BuzzFlash on Predatory Privatization

PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT

State and local budget crises and the election of anti-government ideologues have left taxpayers and communities increasingly vulnerable to predatory “privatization” of government services and public infrastructure. “Desperate government is our best customer,” says one finance company executive specializing in the privatization of public infrastructure. A new report from People For the American Way documents that the push to privatize public services and assets often reduces the quality of services, burdens taxpayers and threatens democratic government.

A copy of the full report, “Predatory Privatization: Exploiting Financial Hardship, Enriching the One Percent, Undermining Democracy” [pdf] is available at: http://site.pfaw.org/pdf/Predatory-Privatization.pdf

“The combination of budget deficits, anti-tax ideology, and financial predators can be deadly to the interests of citizens and communities,” said People For the American Way President Michael Keegan. “Right-wing anti-government and anti-union ideologues are exploiting tough economic times and taking advantage of desperate public officials. The public picks up the tab but gives up control and accountability. The public good should never be on the auction block. If citizens are not vigilant, they will end up paying a terrible long-term price for deals to plug short-term budget holes. ”

Among the examples examined in Predatory Privatization:

• In 2009, the city of Chicago sold revenues from the city’s parking meters to a group of companies led by Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley. Investors got the right to control parking meter revenues for 75 years. Not only did the city give up revenue, but it actually has to pay the private company whenever a street is closed for repairs or for a street fair; the company claims city taxpayers already owe it almost $50 million.

• Republican officials are pushing to privatize more prison operations, even though private prisons often end up costing taxpayers more. The multi-billion-dollar private prison industry has an incentive to increase the numbers of prisoners incarcerated and to keep people locked up as long as possible – and spends millions to lobby state legislators.

• Investors are lining up – and lobbying legislators – to get their hands on the billions of dollars spent on public education. Many schools are being privatized despite very mixed results. Many investors rake in millions even though many students in these private schools do much worse than their traditional counterparts.

• Indiana turned over its toll road to foreign firms for 75 years. Fine print in the contract has required taxpayers to reimburse investors when Indiana waived tolls for safety reasons during a flood. The contract allows the company to raise tolls every year; they doubled during the first five years of the 75-year contract.

The report also gives individuals advice on how to protect the public interest by responding strategically to privatization schemes, including a set of crucial questions that public officials should be forced to answer before voting on any proposal.

Mario Piperni’s Farewell to Joe Lieberman

Saying Goodbye To Lieberman, the Political Troll

August 1, 2012 By mario piperni

Is anyone surprised by this?

Sen. Joe Lieberman has not been invited to either the Democratic or the Republican presidential convention this year, a major snub for a lawmaker who played prominent convention roles in the past.

Republicans have spent the last three years purging the party of all conservatives suspected of holding the most moderate of moderate views. Allowing a phony ex-Democratic senator who still clings to his liberal views on social issues anywhere near their Tampa convention is not going to happen. Lieberman has a pro-choice voting record and played a prominent role in the move to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Both are major taboos for an intolerant, homophobic political party doing their darnedest to give women’s rights a circa 1800s feel.

There will be no repeat of Lieberman’s 2008 Republic National Convention performance when he addressed the crowds with the following words:

And that brings me directly to why I am here tonight. What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this? The answer is simple. I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party. I’m here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I’m here because John McCain’s whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American.

Which, of course, brings us to the main reason Lieberman will not be asked to attend the Democratic presidential convention. You don’t spend a year battling to defeat Barack Obama in a general election and then follow it up with four years of opposition to some of the key issues on the Democratic platform and not expect there to be some bad blood.

• He threatened to filibuster the health care act if a public option was part of the package.
• He was against expansion of Medicare coverage.
• He is against any increase in taxes for the richest 2 percent.
• He was against ending the Iraq war.
• He is a foreign policy hawk who has called for starting wars with Iran and Syria.

Joe’s time as a troll has come to an end. Democrats allowed him to retain the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security because he threatened to flip over to the other side of the aisle if they messed with him. While Lieberman often performed more like a Republican than a Democrat, there were some key votes (e.g. DADT) where Joe’s vote was required. No more. Lieberman is not seeking reelection in 2012 and with that, Dems can bid adieu to the spiteful little turncoat from Connecticut.

___

Follow MarioPiperniDotCom on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.