bucks
Recently, the New York Public Library announced it would rename its
main library the Stephen A. Schwarzman Library in return for his
contribution of $100 million to its $1 billion capital fund drive. The
42nd Street Library is by all accounts the jewel in the crown of the
New York Public Library system. In both form and function it honors the
word "public." AlterNet
3. Texas hold ’em: Privatizing the lottery raises gambling stakes
Last year Governor Rick Perry proposed selling or leasing the Texas
Lottery to collect a quick payout of somewhere between $14 billion and
$20 billion. Projections that the financial and gambling industries
have submitted to the governor’s office make clear that the state
cannot raise a payout of this size unless gambling is significantly
expanded in the state. Texans for Public Justice. Read the report.
4. Privatizing school lunches may be bad for academic performance
Public schools that use private food services may not save much money.
Worse yet, they may be hurting student performance, a U-M researcher
says. A new study by Roland Zullo, assistant research scientist at the
Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, suggests that schools in
Michigan using private companies to prepare and serve lunch, and often
breakfast, to their students realize no significant cost savings. After
controlling for affluence, school resources and student traits, the study
shows that private food service is associated with a reduction of 1-3
percent in scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests
for students in third through ninth grades. This is especially true for
third- through fifth-graders and with the English, reading and writing
tests. The culprit? Private food services tend to serve more high-fat
and high-sugar foods on their a la carte menu. The University Record
5. UMaine labor bureau updates review of privatization pitfalls
A newly released briefing paper by the University of Maine Bureau of
Labor Education on the pitfalls and problems that can occur when privatizing
certain state, municipal or institutional services, concludes that the practice
remains risky and problematic. UMaineNews
6. Texas pension funds could invest in big road projects
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden said Tuesday that the
state should consider creating a public-private partnership to invest
in roads and other infrastructure in Texas, possibly using the vast
resources of the state’s major pension funds. The Austin American-Statesman
7. Report: Mich. prison health care costs rise, partly due to poor inmate tracking
Health care costs are increasing dramatically for the population in
general, but they are rising even faster for Michigan’s 51,000 prison
inmates. The average annual cost of medical care for each inmate
increased by nearly 65 percent over the decade ending in 2006,
according to a report by Michigan’s auditor general. The Corrections
Department could control costs by following its own policies and doing
a better job of monitoring its contracts with the private companies
that provide medical and pharmaceutical services in the prisons,
the report suggested. The Grand Rapids Press
8. Naming rights for Detroit airport terminal up for sale
The naming rights for Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s new north terminal
are up for sale, and the sale is thought to be the first naming rights
deal for a U.S. airport terminal, according to Michael Conway, director
of public affairs for the airport authority. Crain’s Detroit Business
9. Providence to look at sale of water system
The city is considering selling the Providence Water Supply Board and
the network of reservoirs and treatment plants it controls in order to
pay down the huge debt in the city’s pension system. Providence Journal
10. MA: Support for libraries overdue – editorial
Faced with tight budgets, the towns of Dartmouth and Tewksbury are
thinking about privatizing their libraries.The impulse is
understandable, given anemic revenues and spiraling costs. But
libraries should remain wholly public entities. Boston Globe
11. TN: CCA inmate didn’t leave cell to shower for 9 mos.
While other inmates at the Metro Detention Facility took an hour out of
their cells most days, a mentally ill inmate named Frank Horton never
left his cell for any recreation or a shower — for nine straight
months. It’s unclear if he even saw a doctor. CCA was in the national
spotlight last week after a former employee accused the company of
underplaying serious safety incidents at its facilities. The
accusations were aimed at Gus Puryear, a former lawyer for CCA
nominated to be a federal judge. The Tennessean
12. FL: A tax increase by another name – editorial
With Florida facing a serious revenue shortfall, state transportation
leaders are dusting off plans for leasing Alligator Alley to a private
company — and giving the firm the power to set tolls. This is a move
born of desperation. No doubt it seems an easy way for state lawmakers
to create a politically painless new revenue stream. But the plan
essentially amounts to a tax by other means, with tolls substituting
for a tax increase. The Miami Herald

Headlines
1. Passport breaches fuel concerns
2. PA: No-bid contract criticism spreads
3. PA: Port Authority drivers wary of outsourcing
4. Georgia gears up for infrastructure outsourcing
5. CA: High-speed rail backers hope adding private investors to bond measure will avoid delays
6. SC: Privatization of wastewater treatment plants raises concerns about upkeep and sprawl
7. SC: Gov. Sanford not surprised by port-sale breakup
8. MS: Private prison should be ready by December


