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How would it be any different if the city applied the boots themselves? That sounds like an entirely orthogonal issue.
by phendrenad2 3y ago
How would it be any different if the city applied the boots themselves? That sounds like an entirely orthogonal issue.
- pj_mukh 3y agoBecause city workers aren’t paid more to boot/tow more cars while private companies are. If the profit motive could be aligned with actual progress, somehow objectively measurable then contracting might makes sense.
- acdha 3y agoI’d add greater oversight, too: you can’t FOIA the internal policies or records of a private company, and if there’s some policy change you have to rebid or do a painful contract amendment. I think the appeal to privatization is sometimes corruption – when we lived in New Haven, at least two of the city’s tow contracts always went to cousins of council members – but mostly it’s the hope that magic pixie dust will avoid the need for competent oversight. As you noted that only works out when the incentives align, and I don’t see that here.