March 27, 2012 > Privatization - the good, the bad and the ugly Privatization - the good, the bad and the ugly Submitted By Suzanne Barba The League of Women Voters Eden Area will hold a luncheon forum on "Privatization - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," on Friday, March 30, 2012 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Karp Room, San Leandro Library, 300 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro. In an effort to save money and maintain services, many local, state and national entities are "privatizing" (transferring to private ownership) services that they previously performed themselves, such as charter schools, prisons, food services, utilities and health care services. This begs numerous questions, such as: Should private businesses be subject to "sunshine" and freedom of information laws? Will environmental protections be compromised? What type of regulations should government have before privatizing? A panel of three experts will explain how governmental agencies make the decision to privatize services and assets to solve problems and promote efficiencies while assuring the public's well-being. They will discuss how public entities determine what services should or should not be privatized and how transparency will be maintained. The panelists include John Jermanis, former City Manager of San Leandro; David Tucker, Municipal Affairs Manager, Waste Management, Inc.; and Janet Lockhart, former Mayor of Dublin. This forum is part of the National League study which is being conducted by local leagues across the nation. Cost of the luncheon is $10, if paid in advance, or $15 at the door. There is no charge for those attending the program only, without lunch. Please make checks payable to LWVEA and forward to LWVEA Treasurer, P.O. Box 2234, Castro Valley, 94546. For more information and to RSVP, call Nancy at (510) 562-4473 or email lwvea@aol.com. Privatization - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Friday, Mar 30 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Karp Room San Leandro Library 300 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro (510) 562-4473 lwvea@aol.com