News Summaries
1. Passport breaches fuel concerns
The State Department said an employee and staff from two private
contractors made unauthorized searches of the passport files of all
three remaining presidential candidates, stoking concerns about
Washington’s data-security measures.One contractor is Stanley Inc., of
Arlington, Va., which has worked with the department for more than 15
years. Stanley relies entirely on the federal government for its business,
with two-thirds of its contracts coming from defense and intelligence agencies.
In 2006, the company won a 10-year State Department contract, initially valued
at $164 million, for passport administration. That contract was the
company’s largest revenue generator in 2007, accounting for
approximately 15% of Stanley’s revenue of $409.4 million for its fiscal
year ended March 31, 2007. The Wall Street Journal
2. PA: No-bid contract criticism spreads
Penn. Gov. Ed Rendell has awarded more than $1 billion in contracts
without seeking competitive bids, state records show. "The dollar
figures have almost been eye-popping," state Rep. Doug Reichley,
R-Allentown, Lehigh County, said. Reichley is among an increasing
number of lawmakers upset with Rendell’s use of no-bid contracts,
especially those tied to the governor’s proposed lease of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
3. PA: Port Authority drivers wary of outsourcing
Port Authority of Allegheny County officials declined to disclose their
goals in negotiations with the 4,800 employees and retirees represented
by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85. But during the last round of
labor talks in 2005, the authority unsuccessfully sought to outsource
20 percent of its system. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
4. Georgia gears up for infrastructure outsourcing
The state of Georgia has begun prequalifying companies to bid on its
massive statewide information technology outsourcing project. Washington
Technology
5. CA: High-speed rail backers hope adding private investors to bond measure will avoid delays
Democratic lawmakers have agreed to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
request to include public-private partnerships for a high-speed train
that could travel from either San Francisco or Sacramento to Los
Angeles in 2 1/2 hours. The Sacramento Bee
6. SC: Privatization of wastewater treatment plants raises concerns about upkeep and sprawl
Next Tuesday, the COG’s Special Wastewater Issues Committee is expected
to make a recommendation about whether or not to condone private
wastewater treatment plants, often called "package plants," a move that
could have significant implications on growth and development in the
Lowcountry’s rural areas. Charleston City Paper
7. SC: Gov. Sanford not surprised by port-sale breakup
Last week’s collapse of the Port of Port Royal deal came as no surprise
to Gov. Mark Sanford, who said the debacle is indicative of what he
uncovered during his research into the developer and the need to
privatize aspects of state government. The Gazette (Beaufort)
8. MS: Private prison should be ready by December
Officials say construction is about 60 percent complete at a new
private prison in southwest Mississippi. The facility will be run by
Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America and will hold low-
to medium-security federal prisoners. WBIR.com

Headlines
1. Consumer watchdogs push for FCC auction investigation
2. Privatizing aerial refueling
3. Priv. security guards go unpaid but stay at federal posts
4. Louisiana: Potential causeway sale ‘ridiculous’
5. Penn. drops bid to privatize forensic mental-health services
6. Rights of protesters violated, judge rules




News Summaries
1. Consumer watchdogs push for FCC auction investigation
Consumer watchdog groups and some lawmakers want to know why the block
of spectrum reserved for public safety in the Federal Communications
Commission’s 700 MHz auction didn’t hit its reserve price. On
Wednesday, a coalition of nine consumer advocacy groups, including the
Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and the Media Access
Project, sent a letter to the chairman of the FCC asking the agency to
investigate whether the public safety requirements for "d" block
license were too stringent. The groups also want the FCC to study
whether plans for the shared public-private network are even still
viable. CNET
2. Privatizing aerial refueling
Now we have private contractors providing in-flight refueling services.
Their biggest customer is the U.S. Navy. That’s because the navy has
long depended on the U.S. Air Force for most of its aerial refueling
needs. But the air force tankers are so heavily used with the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, that the navy often finds itself at the end of
the line and out of luck. StrategyPage.com

