Living in the Chicago area, I’m all too familiar with the downsides of privatization of city services. Perhaps the two most infamous examples are Chicago’s parking meter and red light camera fiascos.

Privatization got a big boost during the Reagan administration thanks to the fallacy that private industry can always provide services cheaper and more efficiently than the government. Liberals, of course, know that isn’t true and that it is really just more “crony capitalism” at work.

Chicagoans haven been paying a steep price f or this crony capitalism for years!

Our parking is more expensive. We have less options. And taxpayer money has gone to these so called private institutions because of crooked contract preparation.

The red light cameras were sold as a way to increase city revenue while improving traffic safety. They have improved city revenue, because that is ALL they were meant to do. At the same time, Chicagoans have been cheated by shorter yellow light cycles and rampant incorrect fines. Oh yeah. And there is the matter of the bribery that took place to get the contract with the city.

Just because private industry can do some things better and less expensively doesn’t make it the best solution in all cases!

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/features/privatization/three/