Criticisms of Privatization
Over at my privatization blog, I take on two critiques of privatization. The first is from the New Jersey Sierra Club, and echos most of the standard mis-characterizations of privatization (you are going to build a McDonald's in front of Old Faithful!) The second is from a professor at Columbia, and is perhaps the most outrageous critique I have ever run into (privatization kills!)
Henry Bowman:
I'm sure that it's ultimately useful responding to these wackos, as people who haven't considered the issue previously probably need some basic information. But, of course you'll never actually convince the ones responsible for the complaints, for to them the basic idea is simple: people who are not government employees are, somehow, inherently evil and cannot be trusted at all.
July 16, 2010, 1:50 pmMark:
They have built a concession stand and gift shop in front of Old faithful. In fact they have built two. They call them lodges, but you go inside and they have fast food, more cafeteria style I would say, so they have something Like a Hometown Buffet inside. If they actually had something like a mall food court instead of a Buffet, with a McDonalds, taco bell, and Sbarros Pizza, who would really care? (Gotta say though the food was pretty good there, I had the trout.)
What is wrong with that? Don’t you need to feed people when they drive into huge national parks, where with traffic and all it can take 4 hours just to drive through?
July 16, 2010, 6:53 pmJLBurns:
Of course, the most literal test of the good Professor's theory as to whether "Privatization Kills" is the Public / Private hospital comparision. Living in NYC, the Professor has ample opportunity to choose either option. And I bet push come to shove the good Professor chooses the private one every time.
July 16, 2010, 7:01 pm