3. Priv. security guards go unpaid but stay at federal posts
Even though their paychecks bounced and the company that employed them
is in bankruptcy, private security guards continue to work at federal
facilities around San Diego. SignonSanDiego.com
4. Louisiana: Potential causeway sale ‘ridiculous’
Three Jefferson Parish Council members on Thursday voiced opposition —
sometimes incredulous — to Parish President Aaron Broussard’s
preliminary talks to sell or lease the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway to
an international consulting firm. "That Causeway is a public bridge. It
belongs to the public," Councilman John Young said. "I’m just
flabbergasted that it’s even being considered." Their comments came
after The Times-Picayune reported that at least three meetings have
been held in recent months to discuss selling or leasing the Causeway
to The Shaw Group, a Baton Rouge engineering, design and management
firm that has had a high profile in Jefferson Parish since Hurricane
Katrina. Times-Picayune
5. Penn. drops bid to privatize forensic mental-health services
After reaching a cost-saving agreement with union leaders, the state
plans to end its efforts to privatize and consolidate forensic services
in state hospitals serving people with mental illnesses. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
6. Rights of protesters violated, judge rules
The Bush administration violated the public’s right to free speech by
keeping protesters far removed from the 2005 inaugural parade, a judge
ruled yesterday. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman found that the
National Park Service violated its own regulations by giving the
inauguration’s private organizers preferential treatment and
extraordinary control over access to Pennsylvania Avenue. The
Presidential Inaugural Committee roped off most of the parade route and
allowed only those with tickets inside: largely a crowd of Bush
administration donors, supporters and friends coming to celebrate the
start of President Bush’s second term. "The inauguration is not a
private event," Friedman said in his ruling. "The National Park
Service, on behalf of the PIC, cannot reserve all of Pennsylvania
Avenue for itself, leaving only the Ellipse and the northern part of
John Marshall Park to protesters." Washington Post

Headlines
1. On the oddity of privatizing nature
2. Indiana toll road rates to increase for those paying cash
3. 2 Mass. towns weigh privatizing libraries
4. Az. Senate ok’s taxing powers for private developer
5. Fl. Senate propels school voucher-expansion bill
6. Coalition protesting against private probation in Americus, Ga.


News Summaries
1. On the oddity of privatizing nature
Welcome to the developing area of "biodiversity finance," which seeks
to monetize biodiversity and ecosystem assets like wetlands,
rainforests, reefs, and so forth so they can then be protected — at a
profit. Grist
2. Indiana toll road rates to increase for those paying cash
The private operator of the Indiana Toll Road expects an electronic
tolling system will be ready for the full length of the 157-mile
highway later this month. That means people paying cash at toll booths
will pay more starting April 1. The toll for running the full length of
the toll road will go up to $8 from the current $4.65 for people paying
cash. WTHI-TV
3. 2 Mass. towns weigh privatizing libraries
Already, some towns across Massachusetts are charging for school
sports, cutting school bus service, and imploring voters to raise
property taxes. But now, in an unprecedented move in the state, two
communities are considering proposals to privatize their libraries. Boston Globe
4. Az. Senate ok’s taxing powers for private developer
State senators agreed Wednesday to give private developers
government-like taxing powers to pave the way for a proposed rock ‘n’
roll theme park in Eloy. Arizona Daily Star
5. Fl. Senate propels school voucher-expansion bill
A bill that would more than double the number of needy children given
vouchers to go to private schools at public expense advanced Wednesday
in the Florida Senate. Orlando Sentinel
6. Coalition protesting against private probation in Americus, Ga.
Protestors are calling for an end to the city of Americus’ contract
with a private probation company. John Cole Vodicka says Middle Georgia
Probation Services doesn’t offer adequate alternatives to those who
cannot afford to pay their monthly probation charges. WALB.com

Headlines
1. Two on Calif. state parks panel ousted after opposing toll road
2. RI Gov. Carcieri wants court to overturn law against privatizing state workers
3. Medicare, Medicaid managed care gets scrutiny for fraud
4. The disadvan tage of privatizing Medicare
5. Toll-road ideas advance in AZ Senate
6. Study: Public hospitals: privatization and uncompensated care
7. NM State Univ. considering outsourcing bookstore operations
8. Louisiana parents must wait for tuition break
9. State autism education program flawed, Policy Matters Ohio says
10.SC: Private sewage systems debated


