Comment by cr0sh

> "a privately operated citation processing center"

In a way, this is the real bug - one that affects more areas of local government than most people know or understand.

Our local governments are constantly seeking - and usually getting - private companies to do what should be public. The potential (and actual) repercussions to the system are serious.

For instance, how do such arrangement affect FOIA requests? What about other forms of transparency? Are we really getting our money's worth as taxpayers? Is the money actually being used properly or are costs being inflated?

It's a form of government privatization "by a thousand cuts" - we already know of the problems inherent in the system of privatizing out and contracting of private prisons; plus the loop they cause because of recidivism rates, because a repeat "customer" is better for the bottom line than one reformed for society. Which may be better for the private company, but has huge costs to society itself.

I wouldn't doubt that similar issues are happening with the privatization of other parts of our local government. It is sickening to me, personally.