[LINK] selling the furniture-- in Detroit

[Jan Whitaker]

At 03:17 AM 28/12/2013, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
>* The overall verdict on privatisation from a consumer perspective is one
>of mixed success, with insufficient attention to consumer outcomes.
>
>* Governments are grappling with needs for a new or extended accountability
>model when monopoly business activities are privatised.
>
>* Governments should not be allowed to use privatisation as an expedient
>source of funds.

This reminds me of the old comeback in project advice to 
management:  quick, cheap, good - pick two. Only the situation re 
public ownership of assets is worse to solve because those making the 
decisions have drunk the 'business is the only good' kool-aid.

1. Consumers are subjects to be done to or with instead of being seen 
as the people who pay those decision-makers' salaries, either in 
government or as the multimillion dollar CEOs. Where the hell to they 
think their pay comes from? God? I just don't see the respect for 
their customers any more or else we wouldn't be treated so shabbily 
in this country. One of our constant complaints is poor service. It's 
no wonder people are buying off shore as much as possible. The 
support is much better than from the face to face contact in almost 
any shop you walk into nowadays.

Related article:
If the Private Sector Is So Great, Why Did UPS Botch Christmas? A 
corrective for market triumphalists
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116046/late-christmas-deliveries-ups-and-amazon-humble-private-sector
And has anyone read how wonderful Myer was with their Boxing Day 
online sale? Yeah, right.

2. Extending accountability is quite easy. It's called regulation. 
But here's where the business puppet problem comes into play. In the 
minds and out of the mouths of the current lot in charge, it's all 
about "tape". What's tape? Red or green? Those regulations are 
necessary to protect the commonwealth and the public. They aren't 
there to punish businesses, but from the way regulation is talked 
about, you'd think that's all it ever is. It's a bit rich for the 
conservative side of politics to complain about restricting progress. 
The mind boggles.

3. The last point about 'expedient source of funds' is a given. You 
can only sell the furniture once. Limited resources is another area 
for concern. As long as you have a lot of something, it appears that 
you have an infinite amount. Like air and water, or possibly iron ore 
and coal. But both can be spoiled or run out. So the key is to be 
good shepherds of those resources so that they remain usable and 
aren't wasted.

Which reminds me of a recent major forward looking infrastructure 
project for which the former state govt here in Vic was crucified: 
the desal plant. Care to think when a major project like that will 
ever get the green light again? No, me either.


Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com

Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how 
do you fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space.
~Margaret Atwood, writer

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