Comments on: Selling Off Public Infrastructure: A Government Of, By and For Capital

By: David O'Rear

David O'Rear — Thu, 03 May 2007 01:39:59 +0000

Yeah, it was so much easier when you just plowed through the open fields in your buckboard.

Sheesh.

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 02 May 2007 13:31:21 +0000

David
There’s no need to “run” our highways today for the most part, especially compared to the cost of “running” toll roads. So who bears the burden of “running” these toll roads? the truckers, the commuters, the people who want to just get out and DRIVE SOMEWHERE. Who benefits? Large multinational Corporations. What else suffers? Domestic commerce. No problem for the “free traders” I’m sure.

By: JohnKonop

JohnKonop — Wed, 02 May 2007 10:51:01 +0000

The biggest issue is the PRO monoply guys like you kill small business and consumers.

Hey China corners 97% market share on vitamin C and now prices are going out of control. China can even poison us and you think that is the fee market!

By: David O'Rear

David O'Rear — Wed, 02 May 2007 10:31:25 +0000

LeftHook,

Personally, I’d rather have a well-run business than one that is determined not to make a profit, for not-making-a-profit’s sake.

The number of very badly run public sector utilities far outweighs the number of well run ones, worldwide.

Sky-high tolls? In a well-run privatization program, there are mechanisms for determining tolls (utility rates, phone charges, etc.).

Company applies to the regulator to raise prices; Regulator examines the data (inflation, investment, etc)and approves or not. Very simple.

—————————–

Mr Konop,

If that “foreign company” you mention is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, would that be OK?

Would that make it ‘merican enough for you?

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 02 May 2007 01:02:15 +0000

The Bush administration is helping multinationals buy U.S. municipal water systems, putting our most important resource in the hands of corporations with no public accountability.
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/50994/

By: JohnKonop

JohnKonop — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:39:54 +0000

I have a problem with granting monopolies especially to foreign countries controlling our infrastructure.

By: LeftHook

LeftHook — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:09:54 +0000

David O’Rear: Yes, there is a huge reason. Because the government’s sole goal in managing these public assets is NOT profit–it’s public good. They are two very different paths and outcomes.

How do sky-high tolls serve the public good? Did you notice the Atlanta water system fiasco in the last sentence of the excerpt? That’s reason #432.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:54:15 +0000

And the Spanish owned Cintas Corporation is gonna try to weld together the U.S., Canada, and Mexico through the NAFTA SUPERHIGHWAY with the NORTH AMERICAN UNION a.k.a. the “three amigos” scheme.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:43:18 +0000

A lot of this fancy schmancy stuff is catching the states off guard. They are swept away with all the “hullabaloo” with these “public/private partnerships”. Isn’t this a form of corporate fascism? I’m opposed to most of this outsourcing of infrastructure because
A. this is what the NAFTA Superhighway is about
B. the government is supposed to control the means of commerce. (roads bridges, ect…)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce_clause

By: David O'Rear

David O'Rear — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:32:52 +0000

Is there some reason we should think that bureaucrats are better at running a business than people who do it for a living?

Civil servants haven’t a clue what they’re doing, which is why the global trend over the past several decades has been toward expertise, rather than ideology.
.