We can talk about renaming the National Park 'Koch Brothers Love The Environment' Park, why not?
Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee, best known for
trying and failing to privatize a Medicaid expansion last year—a consequence of being in bed with the Koch Brothers—
is still trying to sell his state's government to the highest bidder company that pays for his inevitable Senate/presidential run.
Large private out-of-state vendors are touring some of Tennessee’s most beloved and visited state parks this week to gather information about their operations and potential for profit as part of the Haslam administration’s sweeping plan to privatize management and operations of virtually every state-owned facility, including state parks, prisons and college and university buildings.
Despite months of planning and working with vendors, neither Gov. Bill Haslam nor his top lieutenants have led any public discussion of what would be the most comprehensive change in the operation of state government in decades, potentially throwing thousands of state employees out of work and shifting others into jobs with private companies.
We only know this because a
document appeared last week on a Department of General Services url that is a state government hub for state contractors. This is because great ideas like selling off our real estate and ridding ourselves of pesky government jobs is something that must be done in cigar smoke filled rooms with the blinds drawn. From the document:
1. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
The State of Tennessee, Department of General Services, issues this Request for Information (“RFI”) for the purpose of identifying vendors who have the capacity and experience to provide outsourced facilities management services to the State. The State appreciates your input and participation in this process.
No,
thank you private business man. Getting information like this will allow us the chance to offer up a
no-bid contract. This new "query" into outsourcing government services casts
a pretty wide net:
- Offices and administrative positions (just "generally", you know)
- Schools
- Colleges
- Hospitals
- Parks and recreations (everything from hotels to campgrounds)
- Military (just a general "Military" on p. 4)
Governor Haslam has good reason for this inquiry. As every conservative knows, governments don't work and the private sector works super well and everybody is happy and unicorns.
Several state office buildings are already operated through a controversial contract with JLL, a Chicago-based property management company previously named Jones Lang LaSalle. A 2013 state audit criticized the Department of General Services for the contract: The audit noted a "conflict of interest" for JLL that created an opportunity for the company to earn more outside money through its recommendations to the state and criticized the state for expanding its initial $1 million contract with JLL to $10.7 million without any rebidding process.
So maybe I'm lying about unicorns and everybody being happy and things being run really well. But proponents of privatizing all of these services use words like "efficiency" and "savings" and they're right, in as much as paying people less and getting rid of jobs saves you money. Having less services to offer people as a result is efficient
if you look at less being more!
Under the proposal, the parks would remain state-owned parks but private vendors would be awarded long-term leases for much of their operations.
The state has tried to privatize parts of parks’ operations before, including five “Bear Trace” golf courses designed by professional golf giant Jack Nicklaus’ company. That operation failed and three of the courses are back under Tennessee State Parks operation, one closed and one was transferred to local groups.
Awesome!