When Oakland got taken over by the state for being in debt, it's debt was about 8 million I think. Under the tutelage of the experts, admins, and consultants, the debt tripled. But there was no accountability for that. None.
Joanna
----- Original Message ----- From: "James Heartfield" <Heartfield at blueyonder.co.uk> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 6:42:34 AM Subject: [lbo-talk] Ripping off public education (was Occupy Oakland)
Joanna writes about ‘public education in Oakland which is getting more horrific by the day as funds are used to pay interest on a scam the state ran a few years ago, pay for huge administration and consulting costs, and for a continual churn of closings and charter conversions’
Which struck my eye because it is pretty much what happened to public services in England, too. So-called ‘consultants’ were always being brought in to advise on (pointless) reorganisations. Schools, hospitals and other social services were told that they could raise ‘private finance’ but issuing bonds on future income. Now all these are hideously in debt. The government says that we have to tighten our belts, but the government spending never went to ordinary people, it was all drained away by bogus ‘experts’. ___________________________________ http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk