HIGHLIGHTS
- Social Security Privatization
- The Privatization of Everything: The Video
- Holy Water: Pope Francis on Water Privatization
JUMP: EDUCATION | INFRASTRUCTURE | PUBLIC SERVICES | THE REST
First, the Good News
1) National: “Even if we take President Trump at his word,” writes In the Public Interest Executive Director Donald Cohen, “that he will not privatize Social Security, it’s not out of the question that he could create the conditions that would make privatizing the popular program attractive. How? By making the program a lot less popular. In my book The Privatization of Everything, I wrote that privatizing Social Security would place vulnerable Americans at the mercy of the market (and if one is looking for what could possibly go wrong with placing America’s retirement funds in the stock market, the last couple of months is what). As I said in the book, ‘The privatization boosters seem to either have short memories that magically exclude the last recession or believe that an average rate of return means that everyone will actually get that rate of return. In fact, some retirees will win in a privatized Social Security system, and some will lose spectacularly. On the other hand, there are always stockbrokers, money managers, and assorted middlemen in these Social Security privatization schemes. They will always win.”
2) National: Dasia Sade has produced an excellent 75-minute video on “The Privatization of Everything” that draws upon research by In the Public Interest and Donald Cohen’s book of the same title. “If you’ve ever paid to park at a public park, this one’s for you. Shall we yap about the hollowing out of America? What happens when your water, schools, prisons, and even democracy itself get put up for sale? In this video, we explore the Privatization of Everything—how public goods in the U.S. have been quietly handed over to private interests, and why that transformation has made your life more expensive, less fair, and harder to navigate. From public education to the Texas power grid, from water in Flint to for-profit healthcare—we break down how we got here, who’s benefiting, and what it means to be a consumer citizen in late-stage capitalism.”
0:00 – Intro: The Last Free Thing in America 2:21 – Part One: What Is a Public Good? 7:06 – Part Two: A Very Brief History of Privatization 11:50 – Part Three: The Rise of the Consumer Citizen 15:58 – Part Four: Public-Private Takeover 50:36 – Part Five: The Slow Coup 1:04:06 – Are all PPP Bad? Case Study 1:10: 25 – Conclusion: The Price of Selling Ourselves
3) National: Worth Rises, the national organization opposing prison privatization, informs us via email that they will be heading to Los Angeles and Miami to discuss their new book, The Prison Industry: How It Works and Who Profits by Bianca Tylek, and “more events are coming to a city near you! Check out our event calendar to stay in the loop, and if you’re interested in hosting a book event in your city, let us know—we’re here for it!”
4) National: ProPublica reports that “ICE Air Has a New Contractor. This State Is Asking How It Will Protect the Detainees on Board.” The state is Connecticut, whose attorney general “sent his second warning in a month to the low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines, telling the startup it has jeopardized tax breaks and other local support by agreeing to conduct deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (…) In an April 3 email to Avelo employees obtained by ProPublica and other publications, CEO Andrew Levy called the deportation contract “too valuable not to pursue” at a time when his startup was losing money and consumer confidence was declining, leading Americans to take fewer trips. Avelo would close one of its bases, in Sonoma County, California, and move certain flight routes to off-peak days as resources shifted to ICE Air. Deportation flights would be based out of Mesa, Arizona, and would begin in May.”
5) International: Pope Francis underscored the human right to water, and objected to water privatization in an encyclical. “In a section entitled ‘The Issue of Water,’ the leader of the Catholic Church wrote: ‘Even as the quality of available water is constantly diminishing, in some places there is a growing tendency, despite its scarcity, to privatize this resource, turning it into a commodity subject to the laws of the market. Yet access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights.’”
6) International: Europe has generated more electricity from wind than natural gas for the first time. “This shift marks a significant step toward a renewable-powered grid, driven by record wind power installations, declining fossil fuel use, and strong policy support across the continent.”
7) International: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is holding a discussion tomorrow on the role of AI and digitalization at work and its health and safety implications. “AI and digital tools are revolutionizing occupational safety and health. Today, robots are operating in hazardous environments, doing the heavy lifting, managing toxic materials and working in extreme temperatures. They take on repetitive and monotonous tasks, while digital devices and sensors can detect hazards early on. At the same time, in the absence of adequate OSH measures, digital technologies can lead to accidents, ergonomic risks, work intensification, reduced job control and blurred boundaries.” Watch the event here (7:30-9:00 EDT).
