Fair enough. And I apologize for being rude. But the point I was trying to make (and admitedly, made poorly), was that there's no inherent reason to "protect" public institutions, simply because they're "public." In fact, one could argue that it's in the public's best interests that they be replaced with privately-held institutions. To use the NPR questioner's examples: "... schools, libraries and transportation ..."
Ask yourself: 1) Which school is rated higher by U.S. News & World Report, for example? Carlton College or the U of M? 2) Where is a reader most likely to find the book they are looking for? Amazon.com or the public library? 3) Which mode of transportation gives the user the most freedom to go exactly where they want, when they want? A private car or a city bus whose route and schedule is set by someone else? Those who defend public property and oppose "privatization" with the passion that Mr. Keillor does, are really opposed to the idea of free markets, the basis of which is the right to private property. But frankly, I really don't think it's the exclusive belief system of republicans (e.g., "in the age of Republican privatization.") Or perhaps, Mr. Keillor, who is not a republican, wouldn't mind if I went over to his house and drove away in his new SUV. Afterall, apparently it's as much mine as it is his. Dennis Tester Mac-Groveland St. Paul >----- ------- Original Message ------- ----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:14:36 > > > > > > > >----- Forwarded by Andrew M. >Hine/US-Corporate/3M/US on 08/24/2004 08:14 AM >----- > > > Andrew M. > > Hine/US-Corporate > > /3M/US > To > Dennis >Tester > 08/24/2004 08:13 ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > AM > cc > > > > Subject > RE: [StPaul] >A thought about our > >place(Document link: Andrew M. > Hine) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >That's two-tenths of a point off for the two >missing punctuation marks, a >tenth for the misspelling, and a full point off for >calling my dad's hero a >moron and a fraud. > >I've bumped into GK far more times than "public" >officials like, say, THE >MAYOR! > >GK is a satirist, for cryin' out loud - what do you >expect? > >AMH >District Nine > >Andrew M. Hine >Corporate Research Materials Laboratory >3M Center 201-1W-28 >St. Paul MN >55144-1000 >USA > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Tel: (651) 733-1070 >Fax: (651) 737-5335 >Lab 201-W110 > > > > > > "Dennis Tester" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ter.com> > To > Sent by: >[EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > forum.org > cc > > > > Subject > 08/23/2004 04:19 RE: [StPaul] >A thought about our > PM place > > > > > > Please respond to > > Dennis Tester > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ter.com> > > > > > > > > > >Then I can only assume that Mr Keillor also prefers >to eat in a public >cafeteria than a fine, private sector resteraunt. >Ah... the walled-off, >exclusive dining experience of MacDonalds. What a >fraud this moron be. > > > > > >>----- ------- Original Message ------- ----- >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Sent: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 16:58:59 >> >>A quote from Saturday's Salon.com interview with >>Garrison >>Keillor: >> >> >>Q: You write eloquently about the importance of >>public >>institutions -- like schools, libraries and >>transportation -- >>and how in the age of Republican privatization >they >>have >> become an endangered species. Why is it so >>essential for >> Americans to fight to preserve them? >> >> >>A: Without them, we begin to slide backwards down >>the >>slippery slope toward a country of walled >compounds >>like in >>the Middle Ages, in which the nobles and gentry >>live in fear >>of bloodthirsty peasants with their big cudgels >and >>roving >>brigands and the hated infidels. I'd rather live >in >>St. Paul. >> >> >>Diane Gerth >>I really Live in the West End. >>_____________________________________________ >>To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion >>Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>_____________________________________________ >>NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your >>password - visit: >>http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul >> >>Archive Address: >> http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ >_____________________________________________ >To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion >Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >_____________________________________________ >NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your >password - visit: >http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > >Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > > >_____________________________________________ >To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion >Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >_____________________________________________ >NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your >password - visit: >http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > >Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
