Oppose Privatization? Begin By Fighting Local Public/Private Partnerships

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With a theme of rampant crony capitalism and swamp expansion soon to be trickling down from the soon-to-be-inaugurated Unpresident Trump, this may be the beginning of a marching privatization of public common areas through applied incrementalism of so-called "public-private partnerships."

In a long line of privatization attempts expected out of Janesville over the next few years, privatization advocates are now eyeballing Dawson Field, a well-maintained publicly-funded sports facility on Beloit Avenue in Janesville.

According to a story in the Janesville Gazette, rightwing engineers on city committees feel the park has suddenly become a burden so heavy on city taxpayers to operate, that they claim a "partnership" is needed. All under the guise of saving taxpayers money.

But much like when the city council sold out taxpayers on the Janesville Ice Arena, no business person would want full privatization to actually own the Ice Arena or Dawson Park, pay fair market property taxes on it, pay for snow plowing, landscaping, insurance or the water utility bills necessary to keep the field green. And why should they when "connecteds" in city hall will socialize those losses onto taxpayers and privatize the profits onto their friends.

As a principled blogger, I have always been opposed to public/private partnerships of most every kind as they blur the lines between the constitutional rules of responsible government and the lawless immorality of capitalism. To put it mildly, public/private partnerships are local basketcases of crony capitalism.

So if anyone in Janesville or Rock County would like to fight against privatization efforts, you need not go to another state or region of Wisconsin to do it. It's festering right here in good 'ol boy Janesville.

But let me warn you. It's the seventh inning and we're already down by five runs.