Tag: privatize

Republicans Take Different Tact to Privatize Pennsylvania Liquor Sales

The Center Square
man standing next to wine bottles, wearing a mask

Lawmakers are set to discuss legislation next week to privatize liquor sales in Pennsylvania through a constitutional amendment.

State Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny, introduced House Bill 2272 on Friday to privatize Pennsylvania’s state run liquor stores through a constitutional amendment that cannot be vetoed.

The General Assembly passed legislation in 2016 to privatize the sale of wine and spirits, but the legislation was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf. Pennsylvania is one of only two states with a government monopoly on liquor sales, and the only state in the nation to shut down sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mihalek wrote in a legislative memo accompanying the bill.

Read the full story

Tennessee Star/Triton Poll: Briley On-Street Parking Meter Privatization Plan Very Unpopular with Nashville Voters

Admin

  A plan proposed by Mayor David Briley to privatize on-street parking meters in Nashville, which would include higher fines for parking violations, elimination of most free parking times, and expand meters into additional neighborhoods, is extremely unpopular according to a new Tennessee Star/Triton poll. The Briley plan is currently on hold after a lawsuit led to a court order delaying the implementation. 550 Likely Nashville voters were asked their opinion of the Briley parking meter privatization plan: Mayor David Briley has proposed a plan to privatize on-street parking meters in Nashville. Would you be more or less likely to support Briley’s plan to privatize on-street Nashville parking meters if it increases parking fees and fines and also de-creases free parking times and spaces? 7.3% were more likely to support such a plan, 83.1 less likely, 7.2% said it would make no difference, and only 2.4% were unsure. The survey also indicates that 77.1% would want the Metro Council to reject such a plan, while only 10% supported it. Ultimately the Metro Council would have to approve or reject the Briley plan. Perhaps more importantly, the issue could have a severe negative impact on Briley’s bid for reelection in August.…

Read the full story

Trump Administration Proposes Privatizing the Postal System

Admin
postal worker

by Brittany Hunter   Last week, the Trump administration unveiled a proposal to privatize the United States Postal Service (USPS). The plan comes as part of a broader initiative to trim and reorganize the federal government. And given its track record of waste and inefficiency, the USPS is a great place to start cutting the fat. “USPS’s current model is unsustainable. Major changes are needed in how the Postal Service is financed and the level of service Americans should expect from their universal service operator,” the White House’s new proposal reads. The plan goes on to say that the administration plans to “fix” the post office before beginning the process of privatization. “USPS privatization through an initial public offering (IPO) or sale to another entity would require the implementation of significant reforms prior to sale to show a possible path to profitability.” In terms of “fixing” the post office before taking it out of the hands of the government, the Trump administration has proposed reassessing the USPS’s ties with labor unions. This would give the new owners of the post office more freedom to set wages and provide benefits that are economically realistic. The document reads: “Freeing USPS to more fully negotiate…

Read the full story