So, perhaps mayor Ballard has caught ”Friedman Fever” after all. The Indianapolis Star reports that Ballard has sought out vendors to outsource his Mayor’s Action Center (MAC). Sarah Taylor, of the Mayor’s constituent services department, claims, “private call centers have more self-service and automated options that save operator time.” So, less people and layer after layer of phone menus will fix the wait time issue. really?
The AFSCME claims we could see experience instability that comes with privatization. From their site, “Unlike government, private companies can bail out of providing key services for a variety of reasons, including insufficient profit.”
Fill out a form here or, ironically, call the action center itself at 327-4MAC (4622). Demand that the mayor exhibit leadership and fix the problem and not push it out of the control and oversight of people who would have a vested interest in an efficient and functioning call center. Do not let our local leaders think they can pass off accountability to the an outside entity. I can’t help but think that this seemingly small privatization measure is testing the waters for more privatized public Indianapolis resources.
Yes, the current system is broken. But Ballard should demand quality from his workforce or seek out new help. He doesn’t have to look far to see the impact privatized public resources. Remember, we’ve got a class action lawsuit brewing against our water baron water provider, Veolia, over questionable meter reading tactics. These private entities can not really be faulted in our current environment. They exist to make money, not provide service. Yes, there is a certain degree of responsible capitalism that we should demand. However, when it comes down to it, a business entity is going to choose profits above all else.
