One of the many looming financial crises in the United States is the horrendous budget shortfall faced by many states.
James Altucher, managing director at Formula Capital, floats an innovative solution to this problem.
Instead of raising taxes, cutting spending, or going even deeper in debt, Altucher says, states should sell off some assets.
What assets?
Assets like roads, bridges, state parks, public transportation systems, and universities.
If New Jersey were to sell the New Jersey Turnpike, for example, it would immediately raise tens of billions of dollars, which would radically improve the state's financial health. And a private road operator might do a better job of running the turnpike than the state can.
Is that a crazy, wacko, radical idea?
In the case of roads, transportation, and other infrastructure, no. There's actually plenty of precedent for it. And there's no reason other than convention why city bus and subways systems are publicly run and interstate systems, including airlines, are private.
In the case of universities and state parks? Well, there, the idea is a lot more radical.
___
Follow Yahoo! Finance on
Twitter; become a fan on
Facebook.
I have a better solution. Stop spending! Cap all pension calculations to the first $100K of income (like in the private sector).
Then we won't be back in this position next year.
Unfortunately this is done more than we realize. Look at the amount of public land sold or leased to private companies, or the water rights bought by some of the largest corporations in the US. Where they have then turned around and reaped huge profits while polluting, neglecting, the destroying the assets sold to them. Good old private profits at public expense. We better wake up.
Sell to a private operator who doubles the cost to the public..of roads, education and just about anything else...any kind of financial hocus pokus so that shares return 10% a year.
Private enterprize always knows whats best...for private enterprize.
This guy is a screaming lunitic. Toll roads have gone bankrupt in California and dumped there problems on the state. No more public universities. I hope this is the last time I hear this nut on Tech Ticker.
Idiotic fool!!! Selling roads,bridges. Publicly owned,tax funded infrastructure items sold to private entities. This guy has the reasoning of a progressive liberal.I wish he worked for me so I could have the pleasure of firing his incompetent @#$%! This is the type of mentality that is dissolving this republic.
I have a radical idea. Why not do what everygood american does and sue the government. We all want to work for nothing anyway right.
If Techticker is the equivalent to a financial WWF, This altrucher dude would be the evil wrestler everyone hates.
SELLING ROADS, I think that worked during the king Arthur days, you had to pay freaking tolls to everyone, great idea.
Ask the people in Montana how that Touch America thing is going?
Quotes and other information supplied by independent providers identified on the Yahoo! Finance partner page. Quotes are updated automatically, but will be turned off after 25 minutes of inactivity. Quotes are delayed at least 15 minutes for NASDAQ, NYSE and Amex. See also delay times for other exchanges. Real-Time continuous streaming quotes are available through our premium service. You may turn streaming quotes on or off. Fundamental company data provided by Capital IQ. Financials data provided by Edgar Online. Historical chart data and daily updates provided by Commodity Systems, Inc. (CSI). International historical chart data, daily updates, fund summary, fund performance, dividend data and Morningstar Index data provided by Morningstar, Inc. Analyst estimates data provided by Thomson Financial Network. All data provided by Thomson Financial Network is based solely upon research information provided by third party analysts. Yahoo! has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. Yahoo! and ThomsonFN shall not be liable for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All information provided "as is" for informational purposes only, not intended for trading purposes or advice. Neither Yahoo! nor any of independent providers is liable for any informational errors, incompleteness, or delays, or for any actions taken in reliance on information contained herein. By accessing the Yahoo! site, you agree not to redistribute the information found therein.