Photo courtesy New York Times
In Paul Krugman’s Editorial he makes clear that the “privatized half way houses” that former private prison lobbyist Gov. Chris Christie champions are hell on earth. However, he reminds us that all of these “privatized governmental functions” rely only on taxpayer dollars and government money. There is no “competition” behind the job degradation involved. Plus, do you remember the kickback schemes and the Judges who went to prison in Pennsylvania for sending innocent teens as young as 11 years old to private prisons so their crony paymasters could pocket taxpayer dollars? Kids who were sent to the “privatized prisons” in Pennsylvania for crimes they did not commit committed suicide, were damaged beyond repair so that these private hell holes masquerading as governement services could suck dollars from taxpayers into the pockets of cynical rogues.
Great representation of Mammon aka “The God Money”. When fundamental government services are privatized to a provider that has, in fact, only the motivation of pocketing money and insuring that it has its maw sucking down taxpayer dollars, it is lobbyists who benefit. Not the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (and certainly not, Pennsylvania or New Jersey).
Granted, Beacon Hill is not subject to Open Meeting Laws, and is more and more “efficient” as in power is being consolidated and elected officials like Charley Murphy with a marine backbone and solid ego squeezed out – but at least in theory, one can vote out incumbents and just maybe, more incumbents, especially those who exhibit zeros in the spine department, will grow challengers. Once the experience, knowledge, counter-punch of a strong union are lost, they are not easily regained. No, privatization where taxpayer dollars line peoples pockets rather than provide solid services with true oversight is a loss for we the people, is not subject to market forces, and is, I submit a victory only for Mammon and the forces of greed and cynicism.
Comperition, transparency, consumer choice (and here the ‘comsumer’ is the government entity, not the inmate). Prisons have none of these, which is why they are an extraordinarily poor choice to be moved from government function to private sector.
In my view they exist entirely because there is a stable state with laws to enforce, sometimes by incarceration. OF COURSE such law enforcement should be the provence of the state.
Just what we want, of course, is a cynical lobbyist with deep pockets in which to put other folks money to lock up the poor and the mentally ill for profit.
My guess is he’ll go for someone as ‘safe’ as possible who won’t overshadow him on the campaign trail and who can be counted on to do what they’re told. Christie is somewhat of a loose cannon, just don’t think that will appeal to Mitt’s inner CEO.
maybe
Not only have Krugman and others at the the NY Times exposed the corruption underlying New Jersey’s prison halfway houses, The Times has also recently reported on substandard care and unexplained deaths in the group home system for the intellectually disabled in New York State. The horror stories unveiled in these news reports are becoming pervasive throughout the country.
Unfortunately, elected leaders in both political parties are continuing to buy into a bottom-line approach to the delivery of public services. Massachusetts is no exception to this. As Krugman points out, however, any monitary savings in this approach have come not from better and more efficient management, but from low wages and benefits to direct-care workers.