News
NC: NC’s HHS secretary looking for payers to help her privatize Medicaid. Many are concerned a push toward privatization will deny care to patients as for-profit companies look to cut costs. MedCity News
NC: Opinion: McCrory privitization kick is a bad idea. “Governor Pat McCrory appears to be on a privatization spree that could have serious implications for jobs and health care in North Carolina,” writes Chris Fitzsimon on his blog at NC Policy Watch. “And none of it seems very well thought out.’ News Observer
LA: AG says Jindal doesn’t need legislative approval to privatize LSU hospitals. Gov. Bobby Jindal doesn’t need legislative approval to privatize the LSU public hospitals, the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office said Thursday. Alexandria Town Talk
NJ: NJ to award contract in lottery privatization. New Jersey’s Treasury Department announced plans on Friday to award a sales and marketing contract for the state lottery to a private company….New Jersey has the nation’s eighth largest state lottery. The lottery grossed $2.8 billion in revenue last year. The state Senate passed a measure last month giving the Legislature a say in plans to privatize the lottery. San Francisco Chronicle
AL: Privatizing public schools: Alabama Accountability Act could create all sorts of problems….It is an interesting idea; however, the end result in many Black Belt counties would be three state-subsidized school systems. There would be the white school private school that came into being when the schools were integrated. There would be the new private school for the less affluent (mostly black) students that would be created under Campbell’s plan. And there would be the public school, if by that time a public school still existed….It would be a twisted trail to follow, but if it came to pass (a very big “if”) it would accomplish the goal of those who are putting money into the Black Alliance. It would privatize public education. Anniston Star
TN: Editorial: Privatizing TVA bad idea for region and whole nation. The Obama administration plans to conduct a “strategic review” of TVA to determine whether all or part of the federal corporation should be sold to the private sector. The proposal is part of the administration’s Creating a 21st Century Government initiative, which focuses on cutting waste, streamlining agencies and other reforms. We do not need a strategic review to know the privatization of TVA — which is more than just a utility — is not in the best interests of its 9 million customers or the American public as a whole. This is not the first time a privatization proposal has been floated, and it is still bad idea. Knoxville News Sentinel
CA: Fresno trash fight starts in court. Supporters and opponents of Mayor Ashley Swearengin’s effort to outsource the city’s home garbage-collection service will gather Monday morning in front of Superior Court Judge Dale Ikeda to claim the other side’s got it all wrong. Fresno Bee
IA: OUR OPINION: Idea of privatizing workforces raises concerns….Radig’s most recent proposal is to privatize workforces, excluding directors, at the Art Center and Pubic Museum. He proposes the Art Center Association and Museum and Historical Association raise funds for salaries and benefits. Savings for the city, he estimates, would total some $800,000, no insignificant sum…..Because we question the ability of their boards to raise the additional revenue necessary to cover salaries and benefits, we believe this idea would negatively impact the quality and quantity of public programming at the Art Center and museum. Because we appreciate the importance and value to local quality of life of a strong Art Center and museum, we believe the city should seek to avoid diminishing them. Sioux City Journal