If you think that the Bush Administration's drive to privatize almost everything will lead to greater efficiencies and a better use of taxpayers' dollars, then take another look at Boston's "Big Dig."
"Consider the Big Dig as a poster child for what happens when "big government" steps aside. Years ago, when it was reported that Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff both executed and monitored the preliminary design of the Big Dig, my alarm bells rang. With little interest in reining in costs, the price of the Big Dig escalated by billions, creating the greatest overruns in the history of US public works. Now we hear that the project itself may be seriously flawed...In short, the Big Dig is a classic example of private corporations abusing public funds for private profit. This occurs all the time with military procurement. Yet now, when politicians choose to vote against overpriced military equipment or the faulty missile defense program, they are branded as antidefense or even unpatriotic."
Thanks to Michael Dudley
FULL STORY: The public cost of privatization
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