Headlines
1. CO: The price of privitization
2. CA: Private tax-collecting firm has troubling record
3. Midway airport privatization plan may turn into bidding war
4. The Washington Nationals; Raking in money, killing dreams
5. A library plight, by Ralph Nader
6. MA: Salem evaluates bids from private companies for school meals
7. UM’s research contrary to its ‘private’ actions?
8. Utah lawmakers considering privatizing state hospital
9. Official: WV tolls may become inevitable
10. TN: State sells top-rated public golf course at loss
11. CO: House committee passes RTD financing plan
12. Cuomo: Lawyer pensions on school payrolls are "fraud"


News Summaries
1. CO: The price of privitization
Roy Otto, the city manager, and certain members of the Greeley City
Council are considering turning over most of Greeley’s recreational and
cultural facilities to private operators. Otto suggests a private group
or company may be able to operate these facilities with greater
efficiency. When the people of Greeley approve bonds or tax increases
to build our schools, libraries, and recreational and cultural
facilities, they are seeking to enhance the quality of life within the
community. They do not expect to turn a profit. In fact, most residents
realize these projects will require long-term subsidization.
The Tribune (Greeley)
2. CA: Private tax-collecting firm has troubling record
A state employee union is complaining about an embryonic scheme in the
state Board of Equalization to hire one or more private collection
firms to track down those who owe taxes to the state. The Service
Employees International Union says the state’s own tax collectors could
do the job just as well, for far less cost, if they were equipped with
up-to-date tracking tools. SEIU obviously wants to bolster civil
service worker ranks and stave off privatization. But in this instance,
given the identity of the tax collection firm that is most aggressive
in seeking a contract, the union’s concerns appear to be well-placed.
Sacramento Bee
3. Midway airport privatization plan may turn into bidding war
Six teams — including one with ties to the Spanish-Australian
consortium that paid $1.82 billion to lease the Chicago Skyway — will
vie for the right to make Midway Airport the nation’s first privately
run commercial airport. Competition for a 50-plus-year concession that
could generate as much as $3 billion to shore up city pensions and
rebuild Chicago’s aging infrastructure includes Wall Street giants and
airport experts. NBC5.com (Chicago)
4. The Washington Nationals; Raking in money, killing dreams
The Washington Nationals, formerly known as the Montreal Expos, a team
that at one point was taken over by MLB, has hit one of the sweetest
deals in pro sports. They are currently looking at naming rights for
their new stadium in Washington D.C. and any deal should net the team
owners anywhere from $8-$12 million a year. A hefty profit for the
owners. While naming rights are a norm for most owners this situation
is a little different. The Nationals, according to Sports Illustrated,
have built the stadium with D.C picking up nearly 97% of the tab,
compared to 60%-70% that most teams get. LucasOnSports.com
5. A library plight, by Ralph Nader
As illustrated so elaborately in Washington D.C. last week, the
“gleaming new baseball stadium” temporarily named “Nationals Park” for
the local major league baseball team, opened with $ 611 million
dollars—mostly taxpayers money—going into its constructions. Consider
one aspect of this “tale of two cities”—the depleted and disrepaired
condition of the main Martin Luther King Library and its twenty six
neighborhood branches. The annual budget last year was only $33
million. Four of the branches were shut down for remodeling or
rebuilding three and a half years ago. The money has been appropriated.
But with the sites being eyed by avaricious developers for “multi-use”
complexes, among other reasons, the residents still do not have
operating libraries. “On time and within budget” is not even on the
radar. Now I ask you—what is the most appropriate, profound, and
respectful use of tax dollars? A ballpark built for mega-millionaire
owners who could have raised their own capital? Or “gleaming new
libraries” which edify a metropolis and play a critical role in
educational, civic and urban renewal? Library News
6. MA: Salem evaluates bids from private companies for school meals
The prospect of a privatized program was met with dismay by the workers
themselves and some parents, who brought their case to School Committee
meetings in February and March, arguing their knowledge of the students
and their needs and preferences was irreplaceable. WickedLocal.com
7. UM’s research contrary to its ‘private’ actions?
The University of Maine’s Bureau of Labor Education updated a 1998
analysis on the dangers of privatizing state government and
institutional services and shows that, for all its possible benefits,
giving public services over to the private sector is still risky. This
comes at the same time that the university is considering privatizing
the Cutler Health center. The paper cites costs, accountability,
quality of services, employment impacts and violation of constitutional
rights as the primary things that governments and institutions need to
consider before they privatize a public service. The Maine Campus
Read Privatization Pitfalls Update: 2008
8. Utah lawmakers considering privatizing state hospital
The Legislature is once again looking at privatizing Utah’s only
state-run mental health facility. The Health and Human Services Interim
Committee is scheduled to study the issue this summer, even though a
recent legislative audit found no serious problems with the hospital. KCPW News
9. Official: WV tolls may become inevitable
Are folks driving elsewhere in West Virginia eventually going to get a
taste of what southern drivers have faced for half a century — shelling
out bucks for the privilege of using the Turnpike? Could be, now that
the West Virginia Legislature has passed a public-private
transportation act. The Register-Herald
10. TN: State sells top-rated public golf course at loss
The state will lose more than $2.6 million in the sale of a Jack
Nicklaus-designed golf course in rural Middle Tennessee to a private
company. The Tennessean
11. CO: House committee passes RTD financing plan
A bill that would enable RTD to issue tax-exempt bonds to promote
private development of transit improvements won overwhelming support
from the House transportation committee Thursday.
The Regional Transportation District hopes to form
"public-private partnerships" with private companies to build commuter
rail lines from Union Station to Denver International Airport
and Arvada/ Wheat Ridge. The Denver Post
12. Cuomo: Lawyer pensions on school payrolls are "fraud"
New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said last night his office
believes that "multiple acts of fraud" were committed when Long Island
school districts put private attorneys on their payrolls so that the
attorneys could receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in state
pensions. Newsday