Why not sell our Roads and Bridges to corporations, and privatize the Police and Fire Department? Good? Bad?

Answer 1

Wonderful Idea. Since the Govt (The People of the US) owns all that the money would go to the Government which would then continue to waste it.

But have you asked yourself - who would maintain all these roads and bridges? How would this great cost be paid for? Who would build new highways and bridges as necessary to enlarge, improve, replace and make new? Who would pay for it. Where would the Billions of $$ come from.

As for the police - Sure, Privatize them as was done some years ago. Who would pay for them? Who would pay for training, equipment, buildings, retirement funds, insurance and such? More important, police have a lot of power. How would you control them? Theyare already riven with corruption in many major cities and prisons. What is your grans plan to overse people who are given absolute power to arrest you at the slightest pretext? Absolutely power leads to absolute corruption.

Fire - Well, they are a different sort. But once again you must consider who will pay for the repair, replacement and maintenance of the very specialized and expensive equipment, Training, salaries, insurance, retirement and all the other expenses of people who make their living by fighting fires set by carelessness and stupidity.

So you see that today, all these services are paid for by taxes. A few $$ from each taxpayer adds up to a lot of money to pay for the people and equipment necessaryt o provide these services. Can you imagine the cost that you would have to pay in tolls if the roads and bridges were put in private hands. And - where would these new "Owners" get the money to buy them, much less keep them running?

You know what happened to the costs of electricity and phone service when government controls were eliminated and AT&T was broken up by idiot Kennedy? Just like Superman - Up, Up and awayyyyy.....

No - no one has the money to buy the interstate road system. Even if they did, they would have to impose enormous tolls to keep them running. Where all taxpayers help pay for the highway system, with a toll road, only those who use it pay. The cost would be enormous.

Not practical. And, where profits are concerned with apublic corporation, the quality of service would fall before profits were sacrificed. Remember that at one time the railroads were all privately owned. then they became public corporations, half of them went out of business and the rest are government supported. How is that for private ownership of vital services?

Answer 2

1. Good idea on selling our roads and bridges to
Corporations.
2. Not a very good idea on privatizing the Police or Fire Departments!
I think the idea of the roads and bridges have been experimented with in some places!!

Answer 3

For profit police and fire services are a bad idea. Imagine if the police were to be run like a business. I don't want to think about all the fines we could be subject to just to improve the bottom line. Also, how about if we just let some properties burn, say maybe yours, because having men on standby is expensive and your home might be far enougfh away from others to be a small risk. for profit government services mean less service and poor performance. You shouldn't be worried about government health care, the government runs a very successful medical plan right now that we all will be on one day. Its called medicare. Our grandparents and parents all enjoy benefits they worked for and could only receive thru a large government sized program. Plus if you remove oversight, maybe these businesses could be just as successful as the banks have been that were unregulated. The economy has proven what a bad idea that was. Government is the best solution for large, common problems that require action without having the term profit come in and take away the very thing they are trying to provide.

Answer 4

Bad idea. Where's the accountability if that police or fire department doesn't do it's job or that construction company builds a faulty bridge? Privatization of community services would lead to greater corruption, higher costs, and no control over the quality. Would you want your police protection to be solely profit based? We've seen a glimpse of the nightmare of privatizing these services in Iraq. No thanks.

Answer 5

As a firefighter, I believe that all residents/businesses are entititled to the same amount of fire protection no matter location, income, status, etc... To privatize Police/Fire Departments would place more protection in the "affluent" communities and far less protection in the so called "poor" communities which would be unfair to those residents and businesses.

Answer 6

Some services are not applicable to a simple "for profit" entity.
For instance, if you were to set up your own fire department for profit - you know, all of the equipment and training for a complete crew which necessarily would entail 24/7 service, 365 days a year. What would you have to charge for answering a fire call when you haven't had a call in more than a week? Better we shift this protection to the public for which it serves, eh?

Answer 7

Not police and fire, but I don't think any private company could do any worse with roads and bridges.

Answer 8

Bad ideal, the services are critical and must remain in the public (government) sector, privatizing them would lead to a despairing level of service based upon more affluent communities, and could lead to slower response,ineffectiveness, and could lead to lawlessness in already are hard to "tame" urban areas.

Answer 9

They have already started selling some roads to Australian corporations where they are place tolls on them.

Answer 10

Sure, all public assets should be sold off to corporate interests, and then provided only to those who can afford them.

How dare the working class who's endeavour made the rich richer, expect anything in return.

Public assets used to belong to the people, but where's the profit in that?