Are public-private partnerships the answer for cash-strapped projects?

Hour 2

With state, local and federal governments all strapped for cash in the wake of the recession, new attention is being paid to public-private partnerships as a mechanism for funding critical needs like infrastructure repair. Pennsylvania’s effort to toll I-80 was shot down by federal regulators, but Governor Rendell remains committed to finding ways to pay for the Keystone State’s transportation systems. And New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has tapped a Privatization Task Force to come up with ideas about how to take more of the Garden State public budget into the private sector. Joining Marty in studio to talk about this effort will be RICHARD “DICK” ZIMMER, former New Jersey congressman and the man tapped to head Governor Christie’s task force, and JOHN A. FLAHERTY, principal for Global Infrastructure at The Carlyle Group and former chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Then we’ll hear from PHINEAS BAXANDALL, senior analyst for tax and budget policy at the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, who has a critical view of public-private partnerships.

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[audio: 082610_110630.mp3]