News Summaries
1. Two on Calif. state parks panel ousted after opposing toll road
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger either felt the need for “fresh legs” on the
state Park & Recreation Commission or was in the mood for political
payback.Whatever his true sentiments, his staff notified his
brother-in-law Bobby Shriver and actor Clint Eastwood on Monday that
they were no longer needed as state park commissioners. As
commissioners, the two men voted to oppose a 16-mile extension of state
Route 241 that would connect southern Orange County to Interstate 5 at
San Onofre. The toll road would cut across a nature reserve in Orange
County and the San Onofre State Beach, a site considered sacred by
American Indians and cherished by surfers and campers. San Diego Union Tribune
2. RI Gov. Carcieri wants court to overturn law against privatizing state workers
The Republican governor included sweeping plans in his 2008-09 state
budget to replace unionized janitors, food workers, prison counselors
and dental workers with nonunion contractors who would presumably earn
reduced salaries and benefits. Providence Journal
3. Medicare, Medicaid managed care gets scrutiny for fraud
As the government increases the private sector’s role in delivering
Medicare and Medicaid services, new kinds of fraud are cropping up that
are harder to spot, more complicated to prosecute and potentially more
harmful to patients. Now, regulators are belatedly ramping up scrutiny
of the managed-care industry, which has grown to cover more than 37
million state and federal beneficiaries. The Wall Street Journal (subscription)
4. The disadvantage of privatizing Medicare
The problem is these private plans are more costly than the traditional
Medicare program, they provide less care, and they threaten the long
term financial solvency of the Medicare program. As noted in a recent Des Moines Register
editorial, insurance companies are getting their pockets lined, while
enrollees in this program wind up paying more for less care. AFSME
5. Toll-road ideas advance in AZ Senate
Proposals that would pave the way for new toll roads in Arizona rolled
forward in the Legislature on Tuesday. Two bills that would allow
public agencies to work with private companies to finance, build and
maintain pay-as-you-go roads won tentative approval from the full
Senate. Lawmakers didn’t get around to voting on a related bill. The Arizona Republic
6. Study: Public hospitals: privatization and uncompensated care
Our analysis reveals that public hospitals that were privatized
provided significantly less uncompensated care before privatization
than did other public hospitals, both before and after privatization.
Source: K R Desai, C Van Deusen Lukas, and G J Young, Health Affairs, March/April 2000
7. NM State Univ. considering outsourcing bookstore operations
It bills itself as "Your University Bookstore — Money Spent Here Stays
Here!" But some members of the New Mexico State University community
are concerned that may not be the story for long. La Cruces Sun-News
8. Louisiana parents must wait for tuition break
A new tax break for parents of children in Louisiana private schools
and a smaller benefit for parents of public school students won’t have
an impact on their pocketbooks for at least two years. The Times-Picayune
9. State autism education program flawed, Policy Matters Ohio says
A fast-growing state program that gives parents of autistic children up
to $20,000 for private educational services lacks oversight and allows
providers to exclude children based on religion and other factors, says
Policy Matters Ohio. The Cleveland Plain Dealer
10. SC: Private sewage systems debated
As developers and municipalities look for ways to offer sewage
treatment in areas not served by utilities, Lowcountry planning
officials are trying to decide if, and when, private sewage treatment
systems should be allowed. On one side of the issue is the fear that if
small treatment systems are allowed, they will eventually fail and the
government will have to bail them out at taxpayer expense, which has
happened in the past. Some officials also fear that private systems
will open areas to development. The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

Headlines
1. Letting the market drive transportation; Bush officials criticized for privatization
2. GA: State begins $1.6B tech privatization
3. IN: 27 counties next for privatized welfare
4. Louisiana parents get tax break for students
5. Jail ‘deplorable’: tour gives first-hand look at conditions


