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Privatization

Exposing ALEC's Agenda to Defund and Dismantle Public Education

Dennis Van Roekel | Posted 05.07.2013 | Politics
Dennis Van Roekel

A simple fact of business: You have to spend money to make money. And those who want to privatize education are willing to spend lots of money and effort to push their agenda. One of the main ways they are doing this is through ALEC.

Boeing's Dreamliner - A Cautionary Tale for Government Outsourcers

Donald Cohen | Posted 05.02.2013 | Business
Donald Cohen

Policy makers across the country often say they want to run governments more like a business. The Dreamliners that are still on the ground should tell them something about what that really means: there's no substitute for good management and strong oversight to deliver quality services at reasonable costs.

Unlucky Number 13: Is Slovenia Next in Line for a Bailout?

Luka OreÅ”ković | Posted 05.02.2013 | Business
Luka OreÅ”ković

While some hope of a miracle occurring in the coming months remains, so does the question of whether the new Slovenian government is willing to invest enough political capital to push through the necessary reforms before the capital markets decide to lock Slovenia out once again.

Chained CPI: Privatization by Another Name

Daniel Marans | Posted 05.02.2013 | Politics
Daniel Marans

George W. Bush's attempt to privatize Social Security paved the way for Obama to embrace cuts that, in effect, partially privatize the program.

Privatization of the Commons in Mayor Bloomberg's New York -- Part II: Who Has Control?

Cathryn Swan | Posted 04.26.2013 | New York
Cathryn Swan

These three New York City parks -- Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, and Union Square Park - all have slightly different structures running them. What they have in common is their corporate makeup.

Four Victories for the Public Good

David Morris | Posted 04.17.2013 | Politics
David Morris

I'm not saying it's time to break out the champagne and start chanting, "The people united will never be defeated." But the past few weeks have brought us some heartwarming demonstrations that the popular will still has a bite.

Privatization of the Commons in Mayor Bloomberg's New York - Part I

Cathryn Swan | Posted 04.15.2013 | New York
Cathryn Swan

Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not invent the concept of the "public-private partnership." But he has aggressively pushed "private money" within the New York City Parks system, particularly under former Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, who left last year.

The Green Marketeer

John Feffer | Posted 04.03.2013 | World
John Feffer

The state and the market have long been in a tug of war in East-Central Europe. The Communists were not the first political force to recommend that the state play a much larger role in the economy.

Murky Waters in Allentown

Wenonah Hauter | Posted 03.29.2013 | Business
Wenonah Hauter

Open government and transparency are essential pillars of a functioning democracy. But when governments privatize public services and infrastructure, we too often lose access to information and the tools to hold officials accountable.

Paul Ryan, GOP Try to Cover Up Plan to Force Seniors to Wait Longer for Medicare

Ethan Rome | Posted 05.18.2013 | Politics
Ethan Rome

Ryan's proposal seems more like sleight of hand than legitimate cost control. It's about weakening Medicare, not strengthening the program for future generations.

A Tale of Two Reforms

John Feffer | Posted 05.18.2013 | World
John Feffer

Slovenia and Bulgaria are, respectively, the best-case scenario and the cautionary example of "transition" states. Both have struggled to transform communist-era economic and political structures. Both are now members of the European Union and NATO.

A Shortage of Mercy

Robert Koehler | Posted 05.14.2013 | Politics
Robert Koehler

As the economy twists downward for most of us -- as the politics of money tightens like a noose around everything we love -- I think about the disintegration of human values, which insane logic and the Republicans tells us we can no longer afford.

Dismissing Class: Obama Administration Must Alter Higher Education Policies Perpetuating Social Inequality

Omari Scott Simmons | Posted 05.08.2013 | College
Omari Scott Simmons

Increasing higher education attainment for low-income students should close socio-economic disparities. But, a deeper examination of the nation's higher education system reveals that many low-income students with the greatest needs often receive an education that does not empower them economically, politically, and socially.

GOP Endgame -- Privatization of Government?

Larry Hirsch | Posted 05.05.2013 | Politics
Larry Hirsch

Government performs many vital services that are part of everyday life in this country. Take government workers away and someone will have to pick up the slack.

Atlanta Transit Bill Harkens Back to the Days of Jim Crow

Lawrence J. Hanley | Posted 05.04.2013 | Politics
Lawrence J. Hanley

Instead of forcing African Americans to the back of the bus, new legislation threatens to take the bus away altogether for many of Atlanta's working poor.

The Separation of Profit and State

Robert Koehler | Posted 04.30.2013 | Politics
Robert Koehler

Thirty years on, the Reagan Revolution has done its job, or nearly so. There's no sustaining integrity left to how our society is organized, no principle that can't be gamed for private benefit.

You Should Be Outraged By What Is Being Done to Our Postal Service

Dave Johnson | Posted 04.13.2013 | Business
Dave Johnson

The story of the intentional destruction of the U.S. Postal Service is one more piece of the story of crisis-after-crisis, all manufactured to advance the strategic dismantling of our government and handing over the pieces to billionaires.

The Charitable Deduction and the Social Contract

Tiziana Dearing | Posted 03.09.2013 | Business
Tiziana Dearing

We know we have a social contract. Reasonable people can disagree on how much government is responsible for that contract versus the private sector. That someone has to be, however, is not in dispute. That we have to pay for it shouldn't be either.

The Post Office and the Dollar Store: A Common Sense Holiday Tale

Russell C. Smith | Posted 02.17.2013 | Politics
Russell C. Smith

Some lawmakers and people in big media have promoted the notion that since the U.S. Post Office is losing money, it must be privatized.

What Role for PMC in Today's World?

David Isenberg | Posted 01.19.2013 | Business
David Isenberg

Is there an appropriate role for Private Military Companies (PMCs) in the contemporary security context? Maybe, but less than you may think, accordin...

The Changing State of International Relations: The PMSC Impact

David Isenberg | Posted 10.22.2012 | Business
David Isenberg

It has long been understood that today's private military and security companies are seen by governments that contract with them as a third option, be...

Florida Moves To Privately-Run Juvenile Jails

Posted 10.15.2012 | Miami

In an effort to reduce costs, Florida's state-run residential programs for juveniles will soon be completely privatized. The Florida Department of ...

Deconstructing the PMSC Frame

David Isenberg | Posted 12.02.2012 | Business
David Isenberg

Sometimes, as the saying goes, it is not what you say, but how you say it. Or to put it contemporary terms, how you spin it. And for the past couple o...

Education Struggles Aflame Across the Hemisphere

Rick Ayers | Posted 11.25.2012 | Home
Rick Ayers

There have been protests across the country over these developments and now we face the increasing prospect of massive government loan default from people who can't pay their way out of debt in the stalled economy.

'Won't Back Down' Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal

Mary Bottari | Posted 11.21.2012 | Politics
Mary Bottari

As the movie's stars take to the airwaves this week to promote the film, it is unlikely they will discuss the agenda of the film's billionaire backers or the right-wing politicians and for-profit firms who are promoting the parent trigger idea.