And You Thought Privatization Was Dead

Run on over to The New York Times and read Paul Krugman’s latest while I finish putting my outrage over Wall Street into words. (Remember? The Wall Street that -- with the Republican’s help -- crashed the world economy and caused the shortfall in State’s budgets because so many people are out of work and aren’t paying taxes?)

Shock Doctrine, U.S.A.

”What’s happening in Wisconsin is, instead, a power grab — an attempt to exploit the fiscal crisis to destroy the last major counterweight to the political power of corporations and the wealthy. And the power grab goes beyond union-busting. The bill in question is 144 pages long, and there are some extraordinary things hidden deep inside.”

”What’s that about? The state of Wisconsin owns a number of plants supplying heating, cooling, and electricity to state-run facilities (like the University of Wisconsin). The language in the budget bill would, in effect, let the governor privatize any or all of these facilities at whim. Not only that, he could sell them, without taking bids, to anyone he chooses. And note that any such sale would, by definition, be “considered to be in the public interest.””

I’ll be back shortly. I sure am busy for a retired guy.

Don Brown
February 25, 2011