News
PA: Corbett promises liquor proceeds to schools
Gov. Tom Corbett says his plan to auction 1,200 wine and liquor store licenses and open beer and wine sales to a broad array of retailers would commit the proceeds to education. Corbett’s office says most of the revenue would come from selling wholesale liquor licenses. Auctioning and selling retail licenses to sell wine, liquor or beer would generate the remainder. The plan involves shutting down the more than 600 state-owned wine and liquor stores as a prelude to auctioning private retail licenses. Philly.com
PA: Union remains committed in fight against liquor privatization in Pennsylania
Just like it has in the past, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 isn’t about to back down on its fight, even as Governor Tom Corbett has thrown his full support toward getting Pennsylvania out of the business of selling alcohol. “It’s pretty clear there’s not a lot of support. I think he’s out of touch with Pennsylvania,” said Wendell W. Young IV, president of the UFCW 1776, which represents about 3,000 state liquor store employees. In the meantime, Young said the union will continue to galvanize its efforts, throwing attention on studies regarding privatization and shedding light on what has happened in other states, such as Iowa and West Virginia, which privatized their liquor systems. PennLive.com
NY: Plan to Privatize LIPA Is Forming
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is considering privatizing the state-owned Long Island Power Authority by issuing bonds to pay off more than half its debts and selling its distribution and transmission system, separately, to the highest bidder, officials said. It isn’t certain the plan would reduce LIPA customers’ bills, among the highest in the nation…. Privatization faces significant political opposition on Long Island, and administration officials said they are considering other options, including turning LIPA into a municipal utility. … Many lawmakers and business owners. Wall Street Journal
DE: Deal to lease Port of Wilmington at risk
Delaware lawmakers might have scuttled a Port of Wilmington privatization deal by imposing a new requirement for legislative review, a top official with Kinder Morgan told investment analysts Wednesday. The News Journal
TX: City Hall hopes to turn over Dallas Farmers Market’s keys to a private operator
One thing the city wants to do is keep from spooking the existing vendors at the market, many of whom are already leery of the city’s plans to turn over the market to outsiders who are looking to raze some of the sheds and replace them with apartments, restaurants and other related offerings. Many of market’s vendors have long had a strained relationship with city management and have blamed City Hall for keeping the market from becoming a more vibrant place. Dallas Morning News
E-mails link Bush foundation, corporations and education officials
A nonprofit group released thousands of e-mails today and said they show how a foundation begun by Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and national education reform leader, is working with public officials in states to write education laws that could benefit some of its corporate funders…. Donald Cohen, chair of the nonprofit In the Public Interest, a resource center on privatization and responsible for contracting in the public sector, said the e-mails show how education companies that have been known to contribute to the foundation are using the organization “to move an education agenda that may or not be in our interests but are in theirs.” Washington Post