Quote Originally Posted by Detroitnerd View Post
The city collects taxes from the people to perform services. The city performs the services. That is how government is supposed to run.
The city PROVIDES the services. Whether it provides them by using city employees or it provides them through a contract is immaterial except that the services should be provided by the most cost effective means.

"Privatization" is a scheme whereby a corporate boss is appointed to step in the middle, take some money, and then the taxpayer is cheated and the city worker has to make do with less. Services suffer, workers earn less, city infrastructure crumbles, while the corrupt are rewarded. This is the new corporate patronage system.
No, privatization need not be corrupt. There can be an honest contracting system where there are firm metrics, the contract is let, and the contractor performs as required by the contract.

But you don't mind that because of your existing bias against government and for private industry. So there you go. Privatization is legal graft.
Obviously, the federal and state taxpayers don't have to worry about building your "magic choo choo" up Woodward. The city can just have it built by those fabulously talented and energetic City of Detroit civil service workers. You wouldn't want to privatize the construction of something so near and dear to your heart.