News summaries
The perils of privatization
Long story short, where selling land to a private owner is viable it’s something that deserves consideration (note that since cities tax landowners but don’t tax themselves, this is a double win for public finance) but when it’s not then the city really ought to just try to do a good job of managing the land. Creating special purpose franchisees takes a political economy problem and makes it worse. Slate Magazine

Between the lines
That prized garage space or curbside spot you’ve been yearning for may be costing you—and the city—in ways you never realized. A journey into the world of parking, where meter maids are under siege, everybody’s on the take, and the tickets keep on coming. Los Angeles Times

FL: Mavericks schools hope to profit from education – but at what cost?
..In the past two years, eight Mavericks high schools have opened in Florida..The schools, all publicly funded and tuition-free, aim to succeed where many public schools fail. They promise to help kids who would otherwise drop out earn enough credits to graduate…But so far, Mavericks’ lofty goals haven’t materialized. Most of their schools graduate less than 15 percent of eligible students. On state report cards, the schools get “incompletes” because so few of their students are taking the FCAT. In Miami, two former teachers filed whistle-blower lawsuits alleging the Homestead school is inflating attendance records and failing to report grades properly. Plus, there are rampant financial questions, cozy ties between Mavericks and local politicians, and a legal fight with former celebrity spokesman Dwyane Wade.
Mavericks has become a poster child for the problems that have long dogged charter schools in Florida. How can they help troubled kids while also turning a profit, especially when they are run by a man whose brother is next in line for the White House? “Join us in our mission,” Biden says. “If you don’t feel a little bit of this energy today, then there’s something wrong with you!” Broward New Times