I'll go Pádraig one better on why privatization does not always work out the
way the bean counters hope.
Nearly a decade ago I was working on a project for the NJ State Archives,
working out of the NJ State Records Center. While we were there we got to
know the housekeeping staff very well. Very nice people. Hard working,
honest, decent everyday folks. They were always around with a smile and some
friendly chit-chat while we all did our things.
Then the State got it into their heads that the best way to save money was
to privatize certain functions.
Housekeeping was among them. we found that out one day when we got into work
and noticed some familiar faces were missing. A few days later we noticed
some new faces doing what the old faces had been doing. But things were much
different as we quickly began to notice.
The first thing we noticed was that only one person on the new housekeeping
staff spoke English. All the rest seemed to orbit around her.
Then we noticed that not only did they not acknowledge us, they wouldn't
look us in the eye or even smile.
They also seemed to scurry away when someone came into a room in which they
were working.
We thought it was all quite weird, but other than that, "to each his own."
they did their jobs, we did our jobs.
After about two months or so if this, we noticed another big change.
We walked in one morning and saw a few old familiar faces. The old
housekeeping staff was back, and the new folks were nowhere to be seen.
We found out later what happened. The "successful" vendor was staffing their
job sites mostly with undocumented aliens. From what we understood, the
vendor had been under investigation since shortly after getting the
contract, and most of their housekeeping staffers had been rounded up in an
INS sweep.

Privatization is only as good as the reputability of the vendor and its
employees.

Scott D. Peters
"Will do history for food..."
Historically Speaking
ALHFAM -FPIPN vice-chair for trivia, errata and miscellany
[log in to unmask]

"The ordinary distinctions in society are often vague, and imply no just
pre-eminence: rank and titles are
adventitious things and instead of designating merit or virtue, are
frequently the baubles of imbecility, or
the sparkling decorations of meretricious pageantry"

William Griffith, on behalf, and by order of the New-Jersey Society for
promoting the gradual Abolition
of Slavery, Twelfth Month (December) 20th, 1803
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pádraig Linskey" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 11:59 PM
Subject: Re: Update on National Park Service Archaeology


> Hello Tim, On Friday, August 01, 2003 at 06:54:55, you wrote:
>
> >There are Tim many government resources which are overseen and run very
> >efficiently to high standards by private contractors or work undertaken
> >by private consultants, usually (and hopefully) with greater cost
> >savings.
>
> I find this incredible. "Privatization" does not ensure efficiency, high
> standards and lower cost. Not only is this belied by the incredible
> corruption and inefficiencies in government contracting, but it is
> downright insulting to many hard working, talented and efficient
> government employees.
>
> Handing over government services and activities quite often is nothing
> more than a subterfuge for lining the pockets of private citizens.
>
> Boeing, Halliburton, cost overruns, $500.00 screws,....  And from my
> experience and observation, "consulting" is one of the bigger
> boondoggles.  Hiring consultants rates right up there with creating
> "task forces".
>
> Instead of canning a few archaeologists how about trimming the fat in
> the military-corporate area?
>
> Nope, I don't work for any governmental entity now nor have I in the
> past, unless mandatory military service counts.
>
> Sure, there may be efficient and honest contractors and consultants
> doing government work, but so too are there efficient and honest
> government employees.
>
>
> --
> Regards,
> Pádraig

=========================================================
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