Privitae Finance Initiative - For Michel (tradition, soul, America, service)

[Jaiket]

Michel, you had a complaint that most of the issues are American. Most likely because most of the members are.

How do you feel about the PFI? It affects us in the UK a great deal.

The idea (if you aren't familiar) is that skint ('skint' is a word scandalously underused outside the UK) councils can use private money to build new public buildings etc and rent it back from them for some contractual length of time upon which it becomes public property. Sound good sure.

The Private Finance Initiative is off-course only useful to those with private interests, as it presents companies with the opportunity to get a hold of public services not traditionally within their reach (eg NHS, education) and increases the flow of public money into private pockets.

The end result is (normally) hugely inflated costs, withdrawal of some services (eg health clinics) and an overall weaker service.

An example could be the Skye toll bridge which made the news recently when the Scottish executive bought it back from the consortium that owned it. Should've cost £15 million but somehow the taxpayers paid pounds 93 million for a bridge nobody really wanted in the first place. The private consortium involved made a very tidy profit on the princely 500k they invested!.

Non-UK nationals welcome, I have been led to believe similar public-private partnerships have happened in US schools for instance.

[michel]

hi truth seeking soul !

I haven't re-read my original post, which prompted you to comment on what you understood that I implied.
There is NO WAY that I was 'complaining' about news items being focussed on the US; it was more of a comment to tells you guys that I feel sadly unable to join in with USnews-related items; hey, It's my fault that I am so ignorant of your countrie's news. The point I was trying to explain was just that - that I feel unable to participate in that context.
NO COMPLAINT intended, and I am sorry if my thread imoplied that.

[Jaiket]

And you have any thoughts on the backdoor privatisations occuring?