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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"5 Ways Privatization Is Ruining America" by Paul Buchheit at AlterNet
5 Ways Privatization Is Ruining AmericaBy Paul Buchheit at AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/5-ways-privatization-ruining-america?paging=off
"SNIP.............................................
1. We spend lifetimes developing community assets, then give them away to a corporation for lifetimes to come.
The infrastructure in our cities has been built up over many years with the sweat and planning of farsighted citizens. Yet the dropoff in tax revenues has prompted careless decisions to balance budgets with big giveaways of public assets that should belong to our children and grandchildren.
In Chicago, the Skyway tollroad was leased to a private company for 99 years, and, in a deal growing in infamy, the management of parking meters was sold to a Morgan Stanley group for 75 years. The proceeds have largely been spent.
The parking meter selloff led to a massive rate increase, while hurting small businesses whose potential customers are unwilling to pay the parking fees. Meanwhile, it has beenestimated that the business partnership will make a profit of 80 cents per dollar of revenue, a profit margin larger than that of any of the top 100 companies in the nation.
................................................SNIP"
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)applegrove
(118,683 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Privatization really needs to happen, we have to talk it about Obama has said, we need to talk about how we want to go forward. We have a real problem of people taking the Commons that have allowed so many to be mobile for granted.
Or else wanting them gone out of a shallow thinking about reducing government leading to freedom or more money in their pockets. Or, for a certain group, how they can take advantage and get rich. A lot of that.
It's immature, and as the article says, devours the work of many generations. I've had to have these conversations with people who don't realize what was intended for many things and so they follow the latest trend and go with that. Instead doing the deep thinking about the philosophy that created our infrastructure both socially and otherwise.
It's a deceptive process, the way corporations are lobbying, using media and unwise legislators and citizens to do it. They are not long term thinkers, just going for the quick profit and feeling good about something for a moment.
But more often, it is greed, plain and simple.
snot
(10,530 posts)Proud Corporate Dem
(43 posts)It is going to happen so you might as well try to like it.
Privatizing government functions really can be a very good thing if you are ready for it.
President Obama has done a great job toward privatizing space travel. And he has also done a good job by privatizing our military operations in Iraq.
These examples are really providing significant opportunity for investors to create wealth and create jobs. You need to think about the big picture and how the investors are affected, instead of just thinking about yourself.
Response to Proud Corporate Dem (Reply #6)
Post removed
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)JanMichael
(24,890 posts)Hydra
(14,459 posts)Nobody should be making a profit off of killing people, and investors don't "create" wealth or jobs.
SalviaBlue
(2,917 posts)progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)Well.. FIRST the woman who "owned" the company, got the contract for being a woman.. but she didn't run it at all. Her husband and other men ran it, she lunched mostly.
It was a creepy creepy company... I'll just say that much.
applegrove
(118,683 posts)and a pond outside the fence for staff. And a walking trail that went all the way around the prison grounds. Staff were encouraged to take a walk during their breaks and we did. It was great.
airplaneman
(1,239 posts)The writing is on the wall.
Big government is no good.
Next step:
Sell off all public assets to private for profit corporations.
The private market will:
1 - charge whatever the market can bear.
2 - pay its employees as little as possible.
Sounds like a screw job to me.
-Airplane
TheFarseer
(9,323 posts)and sells off the interstate system I'm going to be so pissed. Like I want to pay a damn toll to a Chinese corporation every time I want to drive somewhere! That's exactly what that silly bastard talked about doing and repubs in Kansas were talking about it just last year too.