Privatizing America (HBO)

Public-private partnerships are likely to be a staple of President Trump’s plans to overhaul America’s infrastructure. These arrangements allow private contractors fund public works, such as roads, and then charge people money to use them, usually through tolls.

The deals often end badly for the public. In Texas, the company that built a toll road from Dallas to Austin went bankrupt in less than a decade, and before it could repay millions in federal loans. In Chicago, a 75-year Morgan Stanley-led lease on the city’s parking meters has cost the city millions.

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[NoahNobody]

$900 a year just to drive on the road to work? That's insane.

[swaharmaman]

Privatising is not a way to make something affordable. Privatising will lead to localised monopolies that can charge high prices on based on a for profit model. I think it is unfair that the government would just sell off the country like this. The problem of it is that these companies will get state funding to do private business! Privatising often leads to corruption.

[CHAS]

Toll roads are one of the few areas that should never be privatized. America will turn into a fiefdom of toll roads. There will always be a monopoly on the shortest route. Each time a route is bought or sold, the bank note will be paid in interest and the banks make money without production. This idea will bankrupt America. The private toll road next to my neighborhood charges $5.60 to drive 2 miles. People drive 5 miles out of their way to avoid it.

[Alansaidhello]

Why do private companies charge the citizens to use the roads isn't that what taxes are for?

[LiverbestGibs]

The problem with privatizing toll roads is that there is little room for competition when it comes to roads. Privatization works when customers have choices. Some types of projects are better handled by the government, when competition is virtually impossible.

[wduncani]

They don't care if it's more expensive, it's essentially a transfer payment of taxes to toll road businesses. The entire point is to generate profit for the few at the expense of the taxpayer.

[Drumsgoon]

privatisation should be free market based, not the cronyism of government priviliges for certain corporations!

[requiemforamerica]

The government ALREADY CHARGES HUGE TOLLS for roads are you fucking kidding me? that on top of all the taxes and regulation fees it collects

[UniversalPotentate]

Huh. It's almost as if private business should stay out of public works projects.

[mistermood]

roads should never be privatized as there will be monopolies for the shortest/efficient routes.

[rumthin]

It's hard to believe there are actually some sane republicans out there.

[admiralpercy]

I drove from Florida to New Hampshire and back over Christmas. NH charged me 75¢. Massachusetts charged me $4. New Jersey charged me $7. New York charged me $7, three different times (so $21). Baltimore charged me $7. Washington, DC charged me $11. NC, SC, VA, GA, and FL charged me nothing.
That being said, how drunk was the employee that choose the angle for that GoPro?

[johndavidtre]

Privatized public services may offer short term relief to taxpayers but long term the public loses.
Quality of service goes down and prices go up.

A few European countries had issues after privatizing public services such as water.
Prices went up, network quality went down.
Thankfully a number of cities and countries got out of these shady deals (at a loss!) before things got wildly out of hand.

Several state capitol buildings around the United States have been privatized. The user and owner has now become the renters. Short term relief by way of a cash payout to bring some cash in the coffers, but long term its dubious at best.

Based on the operational mode of private enterprise whose sole aim is profitability (let's not kid ourselves about "altruistic" objectives), does the public stand a chance?

[Tearakan]

Yeah sure making it more difficult for people to go to work will definitely help. Just say to them hey it'll make this one rich guy richer. He'll give you a better job away from those more expensive transportation areas, right? Right?!?

[dasalekhya]

How IRONIC & double standards ... the country that wants to privatize everything ... deems *privatised sex work* as ILLEGAL

[dbhupinder]

first thing America Should do is "STOP SPENDING MONEY ON MILITARY"
thats it.

[EvilSmonker]

Privatization is the proper course of action for bringing America out of debt. It's like people don't like thinking we are trillions in debt.

[richardb]

What we need are high speed public transportation

[librafever]

It cost about $32 to cross the bridge from NJ to NY round trip. I could only dream of relief with those fees

[billiamc]

C470 in Denver is a low use toll road and a rip off at that!!!!