To Privatize?
A story just out that really lacks detail but was enough to give me pause concerns Christie’s foray into privatization.
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie is looking at ways to privatize jobs to save money as he tries to find to plug a projected $11 billion budget deficit for the 2011 fiscal year.
I am in favor of the aggressive stance Chris has been taking on cutting slashing spending in almost every area of government. The knee-jerk reactionaries are screaming when his axe comes near their pet expenditure, but I would much rather see them diligently work to cut unnecessary spending rather than scream that they are victims.
This state is in a mess, and Chris can point to Corzine, who will point to McGreasey, who will point to the other Christy. Face it, both parties have been complicit in this train wreck that we call the New Jersey economy. It is going to take some aggressive action and oinnovative thinking to fix the problem. However, a word of caution when it comes to privatization.
Whitman privatized the motor vehicle inspection, awarding the contract to an inept and corrupt company that also was too closely associated with her for comfort. The required motor vehicle inspection in New jersey is a disaster – you can expect to be abused by arrogant employees, forced to endure an eternity waiting in line, and you can possibly fail inspection (as I was) for something that is not even broke on your car because the person doing the inspection is unfit for any but the most menial of employment.
Compare this to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle offices such as Vineland, NJ were the work flow is streamlined, the employees are pleasant and friendly (not to mention knowledgeable) and most tasks will have you in and out in less than 15 minutes (unless you are a stoo-nod and decide to renew your license on the last day of the month).
These examples are proof that privatization is not the answer in every case. We must be looking not only at the dollar savings, but the inconvenience factor to taxpayers – my time is worth more than whatever savings can be conjured by taking the motor vehicle offices back to the 70′s when any trip for any purpose, no matter how simple, entailed a two hour ordeal with nasty people behind the counter that hated working there as much as you hated having to go there.
