public services

Paul Ryan was Wisconsin's sole GOP congressional member to have voted for the bailout/rescue/better-than-doing-nothing plan.

The rest of his Republican colleagues voted "no" - - cheap, easy phony votes that will please the faux free/failed-market outer fringes of their base - - but would have wrecked small businesses, homeowners, retirement accounts and public services from Ashland to Kenosha.

There's a time to be pragmatic, and a time to be an ideological goofball. Ryan chose pragmatism.

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Wally Morics, Milwaukee's comptroller, has floated out an idea that has bobbed to the surface and been sunk in the past - - privatizing Milwaukee's Water Works.

Morics is independently elected, and serves as the city government's chief accountant.

Though it's a hugely valuable asset, and generates income that keeps the system solvent and minimizes taxpayer support, the notion is fraught with serious consequences.

First, it can remove control of the asset, and its policies, from city control, citizen participation and local management.

Secondly, unlike other public assets, a water utility is supplying a life-supporting resource, putting a deal and its ramifications into a special, almost unique realm.

Finally, it would guarantee higher rates for city residents and those neighboring communities now buying water or planning to do so, like New Berlin, and perhaps Waukesha, among others.

I'm unaware of meaningful examples of public services being privatized, and the cost of that service being reduced, because there is the need for profit introduced into the deal. And also the need for added revenue to pay off the acquisition or leasing cost. All that gets factored into the rates.

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State Sen. Mary Lazich, (R-New Berlin), has dragged out that tired "tax hell" red herring again, and lauds states like Montana, Colorado and South Dakota that have lower tax rates more to her liking.

I've spent time in those states, and they are indeed gorgeous and have a lot going for them.

But how well do they provide public services that we here in Wisconsin want, like education?

Some data is suggesting that these tax heavens may not be as desirable as Lazich suggests, or where you'd want your kids to go from high school to college.

It turns out that Wisconsin, which does spend heavily on education, does a better job preparing its children for college than Montana, Colorado and South Dakota, according to ACT testing data.

Here are the percentages of ACT-tested students that are successfully prepared to do college-level work in these four subjects - - English composition, algebra, social sciences and biology:

Wisconsin, 30%; South Dakota, 28%, Montana, 26%, Colorado, 20%.

All lower than what you'd hope for, but where would you want to be on that list?

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