In recent weeks I have met with union leaders who represent workers at a federal prison in Colorado, air traffic controllers in Colorado, and ALPA, the largest airline pilot union in the world, representing 62,000 members in the US and Canada. The stories I have heard about what the current Washington elites are trying to do to these industries are striking in their similarities, and frightening in their implications. What it comes down to is that this Congress and this President want to "privatize" as much of government as they possibly can, regardless of the ultimate cost to America and Americans.
Let me start by just stating a fact. When the leaders of the Republican Party talk about privatization, what they really mean is that they want to sell off government functions to the highest bidders and help their friends and donors profit at the public expense. They will say that what they really intend is to bring "efficiency" to these functions by privatizing them. If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you! All you need to know about the efficiency of privatization can be seen in Iraq, where Halliburton has taken graft, corruption, sleaze, and incompetence to historic new levels!
The truth is anytime you want to understand one of these Republican "market based" scams, all you have to do is follow the money and find out who will get rich as a result. Take last year's Social Security fiasco, for example. It didn't take much digging to find out that "private retirement accounts" really meant that millions--probably billions--of dollars of tax payer money would go to bankers and financial types in New York City. Scratch a little deeper and you find that those same folks donate heavily to George Bush, Tom Delay, Bill Frist, and other Republican Washington elites. Gee, that's not too hard to figure out, is it?
So what does this have to do with my meetings with prison guards, airline pilots, and air traffic controllers? Buckle up, my friends, cause here we go...
The prison guards told me horror stories about only being staffed at near 80% of the level they are supposed to maintain. They told me about not having enough guards on duty at any given time. They told me that people who were hired to work in other areas of the prison, like food service or rehabilitation programs, ended up working as guards. They told me about a system that was no longer safe for the guards, for the inmates, or for the surrounding communities, for that matter. And we are talking about a federal facility that houses everything from convicted terrorists to convicted murderers. They also told me that people buying homes in newly built surrounding neighborhoods were told the prison was a shoe factory! So much for open and honest government!
The air traffic controllers told me similar stories, of not enough staffing, of outdated equipment, of a work force in which a large percentage are scheduled to retire soon with no replacements in sight. The airline pilots were no different. ALPA has been on the front lines in the fight for pension protections in a corporate culture that prioritizes executive bonuses over employee benefits. Does anyone out there think that airline pilots and air traffic controllers should be the front line in privatization with safety as an afterthought? I didn't think so.
Here's the bottom line on privatization--there are some functions that government can do better than the private sector, and it's high time that we progressives stood up and started to say so! We've let the lies of the Washington elite about government wash over us without so much as a peep, until now many people have a negative view of government, and that's a shame!
Here's why government can do many things better than the private sector. The number one goal of any private company is to make a profit, and there's nothing wrong with that at all. But the number one goal of most government entities SHOULD be to provide a service. Schools should educate kids. Prisons should rehabilitate criminals, or maybe punish them, or just warehouse them, depending on your philosophy on prisons, but the first priority should always be safety. Air Traffic Controllers should make it safe for us to fly. Social Security should ensure that we have a safety net when we retire. I could go on and on but I think you see the point.
The problem with privatization is that you replace the primary goal of the government service with profit and they are often not compatible. If the goal of your school system is to make money, then you cut teacher salaries and number of teachers and you don't buy as many supplies, and consequently the childrens' performance suffers. If the goal of your prison system is to make money, then you hire fewer guards and safety suffers. If you the goal of your air traffic control system is to make money, then you spend less on equipment, infrastructure, training and people, and safety suffers.
The empty rhetoric of "family values" from the Republican elite in Washington also ignores the impact of corporate values on family life. Economic insecurity is driving longer hours and commutes, at the expense of our communities and our kids. The drive to privatize is impacting performance and safety in any number of areas. None of this is acceptable and I won't stand by and watch it happen. I intend to stand up for all Americans by fighting for the quality of life we all deserve. And I intend to show people once again that government DOES have a role, and an important one at that! I AM my brother's keeper, and no amount of hypocrisy and corruption from the likes of Delay and Tancredo can change that!
Bill Winter
http://winterforcongress.com/