8) National: This Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a crucial case concerning the separation of church and state in Oklahoma with national implications. The Washington Post ‘s George Will says the case “could stall the charter school movement.” Will writes, “ None of the 45 states with charter schools has religious ones, and many leading advocates of charters oppose bringing religious schools into their ranks. This is understandable, given the fierce historical disputes that still simmer in America, disputes that might derail the charter movement. Michael J. Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Stanford’s Hoover Institution anticipates years of litigation unless the high court, while siding with St. Isidore, simultaneously answers numerous thorny questions: ‘The main one is whether religious charter schools will be allowed to prioritize members of their faith when admitting students. (Charter schools generally have to take all comers and hold a lottery if oversubscribed.) Also, will they be allowed to exclude children or families that don’t abide by their values, including LGBTQ students or families? Could they hire only adherents to their religion as teachers and other staff?’”
To listen in live, check the Court’s Oral Arguments Audio page on Wednesday morning.
As the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments this week about the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school in Oklahoma, allowing such schools to avoid the requirements of public schools, The Raw Story reports a Catholic school in Portland, Oregon, has permanently expelled a fourth-grade student who had complained to school authorities that he was called a racial slur. “The parents of a Black student in Oregon who reported being called a racial slur asked the school principal what she planned to do about the incident — and she called police and expelled the son, according to a report.”
9) National: Writing in The Hechinger Report, Anya Kamenetz reports that teachers and states are stepping up to keep climate change education alive as the federal government defunds it. “This past fall, at an event in New York City’s National Museum of the American Indian, a packed room of educators and federal employees applauded the release of a document titled “Climate Literacy: Essential Principles for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change.” The 52-page document, released at Climate Week NYC, laid out principles for improving young people’s understanding of the science, skills and aptitudes required to address this fast-moving global challenge—including ‘hope’ and ‘urgency.’ Frank Niepold of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) told The Hechinger Report at the time that he hoped it would be widely adopted by states and even internationally. ‘We’re not just talking to classroom teachers,’ he said. ‘This is for every kind of educator, every kind of communicator and all the decision makers.’ In April, the Trump administration defunded the lead federal program that put out the guide, the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Many of the other agencies that worked on it, including NOAA, have also been decimated by staffing cuts. And the guide itself has been taken down from its government URL, leaving nothing but an error message.” [The document has been archived here].
10) National: On her Have You Heard podcast, Jennifer Berkshire looks at the long term effects of shrinking education budgets. Economist Michael Hicks “makes the case that Indiana has pursued a series of disastrous policy choices over the past decade, including slashing spending on K-12 schools and higher education, expanding school choice (while cutting school spending), and preparing kids for the jobs of the past.”
11) National: According to the Center for Media and Democracy, KIPP Charter Schools concealed $52 million in unexplained expenses. “A Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) review of KIPP’s fiscal year 2023 IRS filings reveals that its schools in the U.S. reported more than $52 million in unexplained spending under the category ‘all other expenses.’ ‘The lack of transparency in charter schools and their [management organizations] invites profiteering, grift, and fraud,’ said Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education.”
12) National: President Trump has signed an executive order to bring artificial intelligence into U.S. education. “The challenge will also promote collaboration between government and academic sectors, as well as philanthropic and industry partners. The order also noted that the administration will announce public-private partnerships to expand access to AI education on a rolling basis as they are formed.”
13) California: In a news release, San Diego Unified has announced that its school system reaffirms its commitment to community schools. “San Diego Unified’s Community Schools program continues its expansion with the addition of 10 schools set to launch for the 2025-26 school year.
“Community Schools are existing public schools that organize school and community resources around holistic student success. While each Community School is different based on the unique needs and input of its students, families, and surrounding neighborhoods, examples of current services and supports the District has provided to various existing Community Schools include:
- Additional tutoring services
- Rooms converted into wellness centers
- Food markets and pantries
- Clothing closets consisting of new and gently-used clothing
- Sports teams
- Campus meeting spaces
- Adult English classes for non-native speakers
- Dental clinic.”
14) Texas: Private school vouchers head to Abbott’s desk to become law, the Texas Tribune reports. The law “would initially put $1 billion over a two-year period in taxpayer dollars toward education savings accounts that families could use for private school tuition and other school-related expenses, like textbooks, transportation and therapy. Notably, up to 20% of the program could go to wealthier families who earn 500% or more of the poverty rate, which would be about $160,000 or more for a family of four.”
