Privatization - Code for Someone Is About to Get Screwed

Privatization ~ the transferring an enterprise or industry from the public sector (government) to the private sector (for-profit company). 

Privatization, to me, is just a code word for someone's going to make money on the enterprise (whatever it is) and someone else is going to get screwed.  Privatization, in theory, is done to save the government money.  The rationalization is that private enterprise can do things more cheaply than the government.  I’m sure that, in some instances, this is probably true.  However, in many (most?) cases, the companies that are given the business are ones who have some financial link to the lawmakers who are making the decisions to privatize.  I think, in most instances where you see privatization occur, if you look closely enough and follow the money, you will find corruption.  Family members, friends, and/or colleagues will benefit.  NOT the public.

Two examples:

Private Prisons:  People sent to private prisons tend to stay there months longer than those sent to public prisons. They are often fed food that many of us definitely wouldn't serve in our homes.  And, they frequently don't get the health care that they need. Why? Because the prisons are making money off of the number of prisoners they have and the length of time they have them.  It benefits private prisons to have a high incarceration rate whereas it hurts our country to have such high incarceration rates. Cutting costs (food, health care) helps the private companies that run prisons to pad their bottom line. 

http://time.com/3928184/private-prisons-longer-incarceration/

Charter schools:  Charter schools are the much touted Republican antidote to schools whose students are failing. Charter schools make money off of taxpayers.  Charter schools cherry pick what students they will accept. They don't take problem kids, kids with disabilities or learning disabilities, or who need extra help.  Or, they accept them but only keep them until “count day” when the students are counted for the purpose of receiving their allotment of state money.  After that date, BAM, those students are sent packing back to the public schools. The charter school keeps the money, the public school gets the kid.  As a former teacher, I lived this scenario.  The public school has to take everyone, no exceptions. Even with all this, the kids in charter schools do not fare better than the kids in the public ones even though charter’s have this huge advantage. Who suffers?  Teachers and students do.  Charter school teachers are paid much less (and teachers aren't paid much to begin with), sometimes making half as much as public school teachers.  They often live almost in poverty, and teaching is a tough profession.  Students in public schools suffer because money is drained away from the public schools so fewer resources are available.  Class sizes are forced to increase and there is more disruption.  Teachers are forced to become more involved in crowd control and time is siphoned away from teaching time.  Who wins?  Only the owners or shareholders in the company running the charter schools.

Now, there is a lot of talk that the Republicans want to privatize Social Security. I have heard this from several of the Republican candidates. Who do you think is going to get screwed if this happens? Yep, you guessed.  All of us...the 99%.  It sure as heck won't be Wall Street.  They are going to make a ton off of it.  Make your voice heard. Tell your lawmakers that you are against this before it's too late.