Gov. Bill Haslam’s examination of privatizing operations in state government has raised concerns among a few Republican state senators attending a caucus retreat in Nashville. “But if we’re operating more efficient, why would we not want to do that?” Chicago-based Jones Lang Lasalle already oversees 10 percent of state properties.
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Haslam has touted “facilities management outsourcing” to bond rating agencies, hired a set of high-priced consultants and set the early stages of procurement into motion. It only became public in recent weeks. “But the state, if we don’t, we’re going to be right back where we were”.
In response to questions posed by Sen. “We’re analyzing it. We don’t have a predisposition for doing it”.
He pointed out the Tennessee Department of Transportation brought several pieces of work back in-house because it could do it cheaper than private companies.
Haslam argued that outsourcing doesn’t mean jobs will disappear.
The report does say, however, a few of the proposals could hurt the governor’s Drive to 55 initiative because student interaction with professors and college staff is a key part of boosting graduation rates. Because the company has better-trained people who can perform maintenance repairs, the state is saving money there while using fewer workers, he said.
Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris and state Representative John Ray Clemmons, joined by state Representative JoAnn Favors, will hear from the United Campus Workers, the Tennessee State Employees Association, UT Chattanooga College Democrats and Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM). “But we’ve got to make it work”.
Looking across the room at the GOP lawmakers, Haslam said, “I could ask for a show of hands in here and ask how many people want to raise the sales tax”. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get zero hands. “So we’ve to do that part of that to look at it”.
Fellow Republican Sen. Janice Bowling of Tullahoma anxious about the fate of workers if operations at rural state parks get privatized. Richard Briggs of Knoxville.
Democrats said that Governor Haslam has proposed a massive outsourcing of state government that would lay off state employees in favor of corporate contractors.
He says it’s not certain when he will. He notes that his administration has been talking to vendors about outsourcing marinas and golf courses for two years. And it continues to do so.
The strategic report says a few savings over time could come by limiting university building projects and decommissioning “bad” buildings on state campuses, though it acknowledges public opposition could stop demolition of historic structures.
Ramsey said if the state can save $100,000 on a golf course, why shouldn’t it? “And I would think as conservatives that would be something that we believe in”. “But we have to think about 6 1/2 million Tennesseans and what’s best for them”.
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“I’ve always been about transparency, so I don’t really agree with that comment”, Ketron said.
