Headlines
PA: Philly community mobilizes against school privatization
PA: State Sen.: Don’t privatize Pennsylvania’s lottery
TX: The Trinity River Toll Road is now an (almost) unstoppable force
FL: Palm Beach County told to cut 900 jobs
LA: Reader comments: Jindal signs private school tuition tax credit
IL: Lawmakers consider privatizing workers’ comp system
IL: Dedicated teachers
PA: Philly community mobilizes against school privatization
…The agenda tonight: crafting a response to what some here see as the “Shock Doctrine” being applied to Philadelphia public education. The reference is basically to an either or ultimatum proposition from the city: accept property tax hikes – which Mayor Michael Nutter says would raise upwards of $92 million, but would disproportionately affect low income residents – or let schools close.,, The SRC’s plan, in essence, is to “decentralize” the school district and allow for-profit interests to turn public schools into charters. “There is no proof that privatization is better,” adds Amanda, an SDS organizer. “All the articles which have come out on this issue since this plan was announced point out this fact.” OpenSalon
PA: State Sen.: Don’t privatize Pennsylvania’s lottery
Privatizing the lottery system might not be the best solution for increasing benefits to senior citizens, State Sen. Fontana says…When it comes to the idea of privatizing the Pennsylvania Lottery, the theory of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” comes to mind. Our state’s lottery has a long history of being able to provide for our senior citizens. In fact, Todd Rucci, the Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director, has described the Pennsylvania Lottery as one of the most efficient operations in the nation. The previous Administration has already taken initiatives to make the system more effective and efficient which has proven successful with record sales. In addition, there are no guarantees that privatizing the state’s lottery would make it more profitable in the long run, therefore, privatizing is not always the best solution for enhancing benefits and programs for our growing senior citizen population. Patch.com
TX: The Trinity River Toll Road is now an (almost) unstoppable force
The Trinity River toll road doesn’t have to happen. But it can happen. And stopping it will take money. Those are the three big practicalities looming over the debate about building a big highway through what was supposed to be our downtown urban park. Dallas Observer
FL: Palm Beach County told to cut 900 jobs
Lifeguards, secretaries, computer specialists, golf course employees, security guards, plumbers and mechanics are among those who could have their jobs sacrificed under the proposal from the accounting firm Gerstle, Rosen & Goldenberg, which goes before the County Commission Tuesday. But a barrage of pink slips is far from a certainty because the County Commission has balked at widespread layoffs and questioned whether outsourcing could deliver the same services residents expect from parks to transportation. Orlando Sentinel
LA: Reader comments: Jindal signs private school tuition tax credit
Starve the program. Declare it broken. Then say privatization is the only fix. Let me ask you something. If privatization produces better outcomes and is cheaper, why is healthcare so expensive? That’s a private market. The Advertiser
IL: Lawmakers consider privatizing workers’ comp system
The State of Illinois may hand over its much-maligned workers’ compensation system to a private company. A bill sponsored by House Speaker Mike Madigan would privatize the state’s workers’ compensation system. WJBC News
IL: Dedicated teachers
But increasingly we see the media, politicians and backers of privatization bad mouth and demonize teachers. We’re led to believe “bad teachers” are re responsible for everything that ails public education, as if poverty, racism and being 49th in the country for school funding don’t matter. It’s a well-orchestrated campaign to distract the public from the real challenges in our schools. Don’t worry how many kids are in a class, how old the textbooks are or whether the school has art, music or a library. Ignore the faulty heating and cooling systems, the leaky roofs and the playground marred with potholes. Chicago Tribune