PROBING Privitization
The Governor’s budget office has put out a new report recommending millions in savings by privatizing and consolidating a number of state functions. Both sides of the aisle are staking out their usual positions, Republicans call it great concept. Democrats call greed based on need. My position on privatizing government services is simple, I’m for it as long as it works. When I say works, I mean when the private vendor can provide the social or administrative service at less cost and equal or better service, and follows the same transparencies of open government that the public sector must, then I say give it a shot. So a company is motivated by profit? All the more reason to give them a shot at state services, you can’t keep a contract if you can’t do a good job, because there will be someone else there to pick up the ball you dropped. A watchful government, combined with the free market should keep things under control. Normally I’d say what do we have to lose, but the more appropriate ending would be what do we have to save.
