News

Ryan: Romney And I Support Social Security Privatization

In the vice presidential debate Thursday night, Paul Ryan seemed to indicate that a Romney-Ryan administration would support the idea of giving younger Americans the option to move their Social Security benefits into private retirement accounts. The Wisconsin congressman and House Budget Committee chairman talked up the concept when asked about his and Romney’s backing of President George W. Bush’s failed Social Security privatization plan. The extent of Romney’s support for privatization is questionable because his official Social Security platform calls for incrementally raising the eligibility age and lowering benefits for high-income recipients. It does not mention the privatization proposal, but Ryan’s remarks indicate that the Romney-Ryan ticket supports the principle. Two Romney-Ryan campaign spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.  TalkingPointsMemo

Mitt Romney taps Bushies for transpo advice

But as might be expected, the team is heavy on a privatization agenda, dovetailing with the Bush administration’s flagship stances spanning different modes. That would include an attempt to privatize some air traffic controllers and Amtrak, as well as a push for more toll roads and public-private partnerships for highways. Politico

Three Reasons for the Federal Government to Support Big Bird and PBS

First and foremost, one of the main priorities of government should be support for the arts and creative education, which is at the heart of PBS’s mission. Public broadcasting is a public good, with a central principle being the provision of coverage for interests for which there is a small or missing market. In contrast, PBS is a major supporter of the only television station that reaches much of rural Alaska. Contrary to what Romney implied in last week’s debate, spending on public broadcasting has virtually no impact on the nation’s deficit, which is largely explained by Medicare and the aging of the population… This small sum represents our nation’s commitment to arts, culture, and education, and the use of television as a critical medium for connecting the public to these resources. This commitment is a key element of any developed, civilized society. To eliminate it entirely would be the beginning of an abdication of one of government’s central functions, one that endures even in times of austerity.  US News and World Report

OH: Prison Privatization Blues

A state audit of the private prison sold by Gov. John Kasich last year found the prison is only meeting 66.7 percent of the state’s standards. The report, released last week, found a total of 47 violations in a northeastern Ohio prison owned by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), which the state government sold to CCA last year as part of a privatization push set out in Ohio’s 2012-13 budget. The violations noted in the Ohio Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (ODRC) audit range from staff training problems to poor food quality, with some inmates feeling unsafe due to the lack of control among prison staff.   City Beat

MI: Moms Gather to Protest Student Assault by Bus Employee

After FOX 17 obtained a video shot on a bus showing an employee of the transit company assaulting a student, mothers gathered in protest outside Galesburg-Augusta Elementary, while cars drove by honking in support….Like many others at the protest, Andrea thinks the privatization of the bussing was a bad decision for the school. “Bring our community back together.  Bring our community back to driving the bus, the person that drove me when I went to Galesburg, the ones that I want to drive my children.” The schools bus drivers who were laid off when the school agreed to contract with a private company are also upset. They were let go this past summer after more than 10 years of driving with the school. “It’s a private company so I think the community is not part of the school district anymore,” Tammy Hoffman, Former Bus Driver and union member.  Fox17