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If it ain't broke, privatize it In the wake of a triumphant election that has arguably given Republicans a fresh mandate to challenge the liberal waste and government glut, President George W. Bush is wasting no time putting the federal government on the road to efficiency. Last week, he announced his plan to open up 850,000 federal jobs to private competition in order to save money and increase efficiency. Bush aims to ensure the lowest costs for a variety of jobs he defined as "commercial" and not "inherently governmental." But union leaders, who are already fighting Bush on the issue of unionization in the Homeland Security Department, were infuriated by this apparent attack on one of the last strongholds of American unionism. Bobby Harnage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, told the New York Times the plan "is not about saving money, it's about moving money to the private sector." The timing of Bush's decision begs such criticism. While administration officials deny political rewards are being given, it is difficult to overlook the implications of the decision. Immediately after a successful election, the administration is selling contracts to possible corporate donors, which could encourage more donations to Republicans from said corporations. Anticipating protest from Washington liberals, the administration said it plans to accomplish this task without enacting new legislation. And, with across-the-board savings estimated (by Karl Rove, Bush's chief strategist) at 20 to 30 percent, the White House seems to think that there is little risk involved. But the recent history of privatization is far from perfect. Just last spring the Education Department discovered that a contractor had stolen $6.6 million in student loan interest payments it had collected. Also, internal critics say it is difficult for the government to control the quality of service once a job has been privatized. Despite the outcry, the privatization of these jobs promises the administration perfect cover from two problems: despite looming budget deficits and the threat of a costly war in Iraq, Bush is determined to implement more tax cuts without cutting politically volatile programs like social security and Medicare; also, Bush is being pressured by conservatives to decrease the size of government after the creation of the enormous Homeland Security Department. Though the money spent on the jobs represented here only constitutes two percent of the federal budget, this decision is bound to take some pressure off the administration while allowing for a cycle of favorable trade between the White House and corporate contractors. And favorable trade is good trade, right? -ALEX PROVAN Next year in Jerusalem On Wednesday, Mayor of Haifa Amram Mitzna became the de facto chairman of Israel's liberal Labor Party and the next candidate for Prime Minister by a margin of 54 to 37 percent. Even though Mitzna was leading in the polls, he had assumed an underdog status because of the heft of his political opponent, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, former head of the Labor Party and former Minister of Defense. Follow this: members of the Labor Party resigned from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's coalition over a budget disagreement related to the rapidly expanding Israeli settlements in disputed territories. Unable to form a coalition government that could pass a budget to aid Israel's ailing economy, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had to call for elections in 2003. Mitzna is a former general who battled the first Palestinian intifada in the West Bank. This experience turned him into a liberal dove, whose campaign platform includes plans to dismantle the vast majority of Israeli settlements and open peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, whether there is new leadership or not. News of his election as the Labor Party chairman didn't go above the fold because polls indicate that Sharon will defeat former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (named Minister of Defense by Sharon on Nov. 5) in the Likud primary on Nov. 28 and go on to beat Mitzna handily in a general election on January 28. The people of Israel are divided; they want security from the terrorism of the Second Intifada, yet are worried that the actions of the conservative coalition that will likely take power are locking Israel into a permanent occupation. Unless Mitzna transcends party politics and is embraced by the people of Israel-like past Labor leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Golda Meir-he and the Labor Party may be unable to convince Israel that the future could hold any possibility of a two-state solution. -ALEX CARNEVALE |
copyright © 2002, The College
Hill Independent
last updated 11 22 02
James deBoer, Soul Brother #1, gets on up, gets into it, and gets involved about