[Rick] Scott's prison-privatization promise falls short

[alp227]

By Aaron Deslatte, Tallahassee Bureau Chief

7:16 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2013

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott told voters three years ago that as part of his plan to jump-start the economy, he would cut $1 billion in spending on prisons — in part by handing some of them over to private companies.

Thanks to court fights and opposition in the state Legislature, that hasn't happened. And although the governor and lawmakers have reduced the agency's budget by $244 million, taxpayers are still footing the bill for the privatization push.

Florida's prison system, the third-largest in the country, is projected to run a $45 million deficit this year. And a chunk of that is specifically because of the stalled effort to privatize health-care services and 29 South Florida prisons.

"The governor and legislative leaders didn't and couldn't make a legitimate case that it would save money," said former Sen. Paula Dockery, a Lakeland Republican who fought the privatization push. "And it certainly wouldn't have resulted in greater security or quality of care."

full: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-prison-privatization-failure-20130923,0,53018.story

[gopiscrap]

1. what a fucking asshole and how much is Scott getting under the table?

[DirkGently]

2. Quintessential Rick Scott.

"How we can we appropriate the most taxpayer funds for big business, while benefitting Florida residents the least?"

He is contemptuous of the entire premise of government doing anything other than funnel money from people to big business.