Showing posts with label Privatization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Privatization. Show all posts

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Sunday February 15: Coldest Day Yet!

 I I
AND 30 MPH Winds
Good morning all you pack wearing patchouli smelling winter warriors. It is now 8:45 AM. I am inside feeling the effects of 30 to 50 mile an hour gusts and it's now 10°
Note the American Flag!
outside. I think I'm going to be in a venturous warrior and go outside and hit the barn on 10 AM with
Catching the 48
the real coffee. I just added another layer and put on my long johns. Well I walked up to 2448 after waiting
My Path to Bar None
maybe 30 seconds. I was extremely lucky on that one. Now I hope to catch the 57 bus on time
A Fellow SEPTA Passenger
to actually make this meeting on time at 10:00 AM. Where walked from fourth and market to fourth and Locust when the 57 showed up at 9:53 AM. I got to fourth and South 9:55 AM. I'll probably make it just as
4th and South

In the Morning
the meeting starts. I grabbed a route 40 bus which help me get here by    9:58 AM. 11:06 AM & there's
Collage of Snow
been a change of plans for 1 o'clock. I now I'm going to try to get my haircut done since and out of time.
Cute Pup
I'm at milk and honey in the playing everything from Foreigner to the cars. It seems to be classic rock
4th & Lombard
thing for the young girls to play behind the counter. I'm having a banana banana bread and OJ and I'm
Milk & Honey
gonna play in this blog until I hear if I can get a haircut done today at the chop shop. There are people
A Scene

from the meeting and a couple yuppies talking while I type and wait. Some guy is sharing his adventures of
Life Begins
adopting a child from woman with a harsh economic background. And the procreation continues.
Talking Adoption
Him and his boyfriend to get the kids. The pregnant woman nearby said to the nice white man: "You will make a great father." I leaned that children of trans-racial families are more likely to have teenage pregnancy.  Well I am gonna have
At Chop Shop
to get out of here. I really had enough of this conversation. I left my my earphones at work. GOOD NEWS.
2nd and Fitzwater
I have a haircut apt in 20 minutes. When I got my haircut done promptly and then a friend who lives at 2nd
Helping A Friend
 & Fitzwater Streets.  She asked me to help her little bit with moving stuff out of the moving van that she has from the U-Haul. I also I'm
My Friend's Moving Van
going to meet somebody at 4P 4:30 PM at the Chestnut Hill coffee shop which is right at the end of the Chestnut Hill local. It's a balmy 16° outside as of 2:30 PM. I'm in the van waiting for my friend to get her vapor pipe fixed at lovey on fourth Street. Meanwhile snow is on the way. We're in the area of the 3 to 6 inch variety which will fall tomorrow
Snow is Coming
afternoon and evening I believe. She's bringing her son there as well. Well I got to the train station in
4th Street
plenty of time. Well I'm now at the Jefferson Station formally called market east. I am waiting for the
Driving North on 3rd
3:45 PM Chestnut hill west local to the end of the line. I'm going to call Larry pretty soon to let them
Going To Jefferson Station
know what the story is here. I expect I can be back by 6pm depending on the train coming back. I found
Chillin and Chargin
a plug here at the Jefferson Station to charge my phone. It's now 23%. It's 3:49 PM now we are leaving
Getting Ready
suburban station. It's still pretty cold out there and I'm looking forward to going somewhere I never
Route to Chestnut Hill
go which is Chestnut Hill. The fact that the train is right next to the coffee shop is a real bonus for me. I
Warm and Comfy
think I'll call Larry now. I'm also glad the wind died down since it's going to stay below 20° for the remainder of the
Add caption
day. Wow! I got a really nice view of the Schyukill  & the art museum in the window of the train. I think
A View from 30th Street
I got a good one and posted on Facebook. Well I met at the Chestnut Hill coffee. Actually walked
Going to Germantown Ave