15) National: USA Today reports that “the Trump administration is preparing to dramatically escalate the number of private contractors it uses to help track, manage, detain and deport people living illegally in the United States, with an eye-popping potential price tag of more than $45 billion over the next several years.” Regarding physical infrastructure, “while ICE has long used private contractors to supplement its work, Trump’s new approach reflects a massive expansion in both staff and facilities. ICE’s current budget is $9.6 billion, with about 41,000 detention beds. ICE reported holding nearly 48,000 people in detention in mid-April.” This will rapidly expand with the full participation of the private, for-profit prison and detention companies. “ICE says it’s willing to spend up to $45 billion to add those extra beds. Private prison contractors including CoreCivic have seen their stock prices soar as a result. ‘This is essential for them to carry out the mass deportations they promised or threatened, depending on your perspective,’ said Prof. Michael Kagan, who runs the Immigration Clinic at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas law school, which provides free legal help to people facing deportation. ‘They’re talking about an almost-unfathomable increase in funding.’”
16) National: Military.com reports that the U.S. Army is looking toward a major expansion of privatized housing. “The approach to privatized barracks in the previous administration was tepid, given that many of the housing companies the Army currently does business with are often embroiled in scandals, but that effort may expand. Reports of mold, rodent infestations, outdated plumbing and faulty wiring have plagued privatized military homes, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers and military families. The pilot project for privatized barracks at Fort Irwin is being built by the Michaels Organization. In 2023, Military.com reported that the Michaels Organization, which manages family housing at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, required military families to sign nondisclosure agreements as part of a settlement involving dangerous living conditions, including pest infestations and pervasive mold.”
17) California: The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power plans to price $993 million in power system revenue bonds this week as it deals with the fallout of the Palisades wildfire. “‘Given LADWP’s current situation, it’s reasonable to assume that it will pay a wider spread,’ said Matt Fabian, a partner at Municipal Market Analytics. Some of the spread widening stems from LADWP’s situation, and more from a market still recovering from the dislocations created by President Trump’s disjointed tariff policies. ‘We have had a flight to safety and a boatload of bonds coming to market, but a situation where the dealers are unable to carry as many bonds as before, because of the volatility,’ Fabian said. ‘Everything points to the bonds coming in wider.’”
18) Pennsylvania/New Jersey: EV owners are being charged a fee to make up for gas tax revenue, which supports roads and bridges. “New Jersey also began charging just EV owners a $250 road tax last summer. Plug-in hybrid owners in the Garden State are not charged. The tax will go up $10 a year. But buyers and leasees of new electric vehicles, beware: you will be required to shell out four years of the road tax up front, amounting to $1,060. Dealerships are required to collect at the time of registration.”
19) Pennsylvania: The PUC has opted for some transparency on the impact of hyperscale data centers and other large-load energy users on Pennsylvania’s electric grid, announcing a call for public comments to discuss the issues. “‘This issue represents both a challenge and an opportunity for our state,’ said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. ‘We are entering a time of extraordinary electricity demand growth, driven by AI, cloud computing, and other evolving technologies. As we move forward, the Commission is committed to thoughtful, transparent policymaking—and we look forward to reviewing the post-hearing comments and input from the public as we continue this important process.’”
20) Wyoming: The FAA has announced $8.25 million in grants for Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport in Rock Springs to modernize the airport terminal and upgrade the heating and cooling system. “For a fourth year, the FAA has made $1 billion available to U.S. airports through the Airport Terminal Program. To date, nearly $4 billion in ATP funding has been made available to airports across the country to upgrade and modernize terminal infrastructure. Airports receiving IJAA funds can use the money for airport planning, development, sustainability, terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and noise compatibility projects.”
21) National: Private prison companies are positioned to benefit from increased deportations, Open Secrets reports. “ICE recently posted calls for contract proposals worth up to $45 billion for multiple detention facilities “in compliance with the President’s Declaration of a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States and related Executive Orders.” A 250-page document obtained by the ACLU through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that both CoreCivic and GEO Group submitted proposals for facilities that are not currently operated by ICE. These included facilities in California, the Midwest and the Southwest. In the previous fiscal year the Department of Homeland Security allocated $3.4 billion to ICE’s custody operations.”
