Privatization

Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny wrote a provocative article titled "Look Who's Embracing Privatization - Big City Democrats." (Look to your right for the link.) They document how Mayors -- ranging from Chicago's Rahm Emanuel to Los Angeles' Antonio Villaraigosa to Newark's Cory Booker -- have partnered with the private sector to provide high quality services at lower cost.

They write, "Mr. Emanuel is doing what sensible leaders do: focusing resources on the core functions of government and using competition to lower costs on the rest. When government agencies are forced to compete with the private sector, it saves taxpayers money and makes government more responsive to its customers. Performance-based contracts that set clear standards ensure that high-quality services are delivered by private firms that are held accountable."