An item from the folks at In The Public Interest.  There is a line below that harkens to the commentary that I posted to John Watson’s entry on Presečišče ESA in digitalnega učenja (2. del).

“Every public dollar given to a private company that has a profit margin, or returns to investors, or pays high executive compensation, or spends money on lobbying is money that’s ne going into the service that they have taken over.”

The next two lines are also important – because it also correlates with a sentiment that I commonly express.

“They can cut wages, hours, staff, benefits, and pensions, having a significant impact on the public service and the community surrounding it.  That’s why when a company comes along and says they can perform a function more efficiently, we always have to ask what they mean by efficiency.”

Folks should know that I often say that when you have corporations directly involved in public education, the student becomes the widget and the corporate goal is to maximize profit per widget.

Tedensko glasilo za ljudi, ki želijo, da vlada deluje za vse nas, ne le za peščico premožnih. Oglejte si to glasilo na spletu. Niste naročnik? Prijavite se tukaj. Privatizacija Vsega on the Cheap The audio version of my book Privatizacija vsega is celebrating the one year anniversary of its appearance (which is funny because the first year anniversary traditional gift is…paper; yes, it’s also available in paperback) and the publishers are offering a deal: 70 odstotek off. Not bad. Usually, privatization costs a LOT more. And that’s sort of the point of the book, which Publishers Weekly called “a persuasive takedown of the idea that the private sector knows best.” Privatization costs you money—and power. Every public dollar given to a private company that has a profit margin, or returns to investors, or pays high executive compensation, or spends money on lobbying is money that’s ne going into the service that they have taken over. They can cut wages, hours, staff, benefits, and pensions, having a significant impact on the public service and the community surrounding it. That’s why when a company comes along and says they can perform a function more efficiently, we always have to ask what they mean by efficiency. Listen to—or read—about Chicago’s sell-off of its parking meters, an incredibly short-term solution that has caused long-term loss of revenue and—more importantly—it cost the city its ability to make vital decisions about urban planning and creating vibrant life in its neighborhood. The book is full of such examples. Privatization costs our society in broken social bonds and undermining democracy. It turns citizens into consumers and turns the life of a community into a marketplace. Nowhere is this clearer than the many attempts to privatize education. Privatization sets up a system of private privilege that drains the public schools of funding and broad support, exacerbating the inequalities that are already part of our society. It treats education as a consumable product, not as an indispensable public good that is necessary for a functioning democracy. Knjiga je argument, namenjen ponovni pridobitvi ideje javnosti in ponovni pridobitvi naših vlad kot orodij javnosti. To je poziv k uporabi javnega pogovora in razprave za opredelitev javnih dobrin in za zagotovitev, da te javne dobrine ostanejo pod javnim – demokratičnim – nadzorom. I hope you can take a look—or a listen. Donald Cohen Izvršni direktor Vaša rutina za donacije omogočiti naše delo.

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