News

Federal Advisory Board Seeks Comment on Public-Private Partnership Disclosure. . . Whether projects are funded by tax dollars or business investments, people want to know how money is being spent. But how should public-private partnerships keep their books? In an effort to answer that question, the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB), a federal advisory committee tasked by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Comptroller General with developing accounting standards for federal entities, recently proposed a series of financial disclosure requirements for public-private partnerships. . . . The proposal requests that private partners disclose the purpose, objective, and rationale of their partnerships with public institutions, as well as the monetary and non-monetary benefits they receive from in exchange for their work. RegBlog (blog)

MN: Protective Privatizing: State Agency May Use Nonprofit to Keep Assets Focused. A novel, perhaps unprecedented, idea to privatize a state agency and spin off its huge economic development trust fund from the state to a private nonprofit is gaining traction in Minnesota. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on an effort by leaders of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB), to have state lawmakers approve the creation of a new, independent, nonprofit corporation that would take control of its $139 million trust fund. The Iron Range is a region in northeastern Minnesota with multiple distinct bands of iron ore. The goal, according to the paper, is to “lock away the agency’s economic development trust fund from outside raiders.” It’s an effort to keep the money away from legislators or a governor who may want to raid the account to cover non-Iron Range spending. The Nonprofit Quarterly

OH: Union-Busting & Privatization On Tap For Dayton Schools In New Year. When school resumes on January 5 for Dayton Public Schools (DPS), an out-of-state company will be in charge of placing substitute teachers (called “reserve teachers” in Dayton) in classrooms. For Wisconsin-based Parallel Employment Group, the one million dollar contract they scored in Dayton is their first foray into Ohio and, sadly, does not appear to be their last. This situation didn’t happen overnight, and it appears as though the strategy that Dayton is using to privatize services at the expense of union employees is self-created. Plunderbund

PA: Philadelphia should fear a charter takeover of York City schools. In spite of opposition from York City’s elected school board, York’s school district is on the verge of being turned over lock, stock, and barrel to a for-profit charter operator with ties to Florida Republicans Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Jeb Bush. Philadelphia Public School Notebook