22) National/New Report: The Private Equity Stakeholders Project reports that “private equity firms continue to acquire nursing home facilities. This continues to pose significant risks to residents and workers due to profit-driven practices, high debt levels, and complex real estate transactions. Current estimates suggest that private equity firms own between 5% and 13% of U.S. nursing homes. (…) ‘Private equity firms are continuing to buy up nursing homes, and use profit-seeking strategies that can put residents at increased risk,’ said Michael Fenne, Senior Research & Campaign Coordinator, Healthcare for PESP. ‘These buyouts often result in unnecessary debt and reduced operating budgets for the nursing homes, and a shift away from a focus on well-being for residents. But a lack of transparency, along with complex ownership structures, make it difficult for the public to know the true scope of the problem.’”
23) National: The American Postal Workers Union has put out a fact sheet on “Myths and Facts about Postal Privatization.”
24) National/New Report: So what would happen if another pandemic struck? The Economic Policy Institute (EPI)’s current newsletter has some hard facts and statistics on how “the Trump administration is gutting our national public health infrastructure in real time, setting the stage for the next public health crisis. (…) The staff being cut provide critical services that help maintain our public health. CDC generates the information that American communities need to protect and promote their health, prevent disease and injury, and prepare for new health threats (like epidemics and pandemics). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of CDC specifically dedicated to studying worker health and safety, is facing a staff reduction of two-thirds. The FDA protects the public by ensuring that medical products, drugs, and our food supply are safe to use and consume, as well as providing the public with scientifically grounded health information. NIH is the nation’s medical research agency, with divisions that cover cancer, aging, drug abuse, and mental health, among many other research areas. CMS administers Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace to beneficiaries.”
25) National: Writing in Government Executive, Ron Sanders, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, an elected member of the American Society for Public Administration’s National Council, and a former Board member of the Senior Executives Association, has some advice on how good government organization should approach the current turmoil around public services. “They cannot take the view that every government employee, agency or program must be preserved at all costs (literally and figuratively). As I said, that does NOT mean that those organizations must be silent. No, they should not be quiet about the ‘how’ of it. Nor should they be silent about the longer-term implications for America’s public service. Indeed, I think it is their duty to speak for the practice of public administration. And that means that while they may accept what ‘We the People’ have said, they can and should provide their best advice as to how that can be more benignly achieved.”
27) Vermont: Burlington is considering privatizing curbside recycling. “City officials say they are continuing to receive feedback from the community. Under their current proposal, the city would contract with a couple of private haulers using solid waste generation tax funds to pick up recycling from residential units between 2026 and 2028. By 2029, they’d fully consolidate their trash recycling and compost pickup.”
26) National: Route Fifty reports that New York State Comptroller Thomas Di Napoli has “issued a startling report early this month as he revealed that more guidance is needed for state agencies that use artificial intelligence. But it stands apart from other states dabbling with AI regulation, who have favored a less hands-on approach.” The in-depth Route Fiftypiece by Chris Teal, the managing editor, provides a rundown of how key states are approaching the issue.
28) National: Florida Phoenix reports that “researchers say moms and babies are ‘going to get hurt’ by federal pregnancy data team cuts.” Kelcie Moseley-Morris writes, “Norton-Cruz knows that because of data collected by Alaska’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)— a grantee of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s PRAMS program, started in 1987 in an effort to reduce infant morbidity and mortality. But earlier this month, the Trump administration cut the federal program, its 17-member team and more workers in the Division of Reproductive Health as part of sweeping layoffs within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rita Hamad, associate professor at Harvard School of Public Health, said PRAMS helps researchers understand what kinds of state policies are improving or harming child health. ‘I can’t overemphasize what an important dataset this is and how unique it is to really show national trends and help us try to understand how to optimize the health of moms and young kids,’ Hamad said.”
29) National: “Labor Was Crucial in Building Public Health Institutions Trump Wants to Destroy,” say Joe Sexauer, Rita Valenti, and Rob Wallace. “Labor leaders past and present have insisted on expanding the scope of what constitutes health.”
- Unions Made Pandemic Plans Even Before COVID
- Educator Unions were on the Pandemic Front Line
- Unions are Preparing for Pandemics to Come
30) National “[F]alse claims by Elon Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service about dead people getting benefits have led to a new effort to move millions of names to the Death Master File — increasing the odds that more people who are alive will inadvertently be declared dead…” writes Hannah Natanson in the Washington Post. Her story tells the story of one man who had been moved into that file, and the chaos it caused him. “Being dead is personally no big deal, if you really are dead,” he said. “But, if you are still living, it creates a mess.”