News
Head to Head: Should U.S. privatize human flights to the moon – and beyond? THE ISSUE: Astronaut Neil Armstrong, 82, died Saturday. His “giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969, ensures his place in history as the first of only 12 men ever to walk the surface of the moon. But Armstrong’s death raises the question of whether we will ever send astronauts to Mars, or even repeat the feat of landing on the moon. Should U.S. privatize human flights to the moon – and beyond? Sacramento Bee
PA: Allentown council hears people pan, praise water privatization…Those against the water lease decried the inevitable rise of water bills due to privatization. Those for the lease bemoaned the financial crisis around the corner when pension payments become more than the city can endure. Former Councilman Lou Hershman asked council to not kick the can down the road like prior councils and administrations have done, but also cautioned against making a rash decision. Pawlowski has said he needs council’s approval next month to meet a deadline to finalize a deal by December. The city has had interest from nine entities looking to lease the water system. The Morning Call
GA: Atlanta parking – opinion. Once again, the city of Atlanta’s decision to privatize parking enforcement is in the news. This time, everything from the reliability of parking meters and the accuracy of signage to the ethics of ticket writing has been questioned. In July 2009, the Atlanta City Council authorized the department of public works to enter into a contract with Milwaukee-based Duncan Solutions to enforce the city’s parking code. Between July and September that year, an agreement was worked out without council input. The agreement gave sweeping authority to Duncan Solutions to increase the number of metered spaces in the city and locate them where they pleased as long as the city received $5.5 million dollars annually. Atlanta Journal Constitution
CA: City releases proposals for police outsourcing… City Council decided not to pursue outsourcing police services after meeting in a closed session meeting earlier this month. The meeting was held with a consultant engaged to review police outsourcing in the community. Proposals from both the County of San Mateo Sheriff’s Office and the city of South San Francisco were reviewed… Jim Ewert, general counsel of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and Terry Francke, general counsel for Californians Aware, said the decision to hear that matter in closed session was not appropriate. ” San Jose Mercury News