Florida Considers Bills to Privatize Government Functions…Secretly

[The Straight Story]

Florida Considers Bills to Privatize Government Functions…Secretly

Determined to turn over nearly 30 prisons to private operators, the Florida legislature is considering two bills to allow the government to privatize not only penitentiaries but other public operations as well…and not inform the public until after a contract has been signed.

The state previously tried to privatize 29 state prisons. But that effort was derailed by a lawsuit filed by the Florida prison guards union.

So now lawmakers have introduced SPB 7170 and SPB 7172. The bills would allow an agency to avoid publicly reporting its plans to privatize a program or service until after the contract is signed. SPB 7170 would also allow privatization even if an agency did not request it.

Supporters claim the outsourcing of prisons could save the state $45 million a year. Opponents point out that it could also cost nearly 4,000 people their jobs, namely those working in Florida's correctional system. Transparency advocates object to object to proposed reversal of the state and national trend towards open government.

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Florida_Considers_Bills_to_Privatize_Government_Functions__Secretly_120120

[liberal N proud]

1. Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida

You can't tell me these exact actions taking place in these three states are not corridated by one group or individual who has a large purse with strings attached to the governors office of each state.

There needs to be a cirminal investigation into the actions of these governors by the Justice Department.

[nanabugg]

3. Follow the money to the prison industry links.

Un-confined criminals watching over imprisoned criminals. Great! Wait until the contract cost overruns begin and the law suits start. Popcorn, anyone?

It always costs more when the private sector takes over a government function when all the costs are added up. Will it be union or non-union contractors?

[highplainsdem]

4. It's coordinated by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

See the relevant links in the long compilation topic on ALEC:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x591230


Unfortunately most of the links to old DU topics in that compilation topic on the old board no longer work (I'm glad I also posted direct links to the relevant news articles and blogs), but reply 332 there links to this page at In These Times:

http://inthesetimes.com/article/11603/publicopoly_exposed

[atreides1]

2. Is it a Banana Republic yet?

[sarcasmo]

5. 4,000 union jobs would be my guess.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Meet the Town Bankrupted By Private Prisons

Uploaded by bravenewfoundation on Jan 19, 2012

The GEO Group, along with CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) are the two largest private prison and immigrant detention operators in the country. At an average rate of $200 per night/per inmate, private prison operators profit over $5 billion a year. How do they do it? Like con-artists, they lure town councils and local government officials with promises of easy money and increased revenue. However, what they don't tell them is at what cost!

Littlefield, Texas found out the hard way. The GEO Group promised increased "product" (aka detained immigrants) and alleged prosperity for a town that was struggling with an economic crisis. Instead, what Littlefield got was a mega-complex private facility, an additional $10 million contractual debt, and a fleeing population.

CCA and the GEO Group have spent millions lobbying local, state and federal officials and in campaign contributions to candidates running for these offices. They do so to have more facilities built and to increase their already bloated profits -- even if these immigrant detention centers are not needed.

[Blue_Tires]

8. thanks for this...

[mazzarro]

7. Blatant effort of rePIGlicans to put their crony capitalism into overdrive

By the time any privatization effort is made public, count on the deal being no-bid transaction. This will be another form of Romney's vulture capitalism.