News
The Privatization of Public Service….It’s not only Maxwell that’s seen an increase in private sector employment among graduates, but a trend that has been consistent across multiple top public policy and administration graduate schools. [See below for a breakdown of post graduation jobs by university.] The trend mirrors the privatization of government overall and it’s happening at least partly as a result of the desire for greater compensation by for-profit firms, not because of well thought out social needs. BillMoyers.com
White House Opposes Privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Privatization would not fix ‘too big to fail’ entities, official says. U.S. The Obama administration rejected a corporate bid to buy insurance businesses from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, suggesting housing finance reform would be a better way to rebuild the housing loan market and prevent another potential economic collapse. US News & World Report
IN: Indianapolis mounting push to privatize parks.IndyParks put out a request for proposals Friday that could lead to privatization of some or all of the city’s parks and recreation facilities…. “We’re going to move quickly where we can,” Pittman said. “But we want to get this right, and we’ll take the time needed to do that.” Indianapolis Business Journal
IN: Appeal arguments begin in Indiana vs. IBM. The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments today in the legal battle over a $52 million judgment the state has been ordered to pay IBM over the failed attempt to privatize public welfare services under former Gov. Mitch Daniels. Both sides will get 45 minutes to argue their cases… The state is appealing a Marion Superior Court judge’s 2012 ruling awarding $52 million to IBM after the state canceled a contract Daniels had hailed in 2006 as the solution for fixing one of the nation’s most troubled welfare systems. Indianapolis Star
PA: Move to privatize Pa. prison nursing services fails. Critics of a plan by Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections to outsource the work of its nurses to private companies are breathing a sigh of relief. Pennsylvania’s state prisons already contract with private companies for certain medical, psychiatric, and pharmaceutical services. But the state’s biggest health care workers union is rejoicing over news that nurses won’t be added to that list. NewsWorks
IL: Cost cutting, not love of free markets, push Illinois cities toward privatization. Illinois’ local governments are increasingly looking to privatization because they cannot afford to pay for everyone’s wants and still cover the cost of their needs. Quincy Journal
OH: State spent $1.2M on shuttered charter schools. The state of Ohio paid nearly $1.2 million to a string of charter schools — including three in Dayton and one in Trotwood — that closed abruptly last month mere weeks after opening. Dayton Daily News ($)