Are there services that shouldn't be left to the private sector in your opinion?

Question

Thanks for the answers.Let's vote

Answer 1

I think privatization of all services should constantly be considered. Hopefully just the possibility of privatizing will help keep our local governments more efficient.

Answer 2

Anything that is a "natural monopoly" should be taken care of by the gov't. However, most of those services in the US have now been taken over by the private sector as they are no longer monopolies. The only thing in my area that isn't is water and trash pickup, which are controlled by municipalities, as the current infrastructure makes it impossible for there to be more than one entity controlling these services. Other services that were formerly controlled by muncipalities and are no longer are electric and phone service. Transportation is an interesting hybrid whereby local and state governments decide on where transportation needs to be built and improved and then they contract out the work to private companies in a bidding process. Other than these examples, I don't think anything should gov't controlled (including postal service--look at how FedEx and UPS have kicked the USPS's butt).
edit: Oh, and I completely spaced on security--police and military. I think the private sector could do a much better job with schools, however.

Answer 3

Tough call. The private sector is in business to make money, even if it means cutting corners. The public sector is often willing to invest in things that will just break even as long as they do a decent job. There are many social services--education, the prison system, etc.--which should be more concerned with doing things right, even if that means barely breaking even.

Answer 4

Health and safety inspections and enforcement. It's bad enough that large corporations can influence the government to get regulations relaxed, but if turned over to private industry, the only way anything would get enforced would be from injuries and fatalities, like in the Crandall Canyon coal mine in Utah. What a screw up.

Also law enforcement and fire protection. Those should be locally controlled and not forced to make a profit.

Answer 5

Total monopoly utility services, such as delivery of gas, water, electricity, sewer which involve one connection to each house although purchase of the source of these might vary (as it now does in Texas with regulated delivery and unregulated electric power.) The delivery of phone, cable, fiber optics and WIFI is more controversial, but I don't like the way things are shaping up with big money cable and phone blocking city owned wifi.

Answer 6

Anything that could be a significant risk to national security (such as .. oh .. say transporting plutonium)

other than that.. the private sector should have the ability to compete in all fields.. including space travel (something that has been a debate in the past few years)

Answer 7

Yes. There are certain things the "free market" and private groups simply can't handle, including:

Schools
Homeland security
Libraries
Healthcare
Public parks
Etc., etc.

Answer 8

security, as private security can suck, and is often easily penetrated. National security should be left to the government

Answer 9

department of defense, public safety forces......I dont think its in the public interest to have profit motives creep into those

Answer 10

Yeah, the military. If fact it shouldn't be led by silly politicians either.