by the place it's very subtly blending in with the rest of the stores there. It was very drafty and cold but
Arriving at Coffee Shop
we had good conversation. And talked about different things she is a massage therapist now but
Pizza Shop
she was in TV programming it one    point. Anyhow I went to a local pizza place and got a slice and some pomegranate lemonade
Coffee Shop Closes at 6pm
. Couldn't stand long since the train was skipped to leave at 6:23 PM. I think I'll get off at 11th and then go
Catching the 6:23 Train
to Larry's. Yes the Netflix marathon going on. He also has a fireplace. So I want eat my slice up and drink up my Lemonaide Pomigranite Jucie ASAP.
Back to Center City
It is now 12° outside as of 6:31 PM we are at the Carpenters Lane station. Back the politics for a minute Republican-controlled diamond legislature is again proposing to about was the state store system.
Snack on the Train
 http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2015/02/if_you_thought_obamacare_was_c.html   It all sounds nice but they've never been able to do it even when they controlled all three
Blogging on the Train
branches of government in Pennsylvania. Now this local political hack they only May is saying that liquor privatization is complex. Let's see. I just got to Larry's and was watching 60 Minutes about Bradley Cooper who is favored to win an Oscar for "American
At Larry's
Sniper". I was browsing the Meetup group called Philadelphia Bloggers. I saw this boomer blogger. She is quite well-off is a lawyer who married a doctor. She like to to lots of activities. She has a son who also writes a blog and has travaled all over a the world and
Market Frankford EL
about that. Its now 6:53 and we are just leaving 30th Street Statiion.
2nd and Market
A Good Marrage

Getting Ready for Spring

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Privatization: A Bill of Goods!

US_Attorney_Chris_Christie.jpg‎ cropped as squ...Image via Wikipedia
Today I am going to comment on the news of the day. I can find my camera adapter and its very early in the morning.
I read that NJ is going to end motor vehicle safety inspectionsand just do emissions testing. Are we going to see savings in taxes? Where is the 17 Million our money going to go to?? A good point  to be made is  the cost of auto maintenance. Folks who barley can afford their cars are going to skimp on repairs and guess what drive on OUR streets. Oh yes, watch the insurance companies hike rates. Yup, penny-wise and pound foolish I say.
The Christie Administration wants to privatize more state servicesto save 210 million.
A New Jersey task force created by Gov. Chris Christie said Friday the state could save at least $210 million a year by privatizing motor vehicle inspections, turnpike toll booths, preschools, state parks and some services at state prisons.

The five-member task force, commissioned in March to examine the potential savings of privatization, submitted a 57-page report to the governor. The group is made up of lobbyists and business interests.
Now, we seem to hear the wonderful savings and efficiencies that come with privatization. Note the quote above mentions that the group charged with writing the report is made up of LOBBYISTS and BUSINESS INTERESTS! They stand to gain big time on any privatization scheme that passes. We all remember what happened when Governor Christie Whitman did this in 1998 with motor vehicle
inspections and the whole plan had to be scrapped due to cost overruns that cost the TAXPAYER millions. This report by the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation shows what does happen when privatization goes wrong. The proposed "savings" will line the pockets of the business lobbyists and the any savings will cease to exist due to lax oversight. This is a history of poor results with privatization. Another blogger explains it quite nicely:

But doing it “right” does not mean firing state workers and employing a private company to do the same job with lower-paid (and most likely less qualified) employees while the politically-connected contractor skims off a handsome profit at the taxpayers’ expense. Since the contractor is accountable to shareholders and not voters, steps must be taken to ensure that the taxpayers’ interests are being addressed appropriately. This requires oversight and insight by qualified and empowered state employees. That cost must be included in the equation when considering privatization.
The New Jersey Legislature MUST take a steely-eyed look at ANY proposal to follow though on these recommendations. They are the folks with the obligation to watch our tax dollars and not sell out to the highest bidder.
The recent decision on emission is short-sighted and so is the Governor's proposals.

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