Re: The Destruction of Farms by Encroaching Cities.

On 6/2/2024 4:20 PM, AMuzi wrote:

On 6/2/2024 2:48 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 6/2/2024 1:49 PM, AMuzi wrote:

On 6/2/2024 12:14 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 6/2/2024 10:30 AM, AMuzi wrote:

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No public corporation could survive a billion dollar plus fiasco such as complete loss with no results or even activity to show for it.
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https://www.nydailynews.com/2021/12/29/1b-later-and-little-to-show-for-it-nycs-mental-health-initiative-proved-disappointing-we-didnt-do-a-good-job/

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Some public corporations have displayed blatant and extreme mismanagement, with top dogs skimming fortunes from underlings. Here's one:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/national-rifle-association-and-longtime-leader-wayne-lapierre-are-found-liable-in-lawsuit-over-lavish-spending
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Good example, and much like a notorious prior Cannondale exec's fingers in the company's cookie jar. Lapierre was found liable for "$4,351,231 in restitution" and  he's already gone from the organization. Your item's 4 months old BTW; everybody knows this.
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(good riddance, too IMHO. He did a lot of good at one time but went off the rails as I see it)
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Mr & Mrs Warren Wilhelm (stage name 'Bill DeBlasio') skated with well over a billion dollars on that one escapade alone. No prosecution is imminent or even likely.

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Since your article is behind a paywall, I can't comment on it. But the idea that non-government corporations are somehow terrific is nonsense. LaPierre and cronies enjoyed skimming from the naive NRA membership for over 30 years. I imagine many of his buddies are still at it.
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Here in Ohio, we have an electrical utility company that committed record level bribery, bought lots of politicians and resulting legislation, resorted to blatant lying propaganda to defeat a citizen's initiative, and is still raking in taxpayer cash. Most of the politicians who were entangled are still in office.
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And of course other examples abound. I don't think most American cities display those levels of corruption.
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Which doesn't mean you need to live in one. Like most things, there are advantages and disadvantages to cities, and some are better than others. I prefer my suburban village, despite my knowledge of some of its governmental stupidity.
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 You're arguing on something I did not write.

That's probably true. There seem to have been several leaps within this thread, making discussions a bit hard to follow. I'm reacting in part to echoes of your previous arguments, which as I recall claimed almost everything should be privatized because government is (always?) less efficient.

All human groups have some level of kleptomania among them. No one said public companies are inherently competent or honest, let alone 'terrific'.

We agree. "Terrific" was an overstatement. My apologies.

Public companies' management are subject not only to criminal prosecution but also removal for cause (or even just lack of confidence) by shareholders as well as civil torts. All have frequent examples, well reported. Clawbacks are also not rare BTW.
 Public money on the other hand can and often does 'just disappear' with small or no consequences. The tax rate goes up and people just live with it.  And that's for merely outright theft. Malfeasance/misfeasance (padding contracts for kickbacks, especially for useless ventures at great expense) is common if not expected. And we mostly just suck it up.
 Public companies are indeed held to a standard which is not applied to similar financial size municipalities.  That was my point which is, I think, unarguable.

I do think it's arguable, because I don't think we can ever have accurate accounts of skullduggery and/or inefficiency by either team, so to speak.
My direct knowledge of government workings is mostly confined to this village, where I've been on various boards or committees for decades. I've seen local decisions I considered stupid, and one that I considered larcenous (maybe $10,000 worth), but mostly I've seen things done reasonably well.
In engineering work (three different firms) I've seen at least as much stupidity and inefficiency, and I think more misuse of funds. My wife reported to me some serious illegalities at a couple places she worked, including apparent bilking of insurance companies at one.
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- Frank Krygowski