@pinhman @chris
Recall a tale of woe from Michigan, I believe Lansing SD basically contracted itself out to a private entity that then failed to produce the level of dividends demanded by shareholders who then sold off their holdings and the company went bankruptm leaving Lansing with no schools. Cautionary tale, certainly, heeded by few. The same holds true for health, transport, military and infrastructure of all types...if you add a percentage for private profit, It will cost more. If there is no add-on profit, corps will find savings on worker salaries, quality of necessary goods, and time and resources devoted to task. Digging down, we have to have a rethink about how we generate "investment", who gets to create money, and for what, and who benefits and to what extent from the business of civilization. Failing this, we will fail to solve crises of poverty, homelessness, political gridlock, voter apathy, pollution, mental health and addictions, overconsumption, and, for heaven's sake, climate disruption.