Privatizing Civic Services

As a cost-cutting measure to reduce civic expenses, Ward Sutherland is proposing a plan to privatize 25% of the waste removal program. Allowing the public sector to perform civic services usually reduces cost at first, however, it seems that greed manages to enterprise a way to inflate expenses. To keep the public sector in line the civic services need to be governed strictly in a fair competitive manner.  

Having civic services performed by the public sector in some cases have worked out quite well, as with privatizing the cleaning and maintenance of CTrain stations saving the city $2.7 million a year. In order to create a sustainable economy, there is a need for civic and public sectors to work together for the greater good and not for excessive profit, each supporting the other. Services could be divided into smaller groups allowing smaller businesses to participate and preventing larger companies monopolizing the civic services.

The city could benefit financially by privatizing the money-losing city-owned golf courses. They should help local entrepreneurs obtain leases on them. The private sector can then run them profitably and the city will also make money with the lease. Definitely a Win-Win situation.

All forms of government need to restructure commerce towards a local Sustainable Circular Economy. 

The entire waste and recycling program needs to be expanded locally. The government should create local recycled material manufacturing plants, again leased to entrepreneurs. Build local glass manufacturing plants to take recycle glass and turn into bottles for local breweries. Having a local plastic remanufacturing plant could produce all types of plastic products for local consumption. Local remanufacturing saves money and the environment.

Unfortunately, with privatizing civic services many safeguards are needed to prevent the system from collapsing. Aside from cost savings, with proper controls in place, the private sector can provide support with a stronger local economy, create additional employment opportunities, and provide better service.

To create a comfortable sustainable lifestyle society needs to inform the governments that they should build and govern the local economic infrastructure giving the public sector to run it. Make the M.A.D. Move and encourage the privatizing of civic services and the development of a Sustainable Circular Economy.