News Summaries
1. Letting the market drive transportation; Bush officials criticized for privatization
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and other political appointees
have spent the latter part of President Bush’s two terms laboring
behind the scenes to shrink the federal role in road-building and
public transportation. They have also sought to turn highways into
commodities that can be sold or leased to private firms and used by
motorists for a price. In Duvall and Gribbin’s view, unleashing the
private sector and introducing market forces could lead to innovation
and more choices for the public, much as the breakup of AT&T
transformed telecommunications. But their ideas and actions have
alarmed transit advocates, the trucking industry, states struggling to
build rail projects and members of Congress from both parties. Washington Post
2. GA: State begins $1.6B tech privatization
The state of Georgia’s technology is so dysfunctional that the only way
to fix it is to privatize it. On March 14, bids were due from major
technology companies interested in the job — which could be worth up
to $1.6 billion over as long as seven years. At stake is an attempt by
Gov. Sonny Perdue to revamp state government computers, software and
systems that a February consultant’s report said "are placing key
business systems and operations at risk" — everything from the ability
of state police to look up the license plates of vehicles they pull
over to Division of Family and Children Services workers’ ability to
keep track of child welfare cases. Atlanta Business Chronicle
3. IN: 27 counties next for privatized welfare
State officials say the rollout of the state’s new privatized welfare
system is going well enough to expand it to a large swath of southern
and western Indiana. The Indianapolis Star
4. Louisiana parents get tax break for students
A tax break for the parents of private, public, university lab and home-schooled
students cleared the Legislature on Friday. The Advocate
5. Jail ‘deplorable’: tour gives first-hand look at conditions
Padlocks keep detainees accused of violent crimes shut up in their
cells in the Harrison County jail’s maximum-security section. Sheriff
Melvin Brisolara admits it’s not an ideal situation, but calls it a
temporary solution until the decrepit jail’s broken safety devices are
replaced. A Biloxi, Mississippi Sun Herald tour of the jail on Tuesday
gave a first-hand look at problems….A few inmates were locked in
examination rooms in the privatized medical center. The director said
its 18 full-time employees see 2,200 inmates a month for routine health
care. Sun Herald
Upcoming Events
Discussion. The Education Sector holds a discussion
on "The Evolving Federal Role in Education:Past, Present, and
Future." Thursday, March 20, 2008, Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
Participants: Christopher Cross, education consultant and former
assistant secretary in the Education Department; Samuel Halperin,
founder of the American Youth Policy Forum and former deputy
assistant secretary of the Health, Education and Welfare Department;
Jack Jennings, president and CEO of the Center on Education Policy;
Kati Haycock, president of Education Trust; Fritz Edelstein, principal
of Public Private Action; and Andrew Rotherham, co-founder and
co-director of Education Sector. Contact: Stacey Jordan, 202-552-2849,
[email protected].

Headlines
1. Taxpayer advocate says outsourcing at I.R.S. is inept
2. Who’s in charge of the roads?
3. Michigan: School board to study privatizing school coaches
4. High speed rail and public private partnerships in California: a shotgun wedding?
5. Official: Public students could sink Louisiana tax relief
6. Colorado needs $800M for new prisons, lawmakers told


News Summaries
1. Taxpayer advocate says outsourcing at I.R.S. is inept
The use of private debt collectors by the Internal Revenue Service is
ineffective, the national taxpayer advocate told Congress yesterday,
and the program should be canceled. The advocate, Nina E. Olson, the
government-appointed watchdog of the I.R.S., said that private debt
collection cost the government at least $81 million a year in revenue.
She repeated her call for the I.R.S. to end the practice. The New York Times
2. Who’s in charge of the roads?
With the increase of large super shopping centers, malls and gated
communities, comes a question that has echoed for a number of years.
Who’s in charge of the roads? Who do you call if you have a wreck or
who will stop that speeding car? PrivateOfficer.com
3. Michigan: School board to study privatizing school coaches
In an effort to cut costs, the Michigan Center School Board on
Wednesday authorized Superintendent David Tebo to study whether
privatizing the district’s coaching staff would save money. The Jackson Citizen Patriot
4. High speed rail and public private partnerships in California: a shotgun wedding?
California High-Speed Rail Authority Executive Director Mehdi Morshed
noted the California proposed system of high-speed trains offers a
unique opportunity to develop a new model for “P3” or public private
partnership financing… Private ownership, however, is a line we must
not cross – public ownership of infrastructure is key to an effective,
safe, and affordable transportation system for Californians. High speed
rail is an economic catalyst and an environmental and sustainability
necessity. It needs to be held in public hands for public uses, and not
hollowed out for private profit. California Progress Report
5. Official: Public students could sink Louisiana tax relief
A legislator warned a House panel Thursday that including public school
students in tax relief for private and university lab school tuition
could "tank the whole bill. The Advocate
6. Colorado needs $800M for new prisons, lawmakers told
Amid the economic turmoil following 9/11 and the tech bust in 2001,
Colorado has relied increasingly on private prisons to handle the
overflow from the state prisons. Contracts with the private operators
require that the state send only the least violent offenders to the
private facilities, said CDOC spokeswoman Katherin Sanguinetti.
The Bond Buyer (subscription)