Corbett considers privatizing other Pennsylvania services

Gov. Tom Corbett says his commission looking into the pros and cons of privatizing some Pennsylvania services could focus on state parks.

Corbett said Thursday he’ll announce another panel to examine privatization and innovation opportunities in the state. Exactly what that commission will study is still unclear.

But, the governor is throwing out ideas. He said he can imagine the privatization commission taking a closer look at health care provided in prisons and at how the state runs its parks.

“You know there are some places where we don’t have lifeguards in state parks,” he said. “If we privatize that, took a little bit of money and privatized that, could we have the lifeguards there?”

Corbett, who once was a lifeguard, said he would like to see lifeguards stationed “at least during the summer season,” he said. “So is that something that we could privatize, do it cheaper than others?

Privatizing the state’s liquor sales is among the measures Corbett says will be a priority going into the fall session.

He said he won’t rank his legislative wish list, because he doesn’t want to lock himself into a plan that denies the possibility of trade-offs when the General Assembly reconvenes in September.