I'm betting not one of the Kentucky big wigs is stuck on that road

[bklyncowgirl]

9. The problem with private contractors is that they are not reliable.

I town I worked for had decided to 'cut costs' by outsourcing the clearing of parking lots to a private contractor. Along came a blizzard. The town's public works guys all showed up for work (Public Works guys love blizzards and the overtime they bring) and did a great job clearing the streets but the parking lots, which fell under the private contract remained covered with snow for days.

This of course did not make the businesses who relied on those parking lots, the same business owners who had pushed for the town to hire this contractor, happy. They wanted the town to clear the lots but under the contract they couldn't.

Apparently many of the workers employed by the contractor decided not to show--hell why should they. Many were seasonal or hourly employees and the contractor had not required them to be at work ready to go before the storm started. The contractor of course was hired under the New Jersey State Contracting laws--low bid wins and unless you can prove that the bidder is not a "responsible" bidder the low baller gets the job.

Privatization sounds great until you have to rely on it.