(Mount Laurel) Chris Brown and Mary Anne Reinhart, Democratic candidates for Burlington County Freeholder today called on Incumbent Republican Freeholder Director Fenton to reject calls for privatization that were developed without input from organized labor. 

As reported last week in the Burlington County Times, a 'group of business leaders is considering recommending privatization of some county government services and consolidation of others', in a move that harkens back to the days of Christie Whitman. 

"When Whitman privatized the DMV, the Democrats had to come in and fix the poor customer service, fraud and weak security caused by the ill conceived plan," said Chris Brown.  "The AFL-CIO reported that the poor security caused by privatization led to 'one of the Washington, D.C.-area sniper suspects registered a car in New Jersey without insurance, and several Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers obtained fraudulent New Jersey drivers' licenses. Under privatization, the number of skilled Communications Workers of America Local 1037 members working at the DMV dropped from 350 to 60." 

"This move seems to be out of the pages of the failed Whitman playbook," said Mary Anne Reinhart.  "In Executive Order #17 in 1994, she says she wants a "comprehensive study...to analyze the feasibility of prudent privatization of selected government services and evaluate the potential consequences of such privatization.'  Burlington County taxpayers can't afford 3 more years of Freeholder Fenton, and won't be able to afford 3 more months if his solution is to start adopting Whitman's privatization policies without input from organized labor." 

"Freeholder Fenton needs to immediately reject these calls for privatization, which were developed by 'business leaders' without help from organized labor, the backbone of county government.  If history has taught us anything it is that privatization without consultation with those currently working in government decimates labor, does not save money and creates horrific safety lapses," said Brown.  "Burlington County taxpayers need real leadership, not more failed George Bush policies and certainly not recycled ideas from the Whitman days." 